tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-82534436946503553212024-02-07T16:32:37.249-08:00The Further Adventures of Team 91hammerithothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04872885874133892537noreply@blogger.comBlogger59125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8253443694650355321.post-20663325371683134242023-12-21T18:28:00.000-08:002023-12-21T18:28:02.174-08:00Barefoot in New Mexico 2023<p> For Thanksgiving weekend, we decided to try to sneak in one last ride before the end of the AERC ride season.</p><p>The results weren't entirely what I was hoping for, but we had a good time anyway.</p><p>This was the first time I've ever "trailer pooled" with another rider. What started this was my friend, Alex Collier, who is currently in New Mexico, was also hoping to get in another ride or two. So the initial plan was I would bring Demon and Halo, the horse she has been riding owned by TJ Davis, and we'd meet at the ride. Well, then TJ decided she'd really like to go, too. And there was another rider, Mari, who was hoping to get in another ride or two. So in the end, TJ packed up her 4 horse LQ, loaded Halo and Pazzport, and picked up me, Demon, and Trey.</p><p>Trey had done so well at Bill Thornburgh, and was looking so fit, I thought it would be pretty cool for him to complete a 50. This ride was a good choice for a first 50, being largely flat and good footing, so Trey could be expected to do well barefoot (as the ride's name suggests, hoof protection is not especially necessary).</p><p>Travel to the ride was a bit more eventful than anticipated, but that's a story for another time. Suffice to say, we persevered! We arrived in camp late morning on the Friday.</p><p>My initial plan was to tie Demon and Trey to the trailer next to one another. Trey, however, did not give me confidence he'd behave if we went with this plan. Not interested in a kick-fest, I ended up tying Demon to the truck.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho0XNOfFady6VwW-QtYTWSTw9xm8r45zcWConP7K2MzL8KxwYsEDlw93g5qQgdjWuS3vP3Fm0QR55Wr4Tj-MwOJBKLYO1ZmUEF0T-TnecaKDX93oDJjGHFrsPMsKS198YVswbXEibOgf8Xs78R9THahXtiG1eRLCY8bOnh5D5CS4wP_eXXMmvUncpGo0JA/s9248/20231126_142137.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="9248" data-original-width="6936" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho0XNOfFady6VwW-QtYTWSTw9xm8r45zcWConP7K2MzL8KxwYsEDlw93g5qQgdjWuS3vP3Fm0QR55Wr4Tj-MwOJBKLYO1ZmUEF0T-TnecaKDX93oDJjGHFrsPMsKS198YVswbXEibOgf8Xs78R9THahXtiG1eRLCY8bOnh5D5CS4wP_eXXMmvUncpGo0JA/s320/20231126_142137.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><p>Fortunately camp was small enough, and water close enough, we didn't need to have the truck unhitched to use to transport stuff around.</p><p></p><p></p><p><b>Day 1</b></p><p>On Saturday morning, we had 4 riders and 4 horses to get up and out of camp. In the chaos of getting everyone ready and out of camp, we both forgot our helmets, and TJ her protective vest.</p><p></p><p>We were already 5 miles out of camp when we noticed. Had we been closer to camp, we might have circled back and gotten those items. Things might have gone differently if we had. As it was, being that far out of camp we carried on.</p><p>The trails are absolutely superb, and despite the "flatness" meaning one can pretty much see ride camp all day, the views are so amazing it's still a really nice ride.</p><p>Unfortunately, Demon and I did not finish.</p><p>About 8 miles in, we turned along a two-track paralleling the railroad tracks. There was a cargo train going by. For some reason, I did not give this much thought. Neither Demon nor Trey has (well, had) *ever* seen a train, let alone trotted alongside one actually in motion. But Demon was handling it well, if a bit tense, and TJ didn't holler, so I didn't pull up.</p><p>We were 5 or 6 cars past the engine when the conductor blew the horn.</p><p>Demon was doing well right up to this point. That train horn undid him. </p><p>Now, Demon is known for his 3 second spook. It's too bad it's about 2 seconds longer than I could stick.</p><p>Demon startled hard sideways. He hopped twice. I realized I was not going to stick it.</p><p>I'm told I was initially headed off in the "lawn dart" position, but got myself flipped over and landed on my right hip/low back. Somehow I managed to both hold my head up from hitting the ground and maintain my grip on Demon's reins.