Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

I had a blast!

This is a 3 day, endurance & limited distance ride managed by Melissa and 
Robert Ribley, and it is a first class ride.

The weather was perfect!  Not too cold for the riders, not too hot for the 
horses.  Ramere, my 13 year old arab really enjoyed the trail.   I didn't 
start at the back as I used to do.  Ramere is pretty reasonable now, so I 
started on time.  The multiday crowd started slowly with lots of walking, so 
the start wasn't crazy.

The trail was glorious, well marked, and pretty challenging.  The views were 
tremendous.  When we were high enough, we could see the next ridge line, 
then the one behind that, and on and on to the snow capped Sierras.  When we 
had no view, we were surrounded by pines, cedars, lush mountain vegetation, 
and wonderful mountain fragrance.  There was a lot natural water on the 
trail as well as the troughs that Ride Management placed out in just the 
right places.  The trails were moist loam, no dust, and some rock thrown in 
for variety.

Ramere was forward, but listened to me.  We walked down most of the down 
hills, and walked up a lot of steep uphills.  In fact, there was a lot of 
hill work.  But that slowed us down enough to enjoy the view and to be able 
to chat with others.  I made new friends and will hope to see them at Gold 
Country in July.

The down side was that I used my new saddle on the first day and became 
really sore.  The right stirrup leather rubbed my calf even though I used a 
full length wool fleece cover.  I have a large bruise on my inner calf.  
Then also, my right knee just couldn't take the concussion.  Trotting was 
really painful.  And there were miles of trotting to do.  As long as we were 
trotting on truly level ground, I could post without pain, but even any 
slight rise or fall, and my knee really hurt.  Curiously, walking on the 
ground didn't hurt my knee.  I think that the wide endurance stirrups with 
the thick cushion had too much bounce for me. I think I need the kind that I 
have on my old saddle, wide but a firm thin pad.  For the 2nd day, I used my 
old saddle and half chaps that I borrowed from Robin Everett.  (Thanks)  But 
my knee was really shot and after the first 5 miles on day 2, I knew I 
couldn't ride a third day.

The real down side was that I think that Ramere is close to the end of his 
endurance days.  We did 2 days of LD, a 30 and a 35.  Granted, we were not 
in shape.  But he had girth trouble again.  I think I need to call the 
chiropractor out, since he pops a rib out of alignment.  I also think Ramere 
may not be able to tolerate the neoprene girth.  I ride with a loose girth, 
but he was girthy.  One of the vets suggested using a wool cover.  I was 
hesitant to use wool since it picks up burrs and stickers, but once the vet 
mentioned that Ramere was girth sore, I thought about the fact that Ramere 
is a chestnut and they sometimes have more sensitive skin.  Maybe the wool 
will work out for him.  (I just bought a 30 inch neoprene dressage girth 
with elastic on both sides. Used it once?rats.)

The other thing is that he is a bit sore on his right fore, which is the one 
with the tiniest bit of arthritis in his fetlock.  Ramere was put in pads 
and egg bars on the front last year when the arthritis was found.  And he is 
on injectable glucosamine.  He moved out really well and I did a 30 miler on 
him a month later, and he was in fine shape.  Yet, this year at WW on day 2, 
I could tell he wasn't completely himself...We got a completion, but the vet 
was glad that I had decided not to ride the third day.  She didn't think he 
could go another 25.  (BTW, the vets were fabulous.  I really enjoyed how 
personable they were, as well as their insight.  This is such a great ride!)

So, I'll get him wool, call the chiropractor, rest him up for a bit, then 
train again.  We'll try the Gold Country 30 in 5 weeks.  If he looks good 
after that ride, then we'll continue with a few LDs.  Otherwise, he may just 
become my great trail and riding horse.

Sigh...

Nina Vasiliev  (Thinking of going down stairs backwards for a while)

PS  And as usual, Endurance riders are the best? When I needed help with my 
sore leg, Robin loaned me half chaps.  Peggy Eaton walked all over camp 
after the first day, looking for me to give me a handful of Tylenol, since I 
had forgotten to bring my own, (and I can?t tolerate Advil.)  My truck 
wouldn?t start, so Bob Eaton hiked over and figured out that it was my 
battery, then Robin loaned me cables, and the photographer, (I don?t know 
his name,) drove over saplings and rocks to get his truck close enough to 
mine for he and Bob to jump start my battery?Not  bad for a non-mechanically 
inclined woman with a car that won?t start and no cell coverage to call AAA 
or her husband.

Yeah, not a bad weekend at all...



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