Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

Summer Breeze 2006, Part 1 of 2

2:55 AM I couldn't sleep. The alarm was going to ring in 35 minutes. I
had been awake on and off for the last hour. Tanna had been walked and
syringed and was chowing down on hay. I was sticky from the heat the
day before, but not entirely uncomfortable. With various fans blowing
in our camper, it was ok in the night. But since I couldn't sleep
anyway, I decided to get up and take a shower.

5:05 AM Tanna was saddled and I was doing the last minute things to
get ready to go. Water bottles. Electrolytes. Crupper and breast
collar adjusted. GPS on the picnic table getting oriented. HRM hooked
up and working properly. I rushed into the camper to put my shoes and
socks on. Helmet on. Mounted and headed to meet Angie Fura and Patty
Bass for our ride.

5:29 AM Start was in one minute. 11 riders milled around in front of
the restaurant waiting for the all clear. Tanna was unconcerned, even
nibbling grass every now and again. Trail's open! The vet ordered us
out of there.

We walked up a hill and the ride was on. Tanna was energetic but
controllable. We walked for a sec and a rider passed us. Then it was
just us 3. We moved out keeping the other horses in sight for awhile.
We made decent time for awhile and then came upon a water stop.

Now what I'm going to say in the next little bit is not very
flattering to me. In fact, it's downright embarrassing and entirely
the truth. At least my clothes stayed on...

Tanna was being pretty good. Honestly he was. I just flipped out. We
had been out about an hour and had done maybe 5 or 6 miles. We were at
a water stop. Tanna was breathing heavy. It was muggy. I thought he
should drink. He did not. I started freaking out that he wasn't going
to drink all day. Then I started sponging him. He kept trying to walk
off. I hate that on a good day. I was not having a good day. We spun
around some and I dropped my sponge. So I had to get off in the creek
and get the sponge. Wet socks and shoes. Great. Lovely. I snapped at
Tanna, stomped my feet like a mad 2 year old and backed him out of the
water so I could get out of the water. I told Angie and Patty that I
was going to go back - I couldn't do this - and to go on without me.
Angie said no way. Go on to the cabin and if I still wanted to quit, I
could quit there. I grumbled, but got back on after syringing Tanna,
hoping he'd drink later.

Angie started off leading and Tanna and I fell in behind and Patty
followed. Tanna was fighting me to try to stay right on Khasey's rear.
I don't like that and we fought. I decided to pull up and follow from
a distance. He's easier to control if he's following from a greater
distance than right in a line. I pulled up and had Patty pass me.
Tanna was still fighting, so I turned him around and cantered back the
way we came for a little bit. Then I turned him around and kept him to
a walk to follow the others. Soon I could hear them talking. They had
not kept going. Grumble, grumble. I tried to hollor at them to keep
going, but I guess they didn't understand or didn't hear. I caught up
with them and Angie told me to lead. I said I didn't want to, but she
insisted, so I did take lead and something Tanna did made me mad and I
blasted him (yes, stupid, stupid) up a hill over trail that had just
been blazed. I slowed my pace and finally just stopped and got off and
walked until I could hear the other ladies behind me. I got out of the
way and just stood still for them to pass. When they came up I
motioned them past and said, "go on, seriously." They did.

When they got away, I just started crying. You'd think I had just
heard my favorite cat died. Told you this wasn't very flattering.
Tanna turned to face me. Quite confused. He wasn't at all trying to
follow the other horses. He was with me. He didn't understand, but he
was with me. I have no idea how long I blubbered. Not too long. Maybe
a couple minutes.

I finally decided I was gonna quit. I would go back to camp via the
next road crossing. We would pack up the camp and Tanna would be in
his pasture by mid-afternoon. I would quit endurance, too. Think of
all the money we'd save not doing endurance. All that gas money, entry
fees, specialized supplements. Tanna could be a regular trail horse.

I remounted and we moved off at a sane pace. Now that I had decided to
quit, I was calmer and could face the trail, knowing I wouldn't be on
it all day in the heat and the humidity. Tanna was an angel. Moving
off my leg, listening to all my cues.

We moved out where it was good footing. I wanted to catch up with
Angie and Patty before the next road crossing so they would know I was
quitting and they wouldn't worry about me.

We caught up with them where they had stopped at a pond. Ashamed and
embarrassed, I just joined them without really saying anything. And
Tanna drank. The horse drank. And drank well. Immediately without
prodding. I sighed. I couldn't quit. He was drinking. He was paying
attention. Why did he have to drink then??? I was really looking
forward to going home.

At some point during the day, I did apologize for my poor behavior.
I'm sure Angie thought I was totally whacko. I was. Apparently heat
and 4 hours of sleep turn me into a big baby. I can't believe my horse
and my husband put up with me.

6:52 AM
We crossed Old Dover Road. My planned escape route was passed. There
would be other choices, if I wanted to quit further on, but I was
thinking more long term and wasn't thinking to quit. At least we'd do
the 25 mile loop and then see what happened at the vet check.

I was still in a bad mood and not very enthusiatic about completing
this ride, but I was along for the time being and kept dogging on.