</p><p>My first reaction was to promptly get back to my feet. This was quickly revealed to be unlikely. Instead I laid myself back on the ground, still holding onto Demon's reins, the train clattering on by, oblivious to our situation.</p><p>From somewhere close by I could just hear TJ shouting, asking if I was OK. I tried to answer, but she's pretty hard of hearing, and the train was loud. She yelled at least 3 times before I was able to communicate effectively that, although I wasn't doing a whole lot of moving, I was broadly OK.</p><p>Trey had also spooked, although TJ was able to stick it, but when he saw me laying on the trail, he evidently decided that was more than he could handle and was determined to exit, stage right. So TJ got off.</p><p>As I laid there on the ground getting myself together, Demon stood over me, looking down at me then over at the train incredulously. Eventually he positioned himself between me and the train. He certainly seemed to conclude the train was at fault for me being on the ground, and he was determined to protect me from it, despite his ongoing fear.</p><p>Damn, I love that horse. He was legitimately, understandably, terrified. And yet, he was more concerned about protecting me than about escaping the source of his fear.</p><p>My fall was not Demon's fault. Nor was it the conductor's fault. The conductor blew that horn because he is federally required to do so. He was approaching a crossing.</p><p>No, my fall was entirely on me. I should have pulled up and dismounted. We could have hand walked the horses on down the trail until we separated from the tracks or the train had completely passed.</p><p>By the time I was able to get myself up, Alex and Mari had caught up. As I stood, I felt a little dizzy, my ears were ringing, and I had some vision disturbance. It was quickly clear I should not get back on my horse. So we called back to camp, and a trailer was sent. Demon and I walked back to the crossing, while the rest of the riders went on. One of the ride volunteers shortly drove back to me, having been alerted about my fall, to stay with me until I was collected.</p><p>It was the end of my ride, but it wasn't the end of the story.</p><p>TJ and Trey continued on. They stuck with Alex on Halo and Mari on Pazzport. While I rested in camp, snuggling with TJ's dogs in the trailer, I received occasional updates on their progress.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrx42LK4Sk9-Vo_4jNHBPWaPPig1uh3yvYCRC3LDqvljhucHA-oMBAB3qNLzIndgkLaparvyh9SspnLi1SxIAkLXlycrxdeT4lKRdFNh3oHgIAcioBljPf3XCKWrwiE8VdyIdiTAHsVeKZPXCTHbu5KCQj4X_71A0hn2ZCT3FcPCeqeHuIV2rL_iJksM-U/s2430/TJ%20Trey%20trotting%20BiNM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2430" data-original-width="1822" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrx42LK4Sk9-Vo_4jNHBPWaPPig1uh3yvYCRC3LDqvljhucHA-oMBAB3qNLzIndgkLaparvyh9SspnLi1SxIAkLXlycrxdeT4lKRdFNh3oHgIAcioBljPf3XCKWrwiE8VdyIdiTAHsVeKZPXCTHbu5KCQj4X_71A0hn2ZCT3FcPCeqeHuIV2rL_iJksM-U/s320/TJ%20Trey%20trotting%20BiNM.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/LlpQvqk_r8M" width="320" youtube-src-id="LlpQvqk_r8M"></iframe></div><br />Trey did pretty well out there with the group, even able to drink at the same trough with the other horses (a skill Demon is still working to master).<p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/o15D2_yq73c" width="320" youtube-src-id="o15D2_yq73c"></iframe></div><p></p><p>The group came into camp with happy horses, and we got them vetted then back to the trailer to rest and eat. After their hour hold, the three headed back out on trail.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Tv0Y5g7eTNM" width="320" youtube-src-id="Tv0Y5g7eTNM"></iframe></div><p>About halfway through the loop, Pazzport started showing lame, so the trailer was dispatched to collect him and his rider.</p><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO-c0JgWX_-x7Ukh3eW91aYkp3pr6ExxWML0gt8JS1xwX7WoCLTPumiTq-RDW-TEWScQIMYXc0n4ijo8szGQlOkKvJWyyPUYZOo5T_HLdf0jrU4adlKH9ksc9p63hq9BFa8z9-kDQpyIVAh0_HfWFZgfmdqFFMdGDnZeSLxBlKR77ZNzX7MhsWzS62U6Hk/s1920/TJ%20Trey%20Snackattack%20BiNM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO-c0JgWX_-x7Ukh3eW91aYkp3pr6ExxWML0gt8JS1xwX7WoCLTPumiTq-RDW-TEWScQIMYXc0n4ijo8szGQlOkKvJWyyPUYZOo5T_HLdf0jrU4adlKH9ksc9p63hq9BFa8z9-kDQpyIVAh0_HfWFZgfmdqFFMdGDnZeSLxBlKR77ZNzX7MhsWzS62U6Hk/s320/TJ%20Trey%20Snackattack%20BiNM.