Fwd: RC: 2001 XP, /GAHR 76

["hope lundquist" <wwho20@hotmail.com>]

Hi Karen: Thanks for sending your exciting posts from XP 2201. Made me start 
reminiscing about the GAHR of 1976. The things I see as different We did not 
have GPS, CELL PHONES, LIVING QUARTERS TRAILERS and NO      COMPUTERS OR 
INTERNET. In place of GPS we had Larry Lewis who went out on his motor bike 
and marked the next days trail. I don't know of anyone getting lost. He was 
super and nothing would have gone right without him! CELL PHONES? what's 
that don't think they had been invented yet. LQ Horse Trailers, no such 
thing. Some had Campers in back of their Pickups. I had a Shell and the back 
was where I kept hay, grain,water clothes etc. No room to sleep there so I 
slept on a cot in my two Horse Trailer with a Horse tied on each side. Easy 
Boots had just been invented and Easy Care gave us all a set of 4. Bless 
them! Alas I did not have time to learn how to put them on! I don't think 
the various farriers knew much about them at that time either. When we could 
find a KOA site we would go there for a hot shower otherwise it was the 
bucket. I bet you don't have the GREEN Latrines! That trailer followed us 
from Frankfort New York to Cal Expo in Sacramento! I tried to call my 
daughter once a week. Sometimes I sent a letter to my Boss who was also my 
Sponsor. After weeks went by we were out of touch with most everything going 
on in the world and we did't care, we just wanted to RIDE and never wanted 
it to end.
Things I see as the same:WEATHER, SCRATCHES, NICE PEOPLE ALONG THE WAY,CREWS 
AND FREINDSHIPS, SITES  AND MEMORIES YOU WILL ALWAYS CHERISH. We had Weather 
too, lots of rain and almost every Rig had to be towed out of a field one 
day. The Farmer send his 10 or 12 year old boy to do the Job! Kids learn how 
to drive tractors on farms as they don't need a drivers license. After 
towing out several rigs he disappeared. Said he had to go and get more oil 
for the tractor.
He came back and finished the job! Do we have Kids like that today? In 
Kankakee, Ill. we had a Tornado alert. That was scary. I put both of my 
Horses in the trailer and took shelter in a Club House where the camp was. 
The brunt of the storm passed us by. As for Scratches we had plenty. One day 
we rode on a freshly oiled road. Every horse had oil on all four legs. Our 
wonderful Vets told us all to get that stuff off or else. After some 
discussion it was decided that cheap vegetable oil was the best remedy. That 
night my horses got VEGT OIL LEG BATH. Unfortunately some Riders  did not do 
too good a job and got scabs on their horses legs. I found out early that 
prevention is certainly worth a pound of cure. From then on every nite I 
washed all eight legs with horse shampoo (wonder blue) and dried them off. I 
then applied good old Destin regular on the heel pastern area.This will 
prevent scratches. Neither of my horses ever had scratches the entire trip. 
One of my horses (Pirate Loot also called "Hud") was a Albino with all pink 
skin. Both of my horses finished sound at the very end in Sac. I put  
Vinegar in the grain mix every day to ward off bugs. Seemed to work. We 
did't have a lot of choices for electrolytes in those days but I got some 
tablets from my Vet at home before I left Calif. I gave each one a tablet a 
day. My nose was getting very sun burned so I started riding with a painters 
nose filter. Yes and always long sleeves.
Take lots of pictures and try  and keep some notes if you are not too tired 
at the end of each day. Most of all have Fun!  Bye Hope
========================================================================
>From: imgoneriding@worldnet.att.net
>To: ridecamp <ridecamp@endurance.net>
>Subject: RC:  2001 XP, Day 5
>Date: Sat, 09 Jun 2001 16:07:55 -0600
>
>The weather is just gorgeous, and we even had a nice breeze.  Crews were
>out with water for us and there were plenty of puddles so I stopped a
>couple of times to sponge and Rocky drank well.  He was sure full of it
>this morning.  Took photos of some of the historical markers showing that
>we were on the Pony Express and Oregon Trails.  The trail is really nice.  
>We've ridden thru a lot of wild marijuana, it's
>everywhere.   do
>some shopping, laundry and cleaning.  Things are still quite a mess from
>all the mud and rain we had.  I'm sure the laundry is about ready for the
>toxic waste incinerator.  The ride basecamp is a ways away, but we kinda
>wanted to get away from it all.
>  Not everybody is getting along, if you know what I mean.
>
>Guess we need to check the dogs over for ticks.  Everybody has been picking
>them off, they are everywhere.  We haven't found any so far.  The bugs are
>driving the horses nuts out on the trail, with all this moisture there are
>tons and tons of flying insects.  I'm still feeling pretty good, not sore
>anywhere and definitely looking forward to next week.  Lots of people are
>riding half days or taking days off, that's why there are so many people,
>rigs, and horses even tho only 50 or so riders each day.  Most everybody is
>sunburned.  I'm trying to ride in long sleeve shirts as much as
>possible.  It's hard to keep sunscreen on when you are putting so much
>water on the horse over and over.
>
>Most nights have had catered meals, which everybody says have been really
>good.  We're eating our own food mostly, since we brought it and wasn't
>planning on having anything provided.  Have been lucky enough to shower
>each day, and get the horses cleaned up well.  They have benefited greatly
>from all the nice green grass.  We need to catch up on some sleep.
>
>The crews are all learning how to get
>along pretty well too,   Greg is so nice, he is gone right now picking up 
>40 bales of hay
>for us so our ponies can eat until next weekend when we get to North
>Platte.  >
>Happy XP Trails,
>
>Karen
>& Weaver, 100 miles
>& Rocky, 125 miles
>35 days to go!! (& 7 weeks)
>Photos will be here:  www.endurohorse.com
>
>
>
>
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