Pony Power!

[Rayna777@aol.com]

Hey guys!

I just got back from the most fun ride I have done!  Some freinds and I went 
to the Mt. Adams ride, (Washington State) and as my friend decided to do the 
25 on her "slow, fat mare" I decided it was a perfect opportunity to take my 
pony Jynx.

Jynx is a God-knows-what cross. If I had to guess, and everyone pretty much 
agrees with me, I'd say she is a Welsh/ Qtr cross.  She is very horse- like, 
though only 12 hands tall.  She weighs 588...I know 'cause I weighed her at 
the ride.  She is black, has some nice leg action, and is a real go- getter.  
She is 27 years old.

Since I bought this little mare 5 years ago, I have riding her up in the 
mountians.  She is the horse visitors fight over riding, she is a blast!  My 
mother, who is 5' tall, 100 lbs, rides her, cantering up and down the trails, 
laughing. (Somehow, thats the effect she has on everyone)  I pony her 
sometimes, a freind has borrowed her for drill team, and she is broke to 
drive.  I haul manure with her on occaision.

So, this mare is fairly fit, not top ten material, (yet <G>) but not your 
average pasture ornament either.

My friend hauled her mare, and Jynx up Friday, got to ridecamp at noon, and 
we took the camper up that evening, getting there at 5:30.

Vetted in with all A's, pulse of 40.  The vet was really impressed with her.  
I don't think he really believed she was 27.  He looked in her mouth and said 
I was right.

Jynx must have drank 15 gallons of water from noon til Saturday AM.  No 
kidding.  I had preloaded her with electrolytes for a few days before the 
ride, in her grain, and she got some Fri Night too.  She ate grass, which was 
beatiful in ridecamp, and ate a little grain that night, some beet pulp too.  
I tied her up at night so she wouldn't be 5 feet wide by morning.  Jynx has 
never foundered, but she sure bloats!

Sat Am, I saddle up, and wandered around a little before the start.  Everyone 
who rides by looks at me a giggles.  There were a few people who had talked 
to me Fri. who knew I was riding her, not one of my kids (who are both bigger 
than me anyway) and everyone thought it was great.

FYI: I am 5'4 and weigh140. I ride Jynx with a Wintec Dressage sport, which 
fits her so well I need no crupper or breast collar.  I only carry one water 
bottle in a fanny pack, a first aid kit, very little else.  I guess she was 
carrying 175 lbs.

So the start goes out, I'm cantering along, nice and easy, people laughing, 
and asking if I post every other beat.  After about a mile and a half, I pull 
up to take off the way too many polar fleece layers I am wearing. ( I am 
notorious for giving myself heat stroke in my overwhelming desire to survive)

Lots of people pass, asking if everything is okay. Jynx is fine, grazing, 
tied to a twig.  I am red in the face and trying to tie jackets around my 
waist 'cause those stupid dressage saddles don't have any D rings in back.  
Don't they pack in dressage class?

We continue on our merry way, me grinning like an idiot, Jynx trotting up, 
and trotting down, cantering on the flatter trails.  We pass people on the 
steep downhills 'cause I leap off and run as fast as I can, with Jynx 
trotting behind me. <g>

Caught up to, and passed a rider, then we both caught up to two more, another 
caught up to us, so the dust got bad in places.  Two horses back, the horse 
coughed a few times, and I was sucking it up pretty bad so I said, "You know, 
the worst thing about riding a pony is being lower to the dust" And the guy 
behind me said, "How do you think I feel, I'm sucking PONY dust!" LOL

Jynx didn't drink at the first water, though she damn near took me swimming, 
I swear she's part Labrador!  (She'll jump in water over her head, and swim 
happily)  I hung around, fed her carrots, sponged her and waited about 15 
minutes before continuing.

Jynx did wonderful!  We cantered, trotted, and walked.  But she didn't drink. 
 I sponged her every chance I got, and it seemed to do the trick.  Do ponies 
absorb waster through osmosis? : )

Walked most of the last mile into the vet check,stopping to talk to a friend 
who was sitting along the trail to get my pisture.  He told me a bear had 
come through, between to groups of riders, and he got a picture with my 
camera! Then Jynx trotted into camp, and I couldn't resist letting her.  
Undid her cinch, led her to water, but she didn't drink, she started chowing 
on grass.  I had a heck of a time getting her bit out!

P/R gal came right over, there weren't many horse in right then, and I told 
her she probably wasn't down, but out of curiosity, go ahead.  She was at 56! 
(Criteria was 60)  I was so excited, I forgot to see the vet, and went right 
back to camp for my 30 minute hold.

Put her on her long rope, gave her water, beet pulp, carrots, a little bite 
of grain, and put some hay in front of her. ( I don't believe in spoiling 
horses)  She ate grass.

Several people asked me all about her, seems everyone in camp knew about the 
pony by this time.  When I wasn't looking, Jynx rolled with the saddle on. 
Figures.

When my hold was up, I went for the trot out, then remembered I hadn't seen 
the vet before and panicked.  I sure didn't want to get DQ'd on a 
technicality when she was doing so great.  But the vet said it was okay, did 
the check, gave her A's, with B's in mucous membranes, and cap refill.  Trot 
out was great.... She trotted past me!

So off we went.  She was a little reluctant at first, but soon was cruising 
along in her usual Jynxie fashion.  She didn't drink this time either, but I 
soaked her down good, and we got rained on a couple of times.  The weather 
was very cool, sometimes cold, and breezy too.

At the photographer, just after the first water on the second loop, Jynx 
decided that big grassy, open hillside looked like a great place to go for a 
gallop!  I let her run, grinning ear to ear, while the photographers yelled 
and pointed, "The trail is the other way!"  I didn't care, I just wanted a 
good picture, we were having so much fun!

I managed to convince Jynx we needed to go down hill without falling off, and 
on down the trial we went.  Saw some deer, stopped to watch them.  Ate a 
bagel.  Practiced feeding Jynx carrots while she trotted... That's an 
excersize in strength, but it was hard to get her attention, she's a worker 
bee!

She figured out we were close to camp and kept trying to canter.  I kept her 
trotting and walking, but let her canter into camp after the finish line.  
Got attacked by P/R people again, and she pulsed at 64!  When we got our 
completion nod from the vet a few minutes later everyone  applauded!

This morning at awards I found out I was 26th  out of 28, with a ride time of 
4:43.
Not too bad for a pony who is two hands two short, and twenty years too old! 
( But don't tell Jynxie, she thinks she's a 5 year old, 15 hand tall 
endurance horse!)

I had so much fun I told everyone I was going to give away my Arab, and just 
ride Jynx!
I'm not serious of course, but it's still tempting.  I'm sure I'll do more 
rides on Jynx, I'd love to do a 50, but it would have to be fairly flat, and 
real cool.

So, I guess this will open up the pony power debate again, and that's okay by 
me.  I've been riding and driving ponies for over 20 years, and I love 'em.  
People always underestimate the little horses.

Julie, Rayna and Jynxie the wonder pony




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