RideCamp@endurance.net
20 Mule Team
I thought ridecampers might like to read my 20 MT story about the horse =
I purchased from an endurance.net classified a year ago. =20
=20
Last year ridecamper Kelly H. from Manitoba Canada, advertised her Fire =
Mt Torch for sale. I wasn't even looking for another horse but when Jim =
Mitchell told me about her I was interested as I already owned one =
Fadwah+/ daughter and couldn't pass up the opportunity to purchase =
another one for such a reasonable price. I bought her from her pedigree =
and on the advice of those who knew her before she went to Canada. =
Kelli made a video tape but it was hard to see much with the snowy =
conditions. When Kelli arrived and unloaded her I saw I had bought a =
very easy keeping horse as she was a little on the plump side. However =
I knew she was a diamond in the rough. =20
=20
Back to 20 Mule Team. I was riding the 60 since I didn't think Torch =
was ready for the 100, even though her very first endurance ride was =
this 100 back when she was 5. (I rode the 100 last year in the wind and =
rain.) With my other horses to condition and ride I really didn't start =
serious conditioning for Fire Mtn 50 until the first part of December. =
My conditioning consisted of riding 15 to 20 miles at a 6 mph pace on =
the weekend. I knew I would have to ride for her level of conditioning =
and we finished the January ride in good shape in 8 hours riding time. =
I work a 40 hour week and this time of the year I can only ride on the =
weekends. I think of an endurance ride as conditioning also, =
especially at the speed (or lack there of) that I ride. =20
=20
Friday on arriving in Ridgecrest it was warm. Lots of people had their =
clippers out shaving their horses. Don't they know if it is hot the day =
before the ride it will be cool and breezy on ride day? Sure enough =
Saturday was great riding weather with a light cloud cover most of the =
day with cooler temps. I was riding with fellow ridecampers, Cindy =
Crook and Gail J. Cindy is from San Diego and if you are going to the =
convention stop by her booth, Nylon Tack by Cindy Crook, and see all the =
neat stuff she sews and sells. We rode conservatively all day, as all =
three horses were fairly new to endurance riding. The trail is great =
but the 60 mile loop has lots of rocks. Jackie took out most of the =
sand but added a few more rocks. Judging by the completion rate of the =
100 I think the rocks took their toll on the horses. We cruised into =
lunch (32 miles) in 6 hours, not fast by any standards but fine for our =
horses' condition. Lunch is in a remote area but my husband always =
crews for me on this ride so he hauled stuff out for several 100 milers =
besides our group. Ride management had sack lunches for those who had =
ordered them so if you rode crewless at least you didn't have to carry =
your lunch. The Bumgardner's red trailer was even there for those who =
needed crew bags sent out. Torch had her nose in food most of the hour =
hold. We left lunch with lots of horse and rode the remainder of the =
ride (28 miles) in 4 1/2 hours including the 15 min hold vet check. Our =
horses pulsed down right away at the 55 mile vet check and after the vet =
check and hold we boogied into the finish. While we were in this vet =
check the first two 100 mile horses came through on their second loop of =
40 miles, at mile 85 for them. They both looked good. On the trail =
into the finish we passed by Fire Mountain Arabians and I swear that =
Torch tried to turn and go into to her old home. I was so pleased that =
Torch felt so good trotting into the finish, as we probably passed ten =
or more 60 milers in those last 5 miles. As we were finishing, Jim =
Mitchell and his two daughters were leaving on their second loop of the =
100. All three of them finished in good shape and it was the first 100 =
for both Alicia and Jamie. Congratulations to both! Jim may want to =
share Alicia's comment on riding 100's. After we finished we went right =
to Barney Fleming for our post ride check and all three horses vetted =
through looking great. =20
=20
If I could give any advice to new endurance riders, it would be to ride =
the ride within your horse's conditioned ability, start out =
conservatively and you will be surprised at how many horses you can pass =
in the last half of the ride and still be 'fit to continue'. Don't make =
the 'newby' mistake of running up with the leaders before you are ready =
because 99% of the time you will get pulled at the first vet check. My =
goal in endurance has always put miles before speed, your goals may be =
different, but make sure they are realistic for the amount of =
conditioning that you do and the mileage base of your horse. Have fun =
at what ever level you participate within this sport and remember that =
"to finish is to win".
