ridecamp@endurance.net: Re: Oak Springs: The Good, Bad, & the Wet

Re: Oak Springs: The Good, Bad, & the Wet

Patrick E. Allen (jfhr@inet1.inetworld.net)
Sat, 20 Dec 1997 08:31:21 -0800

Hi Becky, it was nice to see you and Heather at the ride . Thanks for stoping by
and saying hello. I have a great admiration for you and all the riders that went
out in that pouring rain and terrible wind. If I can throw my 2 cents worth in
here, no one is made to start a ride or to finish a ride. It is up to the team
(horse and rider) to decide weather they should start or not. This is an
individual decision amd should be honored either way. Myque put on a good ride,
she just had the misfortune to do it in the teeth of El Nino. See you at Warner
Springs in Jan. Happy riding, Evelyn Hartman

Becky Hackworth wrote:

> Heather and I decided to try our luck at Oak Springs. We set out in the
> morning, horses strong. For a while, it was fun riding in the rain. Then
> we got soaked thru and thru. Then it started to blow, and blow hard. The
> horses were going fine. We were ill preparred to ride in that much rain.
> Our fault. Not ride management's. Have already made some alterations in
> the rain gear and my x-mas list!
>
> By the time we got to Vet # 1, we were squishingly soaked and freezing.
> Heather was crying she was so cold. ( She is only 11 ) but she toughed it
> out, and I had her laughing by the time we got to the Vet check. We had
> already decided to pull if there was a trailer ready to take us in. I am so
> proud of her. Still as miserable as she was, she took care of her horse
> first. Veted through just fine, butt rug on, and shivvered shile waiting
> for the driver to get the rig turned around.
>
> Since our horses are used to our stock trailer, they were not excited about
> getting into the little 2 horse. There was another rig, another stock
> trailer, and we suggested we try that if it wasn't an inconvenience to RM.
> No, they said, and promptly turnned that rig around. As it was, there was
> another horse pulled, so we thru him in too. Worked out well in the end.
> Sure glad that rig was there.
>
> Got back to camp, changed into dry clothes, the ones I had planned to change
> into at the lunch break, fired off the newly fixed heater in the camper
> (thank goodness), and after finally warming up went out and about to wait
> for the finishers. We beat them all back to camp! We got to see everyone
> come in, and cheered them all for braving the elements.
> Boy did I scope out the rain gear that seemed to be working!
>
> I worked the finish line a little, made Lynne's ember her first "beet pulp",
> loaned out a homemade polar fleece earwarmer to a rider going back out at
> lunch. Tried to make it a positive experience. Everyone seemed to have a
> good time, and had a lot to talk about, namely, the weather! Usually around
> here, it's how hot it is!
>
> Now this is for Myque...I would like to donate Katie Hackworth's entry. She
> didn't come with Heather and I this ride. I could not imagine being that
> much in the hole. My one entry is not going to make or break me, but maybe
> it will help. Also, I guess it's my way of saying...You did a great job,
> please do it again. I don't want to loose any more So Cal rides.
>
> Becky Hackworth
> Alpine, CA
>
> Thanks for all of your hard work, and all of the great volunteers!

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