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Well, the short story is that I didn't quite make 100 miles, but I did
come away knowing that 100 miles is most definitely within the
capabilities of both me and my horse and am thrilled with our
experience.

Now the long story!

Earlier this summer, I was very content doing LD (multidays when
possible).  I liked being done by lunch and just hanging out.  It gave
me time to do saddle fittings as well.  But then I decided that I wanted
to do Grand Canyon for which 50 miles is the only option.  We slowly
planned our season to get us ready for 3 days at GC.  That went really
well and our horses did spectacularly.

When we got home, assuming that was the end of ride season (since we
live in the mountain region), I made the comment to a friend that my
horse had done so well at GC that if there was a nearby 100, I thought
we could do it.  I decided El Paso was close enough (oops, there went
another $400 in fuel!) and it sounded like a very good first 100.

My husband's horse wasn't ready so we went down with just my horse and
my husband as crew.  I knew in many ways we weren't really prepared, at
least for a guaranteed success.  I still hadn't decided how I wanted to
handle electrolytes - I really don't use them much here unless it is
really hot and then just a small dose of powder in beet pulp.  And my
horse has a pretty heavy winter coat.  I was leery of clipping because
I've never done it and she'd have to come home to 15 degree nights.

But I was also willing to be happy at any level of success that left me
with a healthy horse.  Heck, at one point I was happy just to be able to
give her a bath since we only had about 3 days at our altitude that were
warm enough this summer!

It also turned out that there were only 2 people entered in the 100,
including me.  The other was Don Bowen who has done quite a few 100's,
has a very nice horse and was willing to share his knowledge.  I told
him if he had to leave me (because my horse can be annoying to ride
with) that would be fine.

We started at 4am - great for me, I'm a morning person and don't sleep
before a ride anyhow.  It was fairly warm when I got up and I felt bad
about blanketing my horse, but it got quite a bit cooler before dawn.
The first loop was on road and 2-track, with a nice sliver of moon to
light things just enough.  The horses knew what they were doing and I
really gained a lot of confidence in my horse on that loop.  Especially
when we repeated some of the trail and I realized what she went through
effortlessly.  

We did that first loop at a nice 7mph or so.  Second loop started cross
country where it was pretty rocky.  We took it slow, Don led most of it
and soon the 50's caught up with us.  We rode a while with Corry
Clinton, my horse beginning her annoying behavior - well she's doing it
to take care of herself, but she didn't understand just what she had to
do that day!  She really prefers a 10-12mph trot, and then to slow down
and then speed up again.  I have just been completely unable to get a
trot slower than 9mph without fighting every single step.

And this is really how I made my biggest mistake of the ride that lead
to us not completing.  I KNEW that I needed to keep her slower early in
the ride, both from experience and advice.  And that is what Don was
trying to do as well.  But I was foolish and let my enjoyment of the
experience and my enjoyment of that horse when she feels good get the
better of me.  

We didn't do too bad on that second leg, but the 3rd leg was a 20 mile
loop in the heat of the day with some deep sand (we aren't use to much)
we kept trying to keep the pace around 8mph and it kept creeping up to
10 and pretty soon we'd done 20 miles in 2 hours.  Not the plan at all.
I was feeling guilty that I was messing up Don's plans as well.  At that
point both horses were doing really well and mine was doing as good as
she's ever done even on an LD and we already had 50 miles done.  I
should have realized that the reason I physically felt good was because
I hadn't been fighting my horse enough!

The 4th loop was a little tougher.  About half cross country through
deeper sand and little hills.  Don led and jogged when he could for a
while.  Pretty soon it was too tough to jog, so I got off and led as
well.  It was very nice seeing the water tank at almost the halfway
point of that loop.  We got to see a little rattlesnake there too!

I think my horse had got into the walking mode a little and wasn't as
willing to trot on the way back to the vet check - more trot for a half
mile, then walk for 50 yards and repeat.

When we got back to the hold everyone had left except my husband and
Sid, the second vet.  We made sure the horses had plenty of food and
they were still doing great.

The 5th loop took us back to camp and we were on schedule to make it by
dusk.  Again, we tried to take it easy and made the horses walk
occasionally.  I know my horse was tired and appreciated the walking
time, but she still wouldn't do a slower trot and we made that 15 miles
in about an hour and 45 minutes.  My horse did not do her best trot out
- my first indication that she was really tired.  But 85 miles were
behind us.

