Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

This was my pull code. Really and truly. (I think AERC needs to be a  
little more creative minded in their pull codes. Just think of the  
possibilities.)

Actually it was a little more complicated than falling down. This was  
my first honest runaway, and it was a doozie :)  I rode the mare 2  
days ago, just around the paddock area. Several guys had to hold her  
while I got on (and off) but once I was on she didn't seem too bad.  
Definitely hot, but I felt like there was some steering and brakes  
there. Yesterday I took her out on the training track, with one of  
the trainers and another rider. They held her while I mounted (seems  
that is normal for this mare). She was pretty reasonable going out -  
we walked, trotted and then galloped for a few miles . She sort of  
flipped out as soon as I turned back towards the stable, danced  
around some, but eventually we galloped back in w/o any real crisis,  
and I attributed it to her being on her 'home training ground'.  
(found out later they'd only had her for a couple weeks, so home is  
relative!). I really thought I could manage her - I sort of like a  
hot horse and she didn't feel like she had any buck or bad spook in  
her. She'll settle down when we get on the trail...

The clues started piling up, but for some reason I remained clueless.  
Perhaps all of the rides I've had on horses I didn't know that worked  
out ok - gave me an oblivion to the possibilities. We arrived at the  
ride venue for vetting, and more clues - she was pretty wigged out  
for the vet. Jim Bryant was vetting and she kept dancing around and  
trying to kick him. I think he gave me a look... but I was most  
likely smiling and nodding my head, still clueless.

This morning, the clues were raining down upon me, and kicking me in  
the butt.. and still I figured no problem, she'll settle down on the  
trail. 45 minutes before start time the grooms were to ride the  
horses some and get the warmed it. It took a good 5 minutes before  
Saud was able to get on Suzi (3 guys trying to hold her) and then she  
did another good dancing session before he got her straightened into  
a trot/jig forward sort of thing. She'll be fine once he rides her  
some. Then it was my turn to get on - it's still dark - 15 minutes to  
start time. Saud need the guys to hold her while he got off. (another  
clue??). Madiya had mounted Cindy and Grace asked her to bring her  
over stand next to Suzi while I got on (assumedly the horses had  
bonded on the trailer ride over and Cindy would offer some comfort to  
wide eyed Suzi). The guys couldn't quite get her settled enough for  
me to get on (did I say clueless?) and then Cowboy came over and  
managed to get her still enough long enough for me to get on. So I  
did, and realized immediately that the girth was  a little loose, the  
stirrups a little long, but was too busy trying to bring her back to  
earth to think twice about it. She rammed into Madiya, slammed her  
pretty hard while throwing her head around - it was kinda tense and  
Madiya's shoulder took a blow - but again, she settled eventually, I  
was still on. I was able to sit deep and the stirrups were long, but  
not impossible, and I'd forgotten about the girth.  We'd be fine, not  
to worry, just need to get her going down the trail. We walked/ 
trotted around the crewing area some - ok - we're ok. then headed out  
the gate into the staging area (in the dark still) - she almost wiped  
out the stewards going through the gate, but I found Madiya again and  
figured she'd settle once we got going. She did one serious wig out  
while circling and I called out to Madiya - I think I'd better go  
back, this might not work - but she settled again, sort of, and I  
thought 'what a whimp - I can ride this horse. (clueless still).

