I live right on the Loafer Creek segment of the
Lake Oroville Ride, and so I was signed up early to go. However having just
taken my young mare to Lake Sonoma the week before, and having seen the
AccuWeather report, I almost backed out. I am so sorry I didn't. The ride (as
usual) was very well-run, the riders being treated as royalty by all the
volunteers, but the weather and trail conditions were just as Renie described in
her posting here yesterday.
My mare got really cold and slipped and almost went
completely down at one point. I was riding even more slowly than Renie,
finishing at 5:40, cold, wet, and tired. I had trotted into the finish on a
sound horse, but by the time I vetted her in, she was unwilling to trot and
was lame - which I attribute to being stiff because she was fine after getting
warmed up - so after nearly 12 hours spent out in the driving rain, I didn't
even get a completion. I should have ridden back from the 2nd vet check because
it was only 1/2 mile from home, but by then I figured Allure and I had invested
too much effort to quit.
I learned my lesson. From now on I will be a
fair weather rider. I'm too old to try to trot out a tired horse who was
carrying at least 15 extra pounds in water-soaked clothing and equipment
(especially since I had a half inch of water in my boots from the pond
surrounding the 3rd vet check.) I'm not sure my saddle will EVER dry out
completely!
I will find out about the accident mentioned and
report back later today.
djf (not usually a whiner, honest) and Allure
(who is just "sensitive")
