Crew

[flemmerl@rcbhsc.wvu.edu (Flemmer, Linda)]

RoopRides@aol.com wrote:
> 
> My husband is entering his 1st aerc 50 mile ride.  He has been in CTRS for
> years.  Me and my 5 year old daughter will pit crew for him.  Please help me
> with what I need to have on hand and steps to get him through the ride.

First - a LOT of patience!!!  He will come in to the stops either hyper
or exhausted.  What ever food you've set out is the wrong stuff.  He'll
be throwing info about how the horse is doing left & right.  He may be
grumpy (displaced from the horse to the crew.)  Crewing is 30 minutes of
hectic activity and several hours of killing time.

You will want:
1.	electrolytes and probiotics if you use them
2.	hay and snacks the horse is used to (mashes, etc.)
3.	spare tack parts (different bits, coolers, blankets, mens dress
shoelaces - they're great for emergency repairs.)
4.	chairs - you get them for waiting, and he gets to sit on something
that doesn't move at the check.
5.	Dry clothes/socks/shoes for everyone.  Especially if it is raining or
deep river crossings, but things get wet sponging, too.
6.	Water if it isn't freely available from a nearby stream.  (You didn't
say where you're riding.)  We use a 50 gallon tank in the bed of the
truck.
7.	Cooler with lots of food and drink.  Search the ridecamp archives for
folks' favorite stuff to eat on rides.  What sounds good at home isn't
always what you want when you pull into the stop, so bring some of
everything :-)
8.	Buckets!  Lots of buckets!
9.	Sponges - even more sponges!  At least one spare sponge to go out on
the trail to replace the one that floated down stream.
10.	If it is hot & humid, a sweat scraper to scrape off the hot water
before applying more water.
11.	If it is hot, ice bullets to cool the sponge water.  Ice bullets =
2L soda bottles that are prefrozen.  They chill water, keep the cooler
cold, and provide drinking water as they thaw.
12.	Vet wrap, desitin etc. to doctor any possible rubs or chaffing on
the horse or husband
13.	A stethoscope, so you know when the horse is ready to present for
P&R's.
14.	The maps and all notes from the ride meeting.  He won't remember
which way to leave the check, how long the hold is, etc.
15.	A notebook, to keep track of how many horses are in ahead of him,
and what time they left.
16.	Spare shaped shoes in case he pulls a shoe.  We have the farrier
make two sets at the shoeing right before we leave.  Saves LOADS of
time.  If you use specialty shoes or pads, bring those.  The ride
farrier probably won't carry equithotics, or Shock Tamers, etc.
17.	Chapstick and sunscreen.  Pray that you will need that more than a
raincoat.
18.	A good, thick novel.
19.	Your check book for the tack vendors, farrier, emergency vet
treatment (hope you never need that)
20.	A good sense of humor when you end up driving home with your husband
& daughter snoozing.

Our routine, assuming one central check point (vs checkpoints scattered
along the trail at multiple sites.)  For rides with multiple crewing
sites, We usually get two crews to team up & they leap frog each other. 
That way, they have time to set up for the check.

Crew:	Set up camp, plan & prepare dinner
Rider:	Massage horse, give him a pep talk, go for brief ride to loosen
up, vet in

Crew:	Go to ride meeting.  Take lots of notes.  Find out how to get to
the vet checks, clarify if crewing is allowed outside of vet checks. 
Know the P&R parameters, types of holds (gate into hold is most common),
water availability, weather report.  Pull out every US Geological Survey
map ever know to cover that territory and begin studying the terrain.
Rider:	Stare at the map, wonder how you will remember the pothole they
talk about at 7.4 miles into the ride, followed by the low branch, and
the boggy river crossing at the 3rd river at 35.6 miles.  Give up, and
decide to carry a map (which you will forget) and watch for the
markers.  Who could miss those long red & white pieces of surveyor's
ribbon?

Crew:	Get up every couple of hours to check on safety of steed
Rider:	Get up every couple of hours to check on safety of steed.  Be
sure that you alternate so that you both wake up hourly as one of you
crawl out of bed to check on the horse
Horse:	"I wish they'd just let me get some sleep."

Crew:	Feed horse, feed rider (if you can), help tack horse up, hand walk
horse while rider gets ready
Rider:	Help tack horse, get dressed, triple check that you have
everything (you knw that you won't)

Crew:  Watch rider warm up, watch the start, then run to the truck to do
final packing and drive to the vet check.
Rider:	Ride

Crew:	Set up gear in a prime location - shaded, near in gate for P&R,
all food & hay prepared.  Be prepared that the only space left when you
get there is a 1/4 mile from the in gate, because everyone else took
their stuff out the night before.
Rider:	Ride

Crew:	Wait.  Appease ride management by offering to do some P&R's while
waiting on your rider
Rider:	Ride

Rider:	Come into check, dismount, and hand horse to crew.
Crew:	Cool horse, take horse's pulse, get him into the P&R and to the
vet.  Do the trot out so rider can watch the horse with the vet.

Crew:	Proceed to your home away from home.  Cool horse, water horse,
feed horse, feed husband, get an out time.
Rider:	Sit, pick at your food, put on the dry socks and shoes.

Crew:	Prompt rider to get moving 5-10 minutes before the have to go.
Rider:	Go ride some more.

Repeat as necessary until the ride ends.

Rider:	Rave about the horse, the trail, ride management. Talk to new
riding buddies
Crew:	Clean up horse, break down camp, Get rider out of helmet and
sweaty, muddy 1/2 chaps.

Rider:	Accept completion award.
Crew:	Clap and cheer for all the riders, but <really> raise a ruckus for
your rider.

Rider:	Get in truck and crash
Crew:	Drive home

Rider & Crew:	Flip a coin to see if
A.	You'll ever do this again
B.	Who gets to be rider next time
C.	Who gets to unpack & clean all this stuff
D.	Who is shopping for new buckets & sponges since the old ones
seemingly disappeared.

It actually is fun & exciting, no matter which role you take.  Honest. 
You have <my> word on it.  It must be true - I've been doing this for
near to 18 years.

Linda Flemmer
Blue Wolf Ranch
Bruceton Mills, WV