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>After Pazzport had to be pulled, Halo and Trey were a bit less enthusiastic. For Trey, it was his first time riding with a horse who isn't especially forward to start with. At his age and stage in his development, he's easily influenced by the horses around him. Halo is one of those horses who is more whoa than go most of the time, but does pretty OK either by himself or with another horse, if that horse is reasonably motivated. With Trey not being confident to go forward, and Halo having little motivation, they made their riders work for it.</p><p></p><p>They came into camp as the sunset faded from the sky.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4o6lBw14Bfk" width="320" youtube-src-id="4o6lBw14Bfk"></iframe></div><p></p><p>Both horses passed the final vet check very well.</p><p>We made an observation about Trey that I found rather amusing. He is *very good* at the trot-out.</p><p>When he was about a year old, Beth wanted to take him to a show, and in preparation got him trotting in hand pretty well. Now, he trots out for the vet check as if he's trotting in a show. It's definitely not a bad thing! He looks very good doing it.</p><p><b>Day 2</b></p><p>I was really hoping for Demon to finish another 50 for the season, but I wasn't going to be able to ride. So we initially planned for TJ to ride Demon and Alex to ride Halo. In the morning, we discovered Halo was quite lame. This meant a change in plans. Alex would ride Demon, and TJ and I would both take the day off.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCE8aqXPHMYnwRFBhMKDJ-QNSbETr65P1WMTmAww7ksReBgL_2AvFWyyEvohMCPXKVQUHvysIMzWDosInZrLePUh1SOpg-nUYtUlajveYpxrKKxzQlT5lgNjb7z8mTB-u_y3Mg2i6ejbMvUpAB2hrVa51ynINq-dgTTqO1uP8NhGvDwMEiijEA00AL0bO4/s1720/Alex%20Demon%20BiNM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1720" data-original-width="1290" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCE8aqXPHMYnwRFBhMKDJ-QNSbETr65P1WMTmAww7ksReBgL_2AvFWyyEvohMCPXKVQUHvysIMzWDosInZrLePUh1SOpg-nUYtUlajveYpxrKKxzQlT5lgNjb7z8mTB-u_y3Mg2i6ejbMvUpAB2hrVa51ynINq-dgTTqO1uP8NhGvDwMEiijEA00AL0bO4/s320/Alex%20Demon%20BiNM.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><p>Demon and Alex left camp at a smart trot. Demon looked great. Alex updated me regularly on their progress. About 3 miles out of camp, she messaged that Demon didn't feel right. I instructed her to slow to a walk and continue on in.</p><p></p><p>At the vet check, Demon was clearly off. We took him back to the trailer to rest, the vet having asked me to bring him back for a final decision, but I wasn't optimistic. An hour later, I had Alex trot him away from me and sure enough, he was lame. Certainly more lame than should head back out on trail.</p><p>The vet agreed, and we spent a little time trying to determine what had gone wrong. The vet quickly identified swelling in his right stifle as the culprit.</p><p>Demon's right stifle having been a problem in the past due to a breeding injury, it wasn't terribly surprising. Considering how well he'd been doing, though, I don't believe it to be an overuse type of thing. I think he did it when he spooked on Saturday. Maybe if he hadn't tried to do another 50 it wouldn't have become an issue, but given the amount of swelling he had, I'm pretty confident it was there when he started on Sunday. He just hadn't noticed it yet. It took 20 miles for him to notice.</p><p>So, we spent the rest of the day socializing and playing card games (TJ's favorite pastime).</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2irdAZPvdnP0LQPvqO7PEv7kf6vhkvRo8awl0GK61I5VZaLw1vKlI00ID0X3u5V8HLTxhwv9NPcN-EYYnK63LAFfy_wy9xHsl-uzPCreh70PfmGeExZXEWecH07J4XgatNj3LMm0i5X-QnnzPraoUniwGLTWwn8KjwRzDSUiA6ymv8pqc3B2-_q_xYQRl/s9248/20231126_170207.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="6936" data-original-width="9248" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2irdAZPvdnP0LQPvqO7PEv7kf6vhkvRo8awl0GK61I5VZaLw1vKlI00ID0X3u5V8HLTxhwv9NPcN-EYYnK63LAFfy_wy9xHsl-uzPCreh70PfmGeExZXEWecH07J4XgatNj3LMm0i5X-QnnzPraoUniwGLTWwn8KjwRzDSUiA6ymv8pqc3B2-_q_xYQRl/s320/20231126_170207.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />We joined the ride hosts for a lovely dinner of homemade enchiladas and cheesecake. Even those of us who did not complete got completion awards, transformed into "participation awards." <p></p><p>It was a truly wonderful ride, and I'll absolutely be back. I'm hooked on the scenery, the trails, and the people.