We stayed a little longer than the 30 minute hold, but got glow sticks
ready and headed out for the final 15 mile loop - a repeat of what we'd
done for the first loop.

My horse was stiff coming out of her pen and we led for a 1/4 mile or
so.  We tried rubbing her hindquarter muscles - they felt fine, but just
wanted to help warm her up.  I got on and we walked some more.  Don's
horse was ready to go, but mine just wanted to walk so I let him go on
ahead to see if that motivated her.  I finally got a nice steady (slow!)
trot and caught up one more time.  When she went back to a walk, she
refused to trot again.  We kept walking slow until Don's lights
disappeared.  I led for a while and she kept trying to turn around.

Now this horse does have a lazy streak.  She does this to me all the
time at rides - refused to trot, wants to turn around, and then when we
finally turn toward camp, gets into her big stupid trot like she hasn't
done a thing.  She "gets me" every time, too, because I can come up with
reasons that she wasn't enough prepared or whatever.  So I'll let her go
slower and then wish later that I'd made her be more consistent.

Well, this time I had more than enough reasons to believe her - winter
coat, 2 loops faster than I wanted, not having a good e-lyte plan and
sand.  Otherwise, I knew her metabolics were good, she wasn't off.  And
I was willing to lead the entire 15 mile loop if that was what it took.

I also expected that even this tired, she would still pop back into a
trot when we rounded toward camp - and not sure it would be smart to
trot through more sand.  But she only walks 3mph and that could have
been 5 hours on the loop and there is nothing to eat in the desert.  I
decided to do one more test - get on and see if she would trot toward
camp.  If she did, then tough, she was gonna do the loop at a walk if
needed.  She wouldn't.  

So I knew that was it.  I wanted to catch up to Don to let him know I
was turning around and I knew he'd probably wait for me at the gate by a
cattle crossing, so I led a little further and hollered.  I thought we
were close.  But I think by then it was pretty obvious we weren't coming
and Don had gone on, thankfully.  I would really have felt bad if I'd
delayed him too badly.

We turn around and I led her back - about 3 miles.  We met my husband
who was coming out to meet us when we got back to the road with carrots
and other goodies.  He wanted to come back with me, but I told him we
were fine and to go tell Don, who might still be on the road not to
worry about me.  He missed him, came back right as I was getting to camp
to tell Barney (head vet) and Randy (ride manager) that I was pulling.  

I still felt great, was thrilled to have made it as far as I did, and
with a horse that had no further issue than being tired.  I told my
husband to head back out to meet Don and I'd take care of my horse.  She
started plowing through her hay and I could hear her gut sounds as I
iced and wrapped her legs.

The next morning, I took her for a walk and she kept trying to trot
circles around me.  She looked pretty darn good for a horse that had
done 85 miles so I know that she is capable of doing a 100 and so am I.

So, the lessons I've learned:  1) suck it up and teach/force the horse
to go slower, 2) figure out an e-lyte plan, 3) consider clipping, or do
the next ride "in season", 4) if the last hold is in camp, bring food
etc to the check area, don't take the horse back to the pen!

I do think she physically could have done the miles in spite of some of
my management mistakes.  But she was tired enough that losing the mental
part really didn't help.

Randy said he was sorry that I'd made it so far and not been able to
finish.  But I said I couldn't be happier.  On our first 100, we made it
far enough to learn some important lessons (many thanks to Don helping
me out) and to know that this was not some huge pinnacle that we should
be afraid of and that it really was doable and I didn't hurt my horse
learning those lessons.

The cool thing is that of all my horses, this is the last one that I
would have thought of as a 100 mile horse.  It just happened that way
since she was the one I was focusing on.  So I have 2 other mares (for
sale for $3500 since I missed that whole thread while I was gone!) that
I am now completely convinced could do a 100 more easily than this mare.
This was a very eye-opening and thrilling experience.  I couldn't have
done what we did w/o help, and I am looking forward to my first 100 mile
finish.

And this was a very good first 100.  Good length loops, plenty of water,
temps not too bad and great people!

Marlene

Marlene Moss
www.KineticEquineAnalysis.com?(saddle fit for?the horse in motion)
www.mossrockranch.com (sale horses and more)
719-351-5037 (cell)
719-748-9073 (home)



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