Ft. Armstrong First 25 Miler (Long)

[Susie Wimberly <suzieqc1cr@yahoo.com>]

Caveat Ridecampers:  For rank novice riders only.  Experienced
endurance riders will be bored.

RideCampers:

If you have not competed at this facility, I recommend it as a great
place to start.

Ft. Armstrong, Ford City, PA. Crooked Creek Horse Park. 25/50/100 One
Day Ride.

Facilities: Excellent!  Electric hookups, lots of spring water pumps,
showers, cafe, ice machine, barns with plenty of stalls, two safe
fenced show rings (good for parking horse temporarily while breaking
camp), trees for shade, pasture, wonderful groomed trails over varied
terrain, no extreme elevations, but a challenging ride even for the
100 mile horses.  Super ride management.

Weather: Hot & humid (90-99 daytime highs).

My horse Tez completed his first (ever) 25 this weekend.  This horse
had never ridden 25 miles previously, so I was fully prepared to pull
him if he was too challenged at the hold.  Our objective was to
complete the ride within time allowed and to bring the horse in sound.

We rode Loop 1 twice.  First leg of Loop 1 started 5:45a.m., rode 12.5
miles in 2 hours, 8 minutes.  I made him slow way down after 10 miles,
and brought him in to the hold dry and cool.  P & R immediately (after
6 minutes of crew cooling), pulse 56.  Vet check A's except jugular
was B and gut was a B.

Because I rode him TOO FAST on first Loop 1, I made him sit out a full
hour to recover with hay, lotsa water (held bucket under nose
frequently for drinking), and 'lytes.

Second Leg (Loop 1 Again).  Actual time on trail was 2 hours, 42
minutes.  Due to longer break, Tez was the last horse out.  Since he
had no other horses to ride with, this loop was MUCH SLOWER, at his
request.  Full, hot, hot, hot, hot sunshine.  Temp got up to 99
degrees that day.  I made him drink lots on the trail & would not
permit him to leave water until he had drunk twice. 
This cost us time.

I missed one trail marker, but Tez corrected me and told me he
remembered which way to go (Thanks, buddy).

Last two miles on flat roads.  We were short on time, so I made him
hurry a bit.  He wanted to walk, but we needed to trot to complete.

At finish line, Tez dry & cool, but extremely tired.  
P & R immediately (within 5-10 minutes, they allowed 30 minutes). On
target parameter: 60 pulse.  Vet check immediately (they allowed one
hour to present for completion check).

Final vet check same as first: CapRefill A, jugular A, pinch test A,
muscle tone A, gut noise B, rectal A, attitude B (we were both too
tired to trot out animatedly, and I forgot to take off my full chaps,
so running down the sand arena was an exercise in comedic relief).

I packed only grass hay, so I borrowed 1/2 bale of wonderful alfalfa
hay from a friend.  Tez does not get alfalfa hay at home.  At the
first hold's rest, and after the ride, he ignored the grass hay and
ate all of the alfalfa (wetted, not heavy soaked).  He refused any
beet pulp.

One hour after completion & when recovered, I gave a little of his
feed in lots of water with 'lytes (we call it his milk shake) which he
loves to slurp & slop around in his bucked.

Metabolic concerns:  First leg Loop 1: Did not urinate, did pass
stool.  Second leg Loop 1: Urinated twice (normal) and stooled several
times.

After completion (at about 11:45a.m.), he did not urinate (unless he
did it while my back was turned) until 8:00p.m., although he did
stool.  When he finally urinated the volume was good, but the color
was very dark.

The horse was very well hydrated, alert but tired, and in no apparent
distress.  I consulted the ride vet who said Tez's kidneys were fine,
just dumping waste.  Subsequent urine streams were normal clear light
yellow.  Stools were always consistent & normal for this horse before,
during & after the ride.

Award Received:  Because we left late for the second leg of Loop 1,
and because we rode this part very slowly, Tez was the last 25 horse
in!  His letter was "L", so we got a lot of ribbing about L standing
for late, lost, last, lazy, etc.  However, Tez did get a trophy:

He received the TURTLE AWARD, a very nice, plush hand towel on a brass
snap ring!  He will treasure it always!  After all, there were lots
and lots of Top Ten and Best Condition Awards given out, but there
were only a couple of Turtle Towel Awards, and Tez now owns one!  So
there!

MISTAKES I MADE:

1.  I took snacks in my vest pack, but did not eat them.

2.  I took water in my water bottles, most of which went on his neck,
with a few swallows going down my throat.

3.  I should have brought a chain lead with me for hand grazing.  Tez
was so excited about going camping that he dragged me around the
pasture as he investigated EVERYTHING, inviting comments from more
experienced horse owners (shoulda broughta chain fer that horse).

4.  I should have brought a chain lead with me for trailering.  We do
not own a trailer, so a friend hauls for us; This was the first time
in a year Tez had trailered.  Getting on first time took some
convincing until hauler Judy (expert at compassionate convincing of
resistant horses) showed me how to rig her chain lead properly. 
HOWEVER:  getting on to go home, no problem:  Tez wanted to resist a
little, I rigged the chain lead, and he hopped right in very agreeably.

5.  Big Mistake.  Dismounting at the finish.  My crop was still around
my right wrist.  The nylon loop hung up on the far-side dee ring, so I
am standing on the ground next to this tall horse, with my right arm
trapped across the saddle.  Resulted in massive bruise to inside of
the arm.  Potential disaster averted by quick acting personnel!

6.  Post-ride.  I should have taken him out and walked him more to
encourage him to urinate.  Being inside his electric fence enclosure
inhibits him psychologically.
For example, first day on sight he would not pee or poop unless I took
him out to hand graze.  This is simply a matter of an inexperienced
horse being intimidated by electric fence tape.  He did resolve his
anxiety the day after the ride, relaxed enough in the enclosure to
answer his own needs in a more timely manner.

Tez and I made a quantum leap in experience at this ride, and bonded
in a way I did not realize would be possible.  Over-all, a most
enjoyable experience, and we really, really wanna go do it again soon!

Thank you, Tezzeray, for taking good care of me on the trail.  Thanks
also to Debbie and Gene Zanot, Loretta Wazell & Jack Slater for your
encouragement, support, help, advice, beer, hay, funny trail disaster
stories, and I will mail Gene's manicure kit back to you ASAP.

Thanks to Mrs. Nancy Rober Moyer and Vel for the important lessons on
the trail before the ride started - you probably saved our butts.  

Thank you to Valerie for volunteering Chance and Miguel as our guides
for Loop 1.  

Mostly, thanks to Aunt Vicky (whose idea of roughing it is a suite at
the Plaza Hotel), my crew chief who now knows considerably more than I
do about recovering a horse.

Susie & Tez
No Longer Novice Horse & Rider
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