</p><p>Just, y'know, if there's a train, I'm getting off on purpose.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO_GZWuefVQT1qeaZmvQMF269TW05f_eBfRoqFzrWW3n7CtG7BBzXI2X3FRWWXDz_UsFjTyQj1ENtBcyEiTQfpj_jqmy72zp-KDY_qn0eJ8S1zEntyejbZt9U3RbhUmTtFFynPZcJ8OC5vaeejiTl8tg0gUJRLfEzqytmjIt6uMgv3Pixs9Dw2cn9J5ofT/s9248/20231126_170248.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="9248" data-original-width="6936" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO_GZWuefVQT1qeaZmvQMF269TW05f_eBfRoqFzrWW3n7CtG7BBzXI2X3FRWWXDz_UsFjTyQj1ENtBcyEiTQfpj_jqmy72zp-KDY_qn0eJ8S1zEntyejbZt9U3RbhUmTtFFynPZcJ8OC5vaeejiTl8tg0gUJRLfEzqytmjIt6uMgv3Pixs9Dw2cn9J5ofT/s320/20231126_170248.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><p></p>hammerithothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04872885874133892537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8253443694650355321.post-69569263169549778022023-11-21T16:39:00.000-08:002023-11-21T16:39:49.973-08:002023 Sesenta Años RideWe had such a good ride at Bill Thornburgh, I decided to take Demon to the Sesenta Años ride in Santa Ynez.<div><br /></div><div>This ride is held at Rancho San Fernando Rey, a private ranch on 37,000+ acres. Most of the ride is on the ranch, although some little bits venture off here and there. It's an amazing property, largely undeveloped, mostly used to graze cattle. Lots of wildlife make their homes there as well. </div><div><br /></div><div>We arrived at camp on Thursday afternoon about 4pm, having left just late enough to miss most of the morning traffic, and early enough to miss the afternoon traffic. I got lucky to park where my trailer was level side to side right from the start. All I had to do was unhook and level front-to-back. Got the hi-tie set up, gave Demon food and water and a nice bran mash, and got the everything set up. Vetted in well before dark, then headed over for Juan and Nina's taco-fest.</div><div><br /></div><div>It's always nice when Juan and Nina are cooking. It was extra nice that I didn't have to cook Thursday or Saturday night because they were. If you're ever at a ride and they're cooking, go. They make awesome tacos and it is their absolute pleasure to feed people. Heck, Juan scolded me for not having come over sooner!</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Day 1</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div>Ride start was 6:15am, late enough to have daylight to start in, and early enough to take advantage of as much daylight as possible over the course of the day.</div><div><br /></div><div>At the last minute, I decided to go ahead and put Hoss's tack on Demon. This meant adjusting everything, since Hoss was larger than Demon. It also meant we started a bit late, but we don't care much about that.</div><div><br /></div><div>We hit the trail at a smart trot, Demon more than happy to get out there. We passed some other horses as we went along and eventually came to a ranch gate.</div><div><br /></div><div>This gate was familiar. We've passed through it numerous times in previous years. So I cheerfully hopped off and opened it, going on through. I was walking up the hill, looking for a good place to get back on, when several other riders came trotting back towards us. We'd all gone the wrong way.</div><div><br /></div><div>Andy Botello was among those of us who'd gone off course, and he spent some time perusing his map on his phone and figured out we weren't meant to pass through that gate. We all went back through and proceeded the way we were supposed to go.</div><div><br /></div><div>The first loop was largely on very flat land. This made for a very fast course. We were riding through large sections of pasture. At one point we were doing a fair imitation of chasing young steers. </div><div><br /></div><div>I'd been warned by Pat Helly that there was a pasture with 20 mares in it. I wasn't super concerned about this, as in all likelihood those mares would be bred and not especially interested in the stallion passing through. Demon is well trained enough he'll continue on regardless, so we'd only be in trouble if the mares decided to accost us. When we got there, the mares were bunched up and watching as all the ridden horses passed through. They all looked varying degrees of pregnant, and decidedly uninterested if not outright hostile to the strange stallion. We were riding with a mare who was very interested in Demon, so he was certainly not worried about the broodmare band.