Endurance highlight(long)

["Budler, Cindy" <natcon@afrox.boc.com>]

I had my greatest endurance thrill this weekend. Not a thrill for all of
those long time enduro's , but today I am still glowing. My mare and I
finished our first 50 miler this weekend and all went well. Our ride was
in Cullinan in SA - a very , very hot day - the hottest we have had out
here for many months. The temp was in the 30 degrees C with not a
breeze. We aimed at doing a very slow 15 km /hour as this was her first
80 km ride and with the heat I knew we had to go carefully. The course
is also very difficult as there are long patches of soft thick sand and
more long uphills of very stoney ground. We started out with another
group who went too fast for me , and after 10 km we dropped back. I have
been having major problems with this mare not wanting to canter on the
right leg , and have been working long and hard on this in the school
with an instructor. It's not that she can't , she just doesn't want too
, and can throw major temper tantrums when you force her too! As a
result I wanted to trot most of the way, she wanted to canter!!. Two of
my friends rode with us and we set a more leisurely pace after the 10 km
mark. She drank really well and came in with a pulse of 40 - great for
the heat and excitement, I thought. The vet commented that she was one
of the best hydrated horses there. The second leg was  much of the first
with a slow sready trot interspersed with some canter. Pulse of 48 -
heat getting to us - plus no cold water to be had anywhere - all
lukewarm - even out of the tap. The last leg was the worst of the ride
with terribly stoney ground , river crossings , muddy patches and
ant-eater holes all over -- also my friends decided to stop at 60 kms.
We went out with great trepidation and her stable mates screaming from
the camp!! Had one temper tantrum when another stable mate passed us
coming in , but after that she went like a dream - keen , ears pricked
and no hesiatation at all the spooky bits!!( for Shaliekah this is
amazing as everything is a horse -biter). We finished with an average
speed of 15 km/hour , pulse in 40's and not a hint of dehydration!! I
must admit she was not keen to drink on her own , and as we never saw
another horse during the whole last leg I had to use some tricks to get
her to drink(like wading into a dam up to her stomach and making her
stand there until she drank). 
She is not the fastest horse in the world - no power trot like my
previous gelding- but everyone says the speed will pick up as the
fitness and confidence does - but I am very proud of her today- It was a
big step for her to do this on her own, and a vote of confidence in me
as her guide. I think we are a team now and after a few more slow 80km ,
we will move up next year to some slow 100 milers.

Cindy(the grinning idiot - and Shaliekah -who can't understand what all
the fuss is about)
Cindy Budler
National Contracts Department
Fabrication Division
Afrox
South Africa
Tel :27 011 871-1000
e-mail: natcon@afrox.boc.com