Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

Hello Marlene,

Well, after Debbie's assessment of the trails I would go and just ride
vet check to vet check. I consider all rides as training rides anyway and
I refuse to chase points. I try to enjoy whatever amount of trail I get
to ride and am usually pleasantly surprised after 9-10 hours that we have
completed yet another 50.

Your husband has a good chance for completing because a "not
forward" horse usually does not waste much energy and just keeps
movin' on. You, with the youngster, could just putt along behind hubby
with an occasional stint at leading to give hubbies horse a rest and
junior some experience. I say "go for it".

My 13yo is a big lazy lummox. Susan G, one of our ride vets, says he
moves like a moose so I know what it's like to ride a "not
forward" horse for 9 years now. The up side is he will walk out the
start watching all the commotion and prancing and crow hopping and after
the dust settles and everyone is out ahead we just motor along enjoying
the trail. I'm 66 now and these old bones really appreciate my "not
forward" horse.

Don Huston


At 01:50 PM 9/4/2009 Friday, you wrote:
> Ok, I am a total moron or blind
> or just oblivious to anything that doesn?t fit into my world view I
> guess!  I told Deirdre that my husband and I would do Caja del Rio
> when she was looking for entrants.  We?ve ridden there in the past
> and liked the ride.  But I completely missed that it is a 50
> only.  So if anyone who has ridden it recently can tell me about the
> current trails (and any guess about the true total mileage) and help us
> decide if it would make any sense for us to attempt the 50, I?d
> appreciate it.
>  
> My husband?s horse ? mature, but a checkered past and not forward, we?ve
> been bringing him along slowly for mental reasons.  He was off at
> the beginning of the season for an abscess and has61 miles of training in
> August (12-15 mile rides) on similar enough terrain.  He is rarely
> in to leading but getting better.
>  
> My horse ? young, recently started, not forward for conditioning, got a
> little insane the 11 miles of Ft. Meade before I pulled him.  He?d
> hit a rock in his stupidity, I wasn?t able to put rear boots on him at
> the time, now I can.  He has 73 miles in August.  I think he
> could be willing for 50 miles if I rate him well at the beginning and can
> keep other horses in view in front of us.
>  
> The weather looks to be good for Santa Fe (low 70?s), the vet checks are
> in camp which helps us.  I don?t remember the terrain being really
> tough, but I only rode the LD several years ago.  Is anyone planning
> on going that is planning on doing a well paced, slower ride that doesn?t
> mind us using their horse for mental incentive?  My horse is quite
> capable of leading, he just gets slow at the walk, so he can do his
> share, it will just help for him to have mental breaks.
>  
> We thought about going to Nebraska instead for the Sunday ride (health
> papers say Santa Fe though) and it is going to be in the high 80?s plus
> probably humidity?  Opinions please.
> Thanks,
> Marlene
>  
> Marlene Moss
> www.LosPinos-CO.com - boarding, training, sales
> www.KineticEquineAnalysis.com - saddlefit for the horse in
> motion
>