RE: [RC] From Show Ring Exhibitor to Endurance Rider-My Congratulations to Lynelle Robertson-long story! - Kitley, Carrie E Civ USAF AFSPC 30 MDSS/SGSLFWhat a wonderful story and special friend to have tell it. :) I can relate to you, Lynelle. I need to lose about 30 lbs (I'm 5'3" & 160 lbs) so I can't have the bypass surgery, but I can relate to how hard it is to ride with even a few extra pounds and how hard it is to slim down. Still working at it here. I can also relate to the portion of the story about your mare. I laughed when I read the part about acquiring a taste for dirt. I decided to get back into horses after an 18-year break, raising my kids, and I bought a "kid-safe" Arab mare named Ember (kid-safe by who's standards?!). She was an experienced endurance horse, but I had no intention of riding endurance!! I just wanted a nice trail horse that wasn't a deadhead. Well, unbeknownst to me, I was in for the ride of my life!! LOL To make a long story short, I hit the sky about 5 times in the first year of owning her. I put an ad to sell her on 'dreamhorse.com' about 3 different times and then would pull it because things were "going better" and the truth was, she was growing on me and I realized I enjoyed the challenge. I still had some weird little rodeo's with her, but I refused to give up because I knew of her potential and as time went by, she pushed ME to regain my confidence, and take the plunge into endurance. I did my first 30-miler in Nov 07 and had a BLAST!! I'm addicted to this sport now. I've done 4 LD's so far now. I finally discovered that once she and I got on the same page and I gave her back the job she loved, we became one. That doesn't mean we don't butt heads once in awhile and that I don't still hit the sky on occasion (I don't come off as easily as I did at first =). But now if she gets "pitchy" I know she's just excited and feeling good (not necessarily the best way to show it, but I understand it and know that she's not being malicious). These sensitive Arabs will detect the slightest apprehension on our part and react accordingly so our beginning was a rocky one! I don't know you, but I'm so proud of you too and I wish the best on your upcoming ride(s). :) Carrie Kitley 30th Medical Group, Vandenberg AFB DMLSS?Database Sustainment Specialist (DSS) CACI?International Inc? www.caci.com dsn?276-1077, Comm (805) 606-1077 fax dsn?276-1179 <\_~ // \\ carrie.kitley@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx? -----Original Message----- From: ridecamp-owner@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:ridecamp-owner@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Lynelle Robertson Sent: Tuesday, June 17, 2008 12:15 PM To: ridecamp; Lynelle Robertson NZ; Ranelle Rubin Subject: Re: [RC] From Show Ring Exhibitor to Endurance Rider-My Congratulations to Lynelle Robertson-long story! Oh my god Ranelle, how do I explain at work why I am sitting here crying like a baby over this story. Reading it is like an out of body experience. LOL It has indeed been a journey one that I could not have made with out you and Kathy Sherman for hooking us up.I was indeed ready to take Sierra to the meat auction and did not care if I only got $50.00 for her. I can't tell anyone what it is like to go from a size 24 to 10 plus not being able to mount your horse with out a big step stool. The shoulder surgery (torn rotator cuff) was the result of her dumping me 3 times in 2 weeks. When I look back at the fat person photo's I can't believe it was me. I am half my former self. At that point riding in the arena had me out of breath and both knees hurting. I now know I can 50 miles and maby just maybe the Tevis in a year or two who knows. I have never met a kinder and more helpful group of people(endurance riders and their families). The national level of showing is cut throat and no one is your friend esp if you get the blue ribbons. Thank you all for your support and payers for my first ride. My favorite quote is " If God doesn't have horses in heaven then I don't want to go" --- On Tue, 6/17/08, Ranelle Rubin <raneller@xxxxxxx> wrote: From: Ranelle Rubin <raneller@xxxxxxx> Subject: [RC] From Show Ring Exhibitor to Endurance Rider-My Congratulations to Lynelle Robertson-long story! To: "ridecamp" <ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>, "Lynelle Robertson NZ" <lynellerobertson@xxxxxxxxxxx> Date: Tuesday, June 17, 2008, 11:28 AM This is the story of an uncommon woman. Her name is Lynelle Robertson and she has loved and had horses most of her life. She has had Gaited horses, (MFT's), Quarter horses, and participated at many levels from team penning, halter, reining, etc. She moved to Cool, CA (to those of you outside the area, this is Tevis country) and discovered just about everyone rode Arabs. She developed a vision of owning