</div><div><br /></div><div>Fairly early on, we encountered John Parke out with one of his Pyrenees acting as guard while he marked trail. Uncharacteristically Demon spooked at the dog, despite having several just like him at home. But once other horses passed the dog, Demon decided it couldn't be that bad and proceeded down the steep, sandy hill.</div><div><br /></div><div>We dropped down to the river, passing through a section of trail another rider aptly described as a "car wash." </div><div><br /></div><div>After one gate, I was walking trying to find something to get up on to mount up, and realized I'd be walking awhile and the horses behind would end up catching us. So I took a chance on getting on from the ground.</div><div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOPuAdXsMQ7Xxdsb021epuXj3SBwO7zJCnP1WXeCc5LrApeFKVu4bHDdF8sNsxGKj-WYiE9mDRDghbbkYifST3FKvIGybJQO9gR0yCjmCMtrTs-OVYOVQ_vwvD0PDSBcW5QkL2lGCpkN3pw3FKhYLPV_tAfJu2YtvncOMuTUYlcKy70IkGScIf4My0XgAm/s9248/20231110_134921.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="9248" data-original-width="6936" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOPuAdXsMQ7Xxdsb021epuXj3SBwO7zJCnP1WXeCc5LrApeFKVu4bHDdF8sNsxGKj-WYiE9mDRDghbbkYifST3FKvIGybJQO9gR0yCjmCMtrTs-OVYOVQ_vwvD0PDSBcW5QkL2lGCpkN3pw3FKhYLPV_tAfJu2YtvncOMuTUYlcKy70IkGScIf4My0XgAm/s320/20231110_134921.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Thirsty, but want to go with the others, too</i></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><br /></div><div>I was surprised to find I can get on from the ground again. Took 3 years since the last hip replacement, but it's definitely a happy discovery. It's possible taking the horse's joint supplement is helping, too.</div><div><br /></div><div>The river crossing was rocky and slick, and finding a good place to cross was tricky. Demon resolutely headed in and plowed across. Unfortunately he slipped badly enough to go most of the way down on his knees, his head splashing into the water, before he caught his balance and finished the crossing. I managed to keep myself in the middle and stayed as out of his way as I possibly could.</div><div><br /></div><div>Coming back down toward camp, we found ourselves back at the "wrong" gate we'd tried to come through in the morning, along with Andy Botello. After quite some swirling about, and several other riders catching up, we found ourselves trying to figure out where we were meant to go. Alison Farrin fortunately had her GPS going and was able to get us all headed the right way.</div><div><br /></div><div>The first 25 miles went quick and we completed in about 3 and a half hours.</div><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY57cGbvrTRkRcfJpfp4ULM84ufGpo8yfZ6Ktvp_64BN5I6jVe0dkjf0wFLJ2HHoLEIsJOdc_Ii9ehEnqR2J0rh13Y8pJFyXiqu6KGztSD3HA57jCC6RrGovjUCvsZBFQtLUudVvn_z7wzZTBDQcK2Es1jWWrLMbKG1OlcMP8i-obW0te6or2sqjzlr1Os/s9248/20231110_103731.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="9248" data-original-width="6936" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY57cGbvrTRkRcfJpfp4ULM84ufGpo8yfZ6Ktvp_64BN5I6jVe0dkjf0wFLJ2HHoLEIsJOdc_Ii9ehEnqR2J0rh13Y8pJFyXiqu6KGztSD3HA57jCC6RrGovjUCvsZBFQtLUudVvn_z7wzZTBDQcK2Es1jWWrLMbKG1OlcMP8i-obW0te6or2sqjzlr1Os/s320/20231110_103731.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Lunch hold.</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div>After our lunch break, we headed back out at a much more sedate pace. </div><div><br /></div><div>The second loop headed up to the top of a mountain. It was a long pull up. We switched between trotting and walking, just keeping going enough but not trying to go super fast. Most of this climb we spent with Gretchen Montgomery and Alison Farrin. A couple other riders joined us as well, but I don't recall their names, if I ever heard them.</div><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAu94pWTbNPakTNUea75bJBmY-9275pGnT9yjAbF74EgDyJS-00AioPp8uVNf_IkhSmaaf-d2BOGtIWnDkALZuF8GYcYC-EHHAJ26qlMGyPCKj6GtZOOfhgM11z3S4fRf8-L0Ql__RrXjTh1KmwT0i7ZdRfedQsy-1NNo4xKVqSRc0g-M123i0ZxGzPMWF/s9248/20231110_121115.