=20
Happy Trails,
Marci Cunningham AERC #1455
Bakersfield CA
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<DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>I thought ridecampers might like to read my 20 MT story about
the horse I purchased from an endurance.net classified a year
ago. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>Last year ridecamper Kelly H. from Manitoba Canada, advertised
her Fire Mt Torch for sale. I wasn't even looking for another horse but
when Jim Mitchell told me about her I was interested as I already owned one
Fadwah+/ daughter and couldn't pass up the opportunity to purchase another one
for such a reasonable price. I bought </FONT><FONT color=#000000
size=2>her from her pedigree and on the advice of those who knew her before she
went to Canada. Kelli made a video tape but it was hard to see much with
the snowy conditions. When Kelli arrived and unloaded her I saw I had
bought a very easy keeping horse as she was a little on the plump side.
However I knew she was a diamond in the rough. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#000000 size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#000000 size=2>Back to 20 Mule Team. I was riding the 60
since I didn't think Torch was ready for the 100, even though her very first
endurance ride was this 100 back when she was 5. (I rode the 100 last year
in the wind and rain.) With my other horses to condition and ride I really
didn't start serious conditioning for Fire Mtn 50 until the first part of
December. My conditioning consisted of riding 15 to 20 miles at a 6 mph
pace on the weekend. I knew I would have to ride for her level of
conditioning and we finished the January ride in good shape in 8 hours riding
time. I work a 40 hour week and this time of the year I can only ride on
the weekends. I think of an endurance ride as conditioning also,
especially at the speed (or lack there of) that I ride. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#000000 size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#000000 size=2>Friday on arriving in Ridgecrest it was
warm. Lots of people had their clippers out shaving their horses.
Don't they know if it is hot the day before the ride it will be cool and breezy
on ride day? Sure enough Saturday was great riding weather with a light
cloud cover most of the day with cooler temps. I was riding with fellow
ridecampers, Cindy Crook and Gail J. Cindy is from San Diego and if you
are going to the convention stop by her booth, Nylon Tack by Cindy Crook, and
see all the neat stuff she sews and sells. We rode conservatively all day,
as all three horses were fairly new to endurance riding. The trail is
great but the 60 mile loop has lots of rocks. Jackie took out most of the
sand but added a few more rocks. Judging by the completion rate of the 100
I think the rocks took their toll on the horses. We cruised into lunch (32
miles) in 6 hours, not fast by any standards but fine for our horses'
condition. Lunch is in a remote area but my husband always crews for me on
this ride so he hauled stuff out for several 100 milers besides our group.
Ride management had sack lunches for those who had ordered them so if you rode
crewless at least you didn't have to carry your lunch. The Bumgardner's
red trailer was even there for those who needed crew bags sent out. Torch
had her nose in food most of the hour hold. We left lunch with lots of
horse and rode the remainder of the ride (28 miles) in 4 1/2 hours including the
15 min hold vet check. Our horses pulsed down right away at the 55 mile
vet check and after the vet check and hold we boogied into the finish.
While we were in this vet check the first two 100 mile horses came through on
their second loop of 40 miles, at mile 85 for them. They both looked
good. On the trail into the finish we passed by Fire Mountain Arabians and
I swear that Torch tried to turn and go into to her old home. I was so
pleased that Torch felt so good trotting into the finish, as we probably passed
ten or more 60 milers in those last 5 miles. As we were finishing, Jim
Mitchell and his two daughters were leaving on their second loop of the
100. All three of them finished in good shape and it was the first 100 for
both Alicia and Jamie. Congratulations to both! Jim may want to
share Alicia's comment on riding 100's. After we finished we went right to
Barney Fleming for our post ride check and all three horses vetted through
looking great. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#000000 size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#000000 size=2>If I could give any advice to new endurance
riders, it would be to ride the ride within your horse's conditioned ability,
start out conservatively and you will be surprised at how many horses you can
pass in the last half of the ride and still be 'fit to continue'. Don't
make the 'newby' mistake of running up with the leaders before you are ready
because 99% of the time you will get pulled at the first vet check. My
goal in endurance has always put miles before speed, your goals may be
different, but make sure they are realistic for the amount of conditioning that
you do and the mileage base of your horse. Have fun at what ever level you
participate within this sport and remember that "to finish is to
win".</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#000000 size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#000000 size=2>Happy Trails,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#000000 size=2>Marci Cunningham AERC #1455</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#000000 size=2>Bakersfield CA</FONT></DIV></DIV></BODY></HTML>
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