Then at another water crossing, Patty's horse, Foxy, refused to go on
further. She just stopped and wouldn't come. Patty told us just to go
on and she'd do what she needed to do. I figured her ride was over and
Angie and I continued on without her. I kinda envied her...

8:20 AM
We reached the cabin. The owner of Willow Creek Campground graciously
allowed his cabin to be used as a rest stop for horses and people.
There was a spotter/helper there to direct us. He gave Angie and me
each a bottle of ice cold water while the horses checked out the water
troughs. He told us there was a hose around the corner and we were
welcome to enter the cabin to use the bathroom if we needed to. Talk
about lovely service! I've not seen this sort of catering out on a
ride. I quite enjoyed it.

Angie took Khasey to take advantage of the hose while I electrolyted
Tanna. Then we switched while I hosed Tanna off. Then I went into the
cabin to use the restroom while Angie grazed the horses. Wow. Air
conditioning. Space! I was able to wash my hands! What a treat. I
didn't linger too long so my body wouldn't become accustomed to the
cooler air. It was nice in there and tempting to stay there! LOL. I
hurried out and gave Angie her turn while I tightened Tanna's crupper
and fiddled with tack.

8:35 AM
After spending 15 minutes at the cabin, it was time to move on. We had
made arrangements for our husbands to meet us between the cabin and
camp for refreshments for us and the horses. We knew that the word of
the day was WATER. Water to drink. Water to cool. We weren't sure how
much water would be available on this last push and we wanted the
horses hydrated and fed as often as possible. Daniel (my husband) and
I were very grateful that Angie and her husband, David, were willing
to share water and transportation. With our slide-in camper, it's a
bit harder to do away crewing, but it was much easier using their
truck. One of these days, we'll get a gooseneck with living
quarters...

We made good time between the cabin and our crew, taking advantage of
the open road and the fact that both horses were padded all around, so
no worries about stone bruising.

9 AM
Our guys were hanging out in the shade waiting for us to arrive. As
soon as we got there, Tanna started eating hay. He didn't want to
drink, but he'd drunk pretty good from a puddle earlier, so I wasn't
worried. I was very glad to see him eating and Daniel and I sponged
Tanna while Angie and I chattered about the first part of the ride.
Angie revealed that she was  about to drag me back onto my horse by my
hair if I hadn't decided on my own to keep going. Guess it was a good
thing I decided to keep going! :-)

It was great to see the guys and have a break. I always feel
re-energized to see my husband and to get off for a few minutes. Tanna
ate well and then I electrolyted him. A quick water bottle switch and
I downed as much water as I could before we left. Then back in the
saddle and on our way into camp.

9:20 AM
Those last 4 miles or so were not too bad the first time. Some pretty
decent climbs. Five or six. I lost count. And one climb out about 1/2
mile from camp with lousy footing. I got off and walked up 2 or 3 of
the hills. Almost sent me into hyperventilation. Wow. No wonder my
horse was breathing so hard! This last bit would be done on all the
loops, so we got pretty familiar with the terrain.

10:10 AM
We paused at the community water troughs for a good drink and then
headed to the trailer located at the far end of the vet check. Daniel
and David were waiting and ready to help. Daniel and I stripped
Tanna's tack and hosed him off until he was cooler and relaxed. I kept
a look on his heart rate using his heart rate belt.

The instant I pulled the saddle off, though, I groaned. I have known
for awhile that Tanna's saddle is too narrow for him now after his
muscling up. I have had issues with this saddle for the last 3
endurance rides we've done. And now it was showing up again. A
good-sized amount of hair had been rubbed off on his left withers. It
looked pink and not good. He wasn't sore on it, though, and the skin
wasn't broken. I would go to the vet and see what he said. This was
the worst I'd seen on the withers.

Finally we headed to the pulse area. I was teased when Tanna pulsed in
at 43. The people around the pulse tent told me I didn't have to wait
until he in the forties to come pulse in. I responded that I'd rather
come in overtime from spending too much time cooling my horse than to
have him on IVs.

Tanna got mostly As with a B for the withers rub. I was advised to go
ahead and go on and see about putting something there to minimize
rubbing. I decided on furazone; which wasn't my best idea, but that's
what I did.

After vetting through, we returned to our campsite for the hour long
hold. I made Tanna's mash and turned him into his pen while I
disappeared into the camper to change my sopping wet clothes. I dried
myself off as best as I could and proceeded to redress. Unfortunately,
I could not get a pair of tights back on. It took a very long time as
my skin was so sticky my tights wouldn't slide over my skin and just
stuck. Finally, however, I reappeared outside, dressed and thoroughly
irritated.

Patty was at our campsite! She had made it in. Her mare, Foxy, was
breathing heavily and David and Angie were helping to try to cool the
mare off to get her ready for the vet check. I ate my sandwich and
petted Foxy and crooned to her while the others worked.

In no time at all, though, I had to resaddle Tanna and I pulled him
out of his pen to start the process. I put a lot of furazone on his
withers rub and resaddled. Amazing how short that 60 minutes was.

to be continued...

April
Nashville, TN

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net.
Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp
Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp

Ride Long and Ride Safe!!

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-