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="9248" data-original-width="6936" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAu94pWTbNPakTNUea75bJBmY-9275pGnT9yjAbF74EgDyJS-00AioPp8uVNf_IkhSmaaf-d2BOGtIWnDkALZuF8GYcYC-EHHAJ26qlMGyPCKj6GtZOOfhgM11z3S4fRf8-L0Ql__RrXjTh1KmwT0i7ZdRfedQsy-1NNo4xKVqSRc0g-M123i0ZxGzPMWF/s320/20231110_121115.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Making our way up the mountain</i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div>At one point we were all trotting along nicely with a mare moving out well just in front of Demon. I turned to look at someone I was speaking to and felt Demon suddenly lurch. That mare had put on the brakes right in front of us.</div><div><br /></div><div>It's a really good thing Demon is such a well mannered fellow. He simply turned his head and stopped until that mare could be convinced to continue on her way.</div><div><br /></div><div>Once we'd hit the top of the climb, we were able to make better time going downhill.</div><div><br /></div><div>Demon chugged along nicely. I started just letting him pick the pace. He'd trot along for some time, then slow back to a walk, picking up the trot again not long after. We even had a few good canter stretches.</div><div><br /></div><div>We completed the second loop in about 3 hours and 45 minutes, for a little over 7 hours completion time.</div><div><br /></div><div>We came into camp with Alison and Gretchen. </div><div><br /></div><div>I was surprised when we were asked if we wanted to show for best condition. Turned out we'd placed 7th! I went ahead a presented Demon for best condition. I figured you can't win if you don't play, so might as well play.</div><div><br /></div><div>I was very pleasantly surprised when Demon was awarded Best Condition at the ride meeting that evening.</div><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDo3hFuBigr9YzdDXIsNsRlXP6J61Z_5B_wAT4VRXYtyTdj9J3u19QTYjVHnFuFTN__Yhz45hVX3sGpbfwG2Qc4QtVrOemxU5TZS1MvV-07JuZ0s5H3cXjI0-5q7Kwc-9Pko78iPmtdX76xhAVQaY9-6W26pOVp_M_zvGSZls9f3xhMAICOqa-6mejA7aX/s9248/20231110_190405.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="9248" data-original-width="6936" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDo3hFuBigr9YzdDXIsNsRlXP6J61Z_5B_wAT4VRXYtyTdj9J3u19QTYjVHnFuFTN__Yhz45hVX3sGpbfwG2Qc4QtVrOemxU5TZS1MvV-07JuZ0s5H3cXjI0-5q7Kwc-9Pko78iPmtdX76xhAVQaY9-6W26pOVp_M_zvGSZls9f3xhMAICOqa-6mejA7aX/s320/20231110_190405.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Best Condition!</i></td></tr></tbody></table><b><br /></b></div><div><b>Day 2</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div>We saddled up and hit the trail again at 6:15am, Demon feeling much less energetic than he had on Friday. Our trot stretches on the road out of camp were much slower and shorter. </div><div><br /></div><div>This time, we were supposed to go through the gate. So of course what happened was we (as well as many others) turned instead. When I saw the group of horses ahead, I quipped to the riders we were near that there was either water or a conference ahead.</div><div><br /></div><div>It was a conference. We'd all gone the wrong way.</div><div><br /></div><div>Once back on the correct trail, Demon and I were rapidly left behind by the majority of the other riders. Demon was happy to go pretty slow, and I was fine with that. This loop was more elevation change than the prior day's first loop. </div><div><br /></div><div>Demon definitely wanted a lot of water. He dragged me off to every stock tank we passed and drank at least a little. He also wasn't especially interested in going particularly fast.</div><div><br /></div><div><div><br /></div>At one water tank, I noticed Demon was breathing pretty hard for the conditions and the speed he'd been going at. Not something I'm accustomed to seeing with him. We continued on, slowing considerably.</div><div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiki_AFYEFqotmCBmVPDOpRk_74xD2z1NAIEra1T0X27tjf2T_nuL_UD3qp4yBw58EhMPWf0weJ3NdBUJgeOvgmydZEX6nw5KjgPWnshBetcyYiB3xBbhjtauiDzXqkdUiY-aQ-lYeW-KoDfXmO8JNJpiKjVIKL08NNGjxBeWWuspwfk2SNqtxrJjG3iF6g/s1440/FB_IMG_1700263191239.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiki_AFYEFqotmCBmVPDOpRk_74xD2z1NAIEra1T0X27tjf2T_nuL_UD3qp4yBw58EhMPWf0weJ3NdBUJgeOvgmydZEX6nw5KjgPWnshBetcyYiB3xBbhjtauiDzXqkdUiY-aQ-lYeW-KoDfXmO8JNJpiKjVIKL08NNGjxBeWWuspwfk2SNqtxrJjG3iF6g/s320/FB_IMG_1700263191239.