a "Grey Arab Mare" and trying her hand at endurance. She bought a lovely SENSITIVE mare named Mystic Sierra. She sent this mare to what she was told were great trainers, did everything she knew to do to develop her horse, and lo and behold, the mare and her did not get along. After the third or fourth time of tasting dust, Lynelle had to make a tough decision. She was wise enough to know that she needed to find this mare a "new friend" because Sierra certainly did not want to be HER friend. Lynelle was honest with everyone who inquired about the mare, so therefore she was unable to sell her. She was about at the end of her rope, so to speak when Kathy Sherman heard about her. Kathy sent me a flyer Lynelle had online to see if I knew anyone. One line on the flyer stuck out: "Will trade for older, safe trail horse". OK..now we're talking..I happened to have just what she was looking for, a 17 yr old retired endurance horse anyone could ride. I recognized the mare as I had seen her out on the trail being ridden by a cowboy with a "big bit and bigger spurs"..so I had an idea why this mare was so "sensitive"..duh! I sent her some pictures of Stellar, and we arranged a test ride in Cool. She was instantly comfortable on him, so I left him with her and brought the mare home that day on a 30 day trial. I knew I could deal with the mare, but I needed to be sure she really wanted Stellar. Fast forward a few years: Lynelle and I traded horses permanently. She rode my retired endurance horse and got her confidence back, and I rehabbed the mare with a lot of slow relaxing rides, camping, and TTouch work. I sold Sierra to a lady who had seen her at a ride with the idiot trainer and admired her. Lynelle sold Stellar to a teenage boy who loves him to pieces to buy another grey mare! This lady was determined! Now, for the transformation: 5 years ago, Lynelle had gastric bypass surgery to assist her in losing 130 lbs (I have her permission to share this to inspire anyone who it helps). Her top weight was 276 lbs in 1994. She is doing her first 25 mile ride this weekend at Mt. Diablo at age 58 and a much lighter, more fit lady to be sure! I will post her "before and after" photos next week. When we started riding together early last fall just after her purchase of a Wiking Daughter we call "Go Mare", she was riding in jeans and cowboy boots. When we were walking down a steep trail and she said her feet hurt, I showed her the trail running shoes I ride in. When she got raspberries on the inside of her knees, I shared with her the comfort of riding tights. When she said she didn't like to drink too much on the trail (said she was a camel and didn't need to), I reminded her that just like her horse, she could get in trouble with dehydration, so she must learn to drink. On a side note, I later figured out she was just too modest to pee on the side of the trail..! She now rides in tights, tennis shoe-like hiking boots, and carries water and food! (and yes, she has learned to pee on the trail) She has been the most coachable person I have ever met. She listened, learned, absorbed, practiced, and now she is ready for the test. Her mare is in awesome shape-could easily do a 50. I suggested to Lynelle that she do the 25 for her own sake so she can succeed and then have a better idea of what her body can do. We have done the distance in training several times, each time a little faster or on more difficult terrain. She joined two friends of mine and I on a training ride two weeks ago so she could experience riding with a group of horses she did not know. She and Go Mare did great! She crewed with me for four horses at the American River Ride in April, and learned alot..! She had shoulder surgery last November and poured through all my past EN issues diligently while she couldn't do anything else. She is ready..she is WOMAN..HEAR HER ROAR! I would like to request all of you in Ridecamp send good thoughts to her this Saturday morning as she joins us in our passion for our sport. (She wears purple if that helps you visualize her riding her Grey Mare) Please feel free to post any suggestions, or moments that made a difference to you on your first ride. I have tears in my eyes as I imagine her crossing the finish with a huge smile on her face!! I am so intensely proud of her accomplishment!! Happy Trails Lady..! You deserve it! Courage is being scared to death, but saddling up anyway. ~ John Wayne Ranelle Rubin, Business Consultant http://www.rrubinconsulting.com Independent Dynamite Distributor raneller@xxxxxxx 530-885-3510 home office 916-718-2427 cellular 916-848-3662 fax =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- 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!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
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