We started at the front and it wasn't too bad - very strong - at a  
good fast canter - but I think she'll settle down. The horses were  
all pretty excited, and there was quite a bit of acting up - but  
we're going straight. And then after a few kilometers other horses  
started passing us. we were doing at least 30k/hr at this point - a  
gallop I'd call it - she'd gather speed and I could pretty much bring  
her back, but she was a liability - keep veering into Madiya when I  
tried to rate her. I was really afraid I'd mess up Madiya's ride - I  
think dear Suzi was making her horse more nervous, so I decided go on  
ahead (pulling back was not an option) and leave Madiya alone. There  
were quite a few horse out in front of us by now - and the sky was  
starting to lighten - I'd just catch up with the next group and she'd  
settle a little again. Well, that was that. As soon as I give her  
even a little rein she took off.  Gradually working into a full  
gallop. We passed a few, and by now I had absolutely no brakes. Her  
neck was straight up with her chin pressed flat against it. I  
couldn't really turn her, and had no leverage with her ears in my  
face. We had a couple turns to make, and did manage to stay on the  
track, more or less, and then we came to a sharp 90degree left turn  
where the trail turned to follow the fenceline.

There was a truck parked in the road, and a steward standing next to  
it to guide horses to the turn and keep them from going straight  
through the gate (which was a different color loop). This mare was in  
full bolt, and she wasn't thinking of turning. In the few seconds  
there I tried hard to turn her, but we were then headed sideways into  
the truck - and the steward - he saw us coming and started running  
for the truck - I realized the left turn was not an option, broadside  
to truck was a worse option, and gave her back her head hoping she'd  
straighten out and miss the truck. She did, just barely, but we  
clipped the steward and threw him against the truck. She had slowed  
somewhat to miss the truck and I figured maybe I could turn her now  
and circle her to stop. I got her turned back towards the fence and  
took her right up to it. she had to stop, but then made a quick turn  
back up the fenceline and I felt myself slipping (if the girth had  
been tightened I might still be out there galloping...) - my right  
shoulder was against the fence at that point and she was starting to  
run again and I didn't think I could straighten up enough to get back  
on her back, so I let myself slide against the fence. I came down  
pretty hard on my head and shoulder, but that's one nice thing about  
sand...  By now the saddle had slipped sideways and she took off,  
away from the fence and truck and steward and other people and  
straight out into the desert. My last glimpse of her was bolting away  
as the saddle started sliding under her belly. Damn - poor mare was  
totally berserk by now.

I got up and went back to the gate - the steward had a cloth held to  
his head, he was bleeding badly and there was blood all over the  
tailgate. When the mare bumped him she had knocked him headfirst into  
the bumper. I hope to find this man again later and apologize all  
over again. The other stewards were scrambling around, radio calls -  
accident at 9km point on yellow loop - rider off, horse loose,  
steward injured... etc etc. The injured man (Mohamed I think) waited  
a bit and finally decided to drive himself back in - we piled in (a  
photographer, a few others) and headed back. We were met part way in  
and they took him off to the hospital - he would need stitches. The  
rest of us went back into camp. In time to see gray horse come  
galloping into camp with no rider - and I heard later that when this  
horse dumped it's rider, another spooked and took off running  
straight back to the barn. It was pretty wild out there....

I really can't blame the folks that gave me the horse - I had tested  
her and thought I could handle her. She was much worse at the race  
than at the paddock - and given her behaviour before the start the  
right thing to do would have been to scratch the ride. I found out  
they hadn't had the horse very long, but had been assured that it was  
a good horse, just a little nervous, and had carried a junior rider  
to a 4th place finish a month earlier. Could be... maybe this day,  
this ride, this very fast start on a wide open track was just too  
much - maybe I should have had a stronger bit, maybe maybe maybe....   
But it was what it was. I felt (and still feel) ashamed to have had  
an out of control horse out there - to the point of causing injury to  
one of the officials.  There goes my reputation!  Rider Fall Down.

But I suppose it could have been worse. I actually never felt afraid  
- just trying best to figure out how I was going to manage this run- 
away. Plenty of desert out there, but soft uneven footing - would be  
pretty easy to trip and tumble. I was still trying to come up with my  
game plan for stopping this horse when the gate and truck and steward  
appeared, and that was that.

I'm off to bed now, up again in few hours - tomorrow is another ride  
out at Al Wathba - and Madiya is riding again on a different horse.  
I'll have her story next-

Steph

(whew!)


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

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!!

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