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Tanking up under the rising sun<br />Photo by Karen Stilwell</i></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><br /></div><div>Then we got off course. And we were off course for a while. Demon was *not* pleased, especially since I was reasonably sure we were going the right way and he was sure (and right) we weren't. Eventually we turned back and found where we went off trail. We turned up that way and kept going.</div><div><br /></div><div>Demon continued to breathe pretty hard, eventually stopping for a rest. I hopped off and checked his heart rate. 64. Not super high at all. But it wasn't coming down, either. And Demon just wanted to stand there or turn around.</div><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy0dwYeSeiAk_2x0-kVEKMN1OK8XXTQdNquynR8iE-NNEJ_O0Yz8hzhkjkEh3yBd3PaXcnXUHfHV-SBJOX9eK4OPBBAR2Z2rNu5u4JfbFutnqQdfXY2AhI3FMp_vnRjxUsL_g28DxRj0evOukcYrCJO_pCPxutIon2O_d36_5xvyP0RYX3b8si2MxyUa4Y/s9248/20231111_090417.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="9248" data-original-width="6936" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy0dwYeSeiAk_2x0-kVEKMN1OK8XXTQdNquynR8iE-NNEJ_O0Yz8hzhkjkEh3yBd3PaXcnXUHfHV-SBJOX9eK4OPBBAR2Z2rNu5u4JfbFutnqQdfXY2AhI3FMp_vnRjxUsL_g28DxRj0evOukcYrCJO_pCPxutIon2O_d36_5xvyP0RYX3b8si2MxyUa4Y/s320/20231111_090417.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>I think we were off course...<br /></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>I concluded he was somehow overheated, which would be a first. He's never overheated. His winter coat is pretty thin as winter coats go, and the temps were maybe high 70s or low 80s. But he was breathing hard, and he wasn't happy. </div></div><div><br /></div><div>I had no idea how far we'd have to go to get to the next water, where I would be able to pour water on him and help him cool off. I admit I kinda freaked out about the situation, having never encountered it with Demon.</div><div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhfI5kXIQfR0QDGg5evgXyykTwOjIvEmEsSrb7FWPiB_rF5d5f_5sNiDxEXnP8P6HSxVbFljUYeTYIs-OShQIeAnpEWQzcPlO5TKWUtacaclLWxFpyVSgw3JT_aRXEI0p8mM3ke39xXvbGiR4w7akxMCUdYebziGprR77_7Wj-85K5LyoO1_ZYgFs_zCYJ/s9248/20231111_083433.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="9248" data-original-width="6936" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhfI5kXIQfR0QDGg5evgXyykTwOjIvEmEsSrb7FWPiB_rF5d5f_5sNiDxEXnP8P6HSxVbFljUYeTYIs-OShQIeAnpEWQzcPlO5TKWUtacaclLWxFpyVSgw3JT_aRXEI0p8mM3ke39xXvbGiR4w7akxMCUdYebziGprR77_7Wj-85K5LyoO1_ZYgFs_zCYJ/s320/20231111_083433.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Making our way back to camp</i></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><br /></div><div>I elected to turn back to the last stock tank rather than try to continue on and possibly be too long before we got to water.</div><div><br /></div><div>We arrived at a tank and Demon started drinking. I hopped off and started scooping water onto him with an empty water bottle. His breathing slowed quickly and he perked right up, ready to go to work.</div><div><br /></div><div>At this point, we'd already added at least 4 or 5 miles to the 25 mile loop. Had we proceeded on course, likely we would have had another 2 extra miles. I decided to hang it up and we moseyed back to camp to pull. We could have finished, but I didn't see much point in slogging on.</div><div><br /></div><div>Back at camp, Demon vetted fine and we went back to the trailer to eat and rest up.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Day 3</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div>Demon was alert and happy on Sunday morning. Before brushing and saddling, I walked him to a good roll spot outside the gate to camp, where he proceeded to roll enthusiastically enough to pull the lead rope out of my hand. He must've turned side to side 5 times before standing and shaking himself off, pleased to go back to saddle up.</div><div><br /></div><div>Then there was a problem.</div><div><br /></div><div>While I was brushing him off, I noticed he was subtly avoiding my touch across the middle of his back. I ran my fingers down the sides of his spine lightly and elicited a strong negative response. His back was sore.</div><div><br /></div><div>It's not in me to saddle up and ride a horse who's already telling me something is wrong. We did not ride and instead headed home.