First Multi-day: Last Day

[BeckeG@aol.com]

Sorry on the delay of this section.  I had to go to New York for a baby 
shower.  I will be a grandma in about one month and this was a must do 
affair. 


    I tossed & turned most of the night and I was awake at 4 AM. I don't know 
it was the sore muscles, the stillness of the air or what. I just couldn't 
get a good night's sleep.  I didn't get up and feed early because PJ & Sammy 
were lying down and I didn't want to disturb them. Char, too, had a rough 
night so both of us were starting this day really tired. 
Most everyone who had ridden on Saturday and Sunday had gone home, camp was 
really quiet. All of the people who could recognize rider dementia in Char 
and myself had left. There were only four 50 milers today and 9 on the 
competitive.  I had made the mistake of taking all of PJ's buddies home the 
day before.  You always learn something new each time you ride and I learned 
a valuable lesson this weekend. Because of that mistake, she was not eating 
in her pen.
    Char & I made the decision again to warm up slowly and early so PJ would 
be OK to go. We were in the saddle by 6 AM and walking through camp.  The 
weather had changed today, too.  I had put my sweatshirt on to stay warm but 
at that hour it was as warm as it was during the previous evening.  By the 
first 3 miles, we had the sweatshirts off. 
    We trotted out for Rae and both horses looked fine.  We were out about 10 
minutes before everybody else and the horses picked up a nice trot.  The 50 
milers caught up to us about 6 miles out.  I had hoped we could stay with 
them for a while but they were going about 9-10 miles an hour and our horses 
were not willing to go any faster.  I had figured out that the cantering was 
aggravating PJ's muscle cramps so the trot was OK with me.  It just would be 
a little longer day.
    We complete the first 15 miles and had a 30-minute hold. The CRI was 
great, she dropped one beat but she still had a little cramp in her left 
hind.  Rae again suggested massage.
    Today we would be doing 15, 10, 15,10 or we would be going around in 
circles a lot. Now the temperature was dropping so we donned our sweatshirts 
again.  The weather was the reverse of all the other days. 
    I put PJ into her pen to relax and eat.  But all she did was stand at the 
edge and stare in the direction that her buddies took to go home. (See I told 
you I made a mistake.) I removed her from her pen and sat with her in front 
of hay and slurry.  She did eat some when I did this. However, I couldn't 
take care of me when I was taking care of her.  She ate and I massaged until 
it was time to go.
We trotted out for Rae.  I said my ankle was killing me (must be holding my 
foot the wrong way). Rae said she didn't care about me, the horse looked 
great! J 
    By this time Char and I were not talking much on the trail.  We were both 
tired and we had seen everything on this trail 3 times by now.  The weather 
was still cooling and it was looking like rain.
    Tommy was with us on this loop, too. He came along to help but it turned 
out to be a different kind of help.  When we asked for the Power Ade, Tommy 
had helped himself to it and it was all gone! We told Tommy to fix 
electrolytes for us at the next stop (yes, he is a rider and he knows how to 
put them in a syringe!) I even made him repeat what he was supposed to do.  
Carbs were waiting for us at the next stop and not electrolytes.  So I jump 
off to put electrolytes into the syringes. (Our pit crew hasn't learned to do 
this yet.)
 Another 10 miles and a 60-minute hold.  Again PJ refused to eat in her pen 
so I pulled her out and sat on the hay bales so she would eat.  I spent most 
of my hold there.  I should have known better but sometimes you worry so much 
about the horse you forget about you.  That 60-minute hold seemed to go way 
too fast.
    The next 15-mile loop was uneventful.  We saw nobody but our pit crew and 
this made this loop very tedious. (We left Tommy back at camp to play with 
the kids!) It had been fun to talk to the different riders the last 2 days. 
Our horses always seemed to perk up when someone else was on the trail. 
The horses were still into that nice little trot which was beginning to lull 
me into a hypnotic state. You know, when you are driving a car and you 
suddenly realize that you have arrived someplace but you don't remember how 
you got here? A couple of times I came back to life in a real panic because I 
didn't know where I was.  I was following Sammy's big white butt and I was 
glad to see it when that happened.  
It finally began to spit a little rain so Char removed her glasses.  I took 
over the lead so Char could follow but Sammy was feeling so good that he 
would have none of it.  He passed PJ with a snaked neck as if to say "I 
followed you for 2 days and I want to be first!"  Well, we knew this trail, 
have done it for years, so OK.
    Last vet check. Everything looks pretty good.  PJ's gut sounds are still 
a B so I know she has to eat.  Her gait is no worse.  Char and I collapse in 
camp.  She is in a chair, eyes closed, and I am on the hay bales again. 
Sammy, as usual, doesn't take his head out of the feed trough.  PJ  stared 
into space again from her pen and that is why I am on the hay bales holding 
her so she can focus on eating.  The weather his day is very deceptive. It is 
much cooler, only about 70 degrees, which is a real change from the 90 and 95 
degrees we have had.  I put a very light rump rug on PJ to keep the muscles 
warm and it seemed to do the trick.  However, Char and I are forgetting to 
drink, I think we were lulled into a false sense by the cool temperatures. We 
tell our crew that he doesn't have to meet us quite as often.  He seems to 
like that because he can actually take a snooze. (At 68, I guess you are 
entitled to a nap in the PM.)  Char and I are already not thinking straight 
and we are with a fairly inexperienced pit crew!  
    The horses are OKed for the last 10 miles and this is where trouble 
starts. We do the first 3 miles at a nice little jog trot. Can't get those 
horses to move any faster and they seem to know the way so we are just 
sitting there.  We meet our pit crew for horse water and hay and off we go. 
There are 3 little side loops to do on this trail. We are on the first one 
and I am following Sammy's butt. We pick up our pit crew at the next loop but 
I have a nagging feeling that something isn't right.  We are off again.  The 
woods look the same every loop, trees and sand.  Roberta Harm's words echo in 
my ear "I just can't go this trail 2 more times."
    We arrive back at camp and are informed that we missed a loop! How did we 
do that?! It must be because we are both exhausted and not drinking.  Too 
worried, too worried.  Well, we don't even stop (I don't think).  Must do the 
loop.  We pick up the loop we missed.  Thankfully ride management is there to 
point the way.  Our pit crew is learning to ignore what we are saying and 
meets us 2 more places and MAKES us drink.  The horses are still doing fine 
although they are hungry.  They stay in the jog trot they have been in all 
day.  We finally finish the loop in its entirety and slide off the horse.  We 
are finished.  We trot out and PJ is a little short behind but still willing. 
 Sammy looks great.
    We are all exhausted and we still have to pack up camp. I can now 
understand why most multi-day rides are from point to point.  If I do one 
again, I am going to train myself a little better, not take all the buddies 
home (or maybe not even bring them) and certainly not have extra 
distractions! Most of all, drink or risk - what is it- DIMR?! But I know that 
my horse can do this and still look good.   I would recommend anyone who 
wants to try one to start with a ride that is point to point. 
    I was thrilled with PJ's accomplishment. Since the trailer accident in 
July (she was smashed against the trailer and bruised a shoulder muscle) we 
have been fighting a slight lameness.  We didn't go fast but we were 
consistent and, I feel that strategy helped PJ.

    We drove to New York this weekend and I am still brain impaired.  I 
thought 3 days rest would be enough.  The horse was troting around the 
pasture by Wednesday! Looks like I need a couple more days or maybe I should 
just quit work.:-)   I hope I haven't been too boring, as I am not the best 
writer on ridecamp  but I sure did enjoy sharing my experience with you. 

Becke Grams
Michigan


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