Pan Am part 2

["Roberta Harms" <equiphile@hotmail.com>]

  Well, we're now ready for the ride.  It rained overnight and was overcast 
in the AM.  The ride was moved from 5AM to 5:30, I think to allow spectators 
to be able to see the start. Didn't work, too dark with the clouds to see 
much of anything. I hate having a dark bay horse that disappears under me in 
the dark.  That is the only time I want a grey!!.
  Our team of 4 started out together at a moderate pace.  Gail's horse 
didn't understand the philoshophy and I don't think she had time to explain 
it clearly to him.  He was a basket case seeing all those in front of him.  
Melissa'a horse Charbiel and Sha-Win were more easily controlled, but still 
they had caught the fever of the BIG ride.  Jan horse, Mastermind was all 
business and steady as a rock.
  If you have never seen this sand you wouldn't believe it. I think 90miles 
was in sand, deep, deeper and deepest.  The worst was the sand dunes which 
was about hock deep which we had to negotiate parts of 3 times.  The horses 
heart rates were much higher than normal at any given speed.
  Getting through the first check with my excited horse would be my biggest 
challenge.  we were each in a small area that we were not allowed to leave 
except to get checked.  We had to walk down an aisleway to a buffer zone 
before the pulse takers.  We could sponge in the aisle, not in the buffer 
zone or in pulse area. No electronic devices allowed in the buffer zone.  I 
got yelled at each time to remove my heartbelt.  We could stand in the 
buffer zone 45sec only then we had to get checked or get a 30 min penalty.  
I led this slow parade down the aisle with two people sponging until the 
buffer zone. Then the vet or chef checked my heartrate for 30-45 sec.  On to 
the pulsers then on to the vets.  I fortunately had no problems all day with 
my pulse except due to the difficulty of the terrain it took me longer than 
normal to come down to 60.
  I heard later fron the vets that few horses had any gut sounds at the 
first check, but passed the CRI fine and went on. Sha-Win had them, but 
diminished.  Eating fine.
  Our crewing area was next to the East team.  My husband said "Don't even 
try to catch them!"  They were ALL in and out before I even got there!!! 
Wow!!  They were unbeatable that day.
  Our team broke up some now.  I spent much of the day riding with Melissa 
Crain and Candy Barbo, another rider from the CTZ.  Jan was ahead and Gail 
behind.
  On the third leg, we had pit crews at the "P" stops and we each stayed 
5-10 minutes at the 3 stops and fed our horses.  Coming in from this leg we 
saw other horses dragging and going slow.  Our horses charged in.  One vet 
said horse coming in on this leg looked like they were beaten with rubber 
hoses.  Ours felt and looked good.
  I'll add the end in a little bit.
Roberta Harms


_______________________________________________________________
Get Free Email and Do More On The Web. Visit http://www.msn.com


=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net.    
Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/RideCamp   
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=