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Lessons</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div>By the time we arrived home, Demon's back was much better. I gave him a bath and looked him over. Found that the injury on his nostril was bigger than it had looked once his face was clean. </div><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxLSfB-5l_qtTitycwN9PwyYM8bfaceCInteaxpaAv2gEEGss5rApHEmO0VsdfExmfY2tasqhg8k4CqKSsYJ4YN0KqvE_TkKg0edMwnnOBT4kN756UE1CJ4SJQ-Ffv_wvqbHeRFEG6gjSKPIJE9boB1xGaZuDNAo4nb4cRVfuOqezqDV8wAXpXi1D283h3/s9248/20231112_135955.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="9248" data-original-width="6936" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxLSfB-5l_qtTitycwN9PwyYM8bfaceCInteaxpaAv2gEEGss5rApHEmO0VsdfExmfY2tasqhg8k4CqKSsYJ4YN0KqvE_TkKg0edMwnnOBT4kN756UE1CJ4SJQ-Ffv_wvqbHeRFEG6gjSKPIJE9boB1xGaZuDNAo4nb4cRVfuOqezqDV8wAXpXi1D283h3/s320/20231112_135955.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Demon's bloody nose. He'll live.</i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div>My suspicion is that his saddle needs a refitting. Since then, I have put it on him and discovered I was right. Did some adjusting of the fitting cushions and it looks much better with less rock.</div><div><br /></div><div>A couple days after we'd come home, I noticed Demon had been licking his salt block, which is unusual. Usually the things just gradually erode away without him bothering to touch them. This leads me to conclude it is likely I did not get his electrolytes correct for this ride. I'd gone into without enough tubes of his usual electrolyte concoction, but had felt comfortable between what I had of the syringes and the powder I had on hand there was adequate coverage. Clearly not. I'll be assuring he has enough of the usual stuff on hand in the future.</div><div><br /></div>The ride year is nearly done, and I feel like we've hardly hit the trail. So we'll be going to Barefoot in New Mexico for Thanksgiving weekend, see if we can't put up a few more miles.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /></div>hammerithothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04872885874133892537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8253443694650355321.post-29278990344574356592023-11-15T18:03:00.000-08:002023-11-15T18:03:06.966-08:002023 Bill Thornburgh Ride<p> Having reached 5 years of age, and having gotten some schooling in being a riding horse, Trey made his endurance debut at the Bill Thornburgh ride.</p><p>TJ Davis rode Trey while I rode Demon. We did the 25 on Sunday.</p><p>I arrived on Saturday afternoon right around 4pm. I'd had a meeting at church I needed to attend, so I took the horses with me. They stayed in the trailer, munching happily on hay and watching the meditation group wander around, while I participated in the meeting. The church has a nice traffic circle I was able to park in, where I could see the trailer from the room the meeting was held in.</p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY2ydS9HIeBElTd7MRmvwS0PZlcR4-tIXsiXqo0YJlSOhhZ3j4TnyjLHZNMDomew414nrwyKMk-91Ngb5S9aYNOdTSzaXuEH4pp1UDUU63DAlHT8tfTdvZti4Sw-lwGmnvelHufudDyAbBuGuDaNbQnkCICzzMNgMxJoNqiSHgKsrtwxCbop8ZKs5XtyJh/s9248/20231028_085113.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="9248" data-original-width="6936" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY2ydS9HIeBElTd7MRmvwS0PZlcR4-tIXsiXqo0YJlSOhhZ3j4TnyjLHZNMDomew414nrwyKMk-91Ngb5S9aYNOdTSzaXuEH4pp1UDUU63DAlHT8tfTdvZti4Sw-lwGmnvelHufudDyAbBuGuDaNbQnkCICzzMNgMxJoNqiSHgKsrtwxCbop8ZKs5XtyJh/s320/20231028_085113.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Watching the world go by at church!</i></td></tr></tbody></table></p><p>Once we arrived at camp, I unloaded and got the boys hay, water, and sloppy bran mashes. Got our rider packets picked up and paid the entry fee. Then TJ and I took the boys to vet in.</p><p></p><p>Almost immediately, I traded horses with TJ.</p><p>TJ is often considered hard on her horses. I think anyone who thinks she's hard on her horses, hasn't paid much attention to how hard *I* am on my horses. I gave her Demon and took over Trey because I didn't think she was being hard enough!</p><p>Trey needed a little bit of schooling before we were able to go to the vet and behave like a good horse.</p><p>Overnight, the wind kicked up. The horses' hay all blew away. The vent on the trailer rattled and flapped. And it blew. All. Night. Long.</p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7pqgZ9JkbkB2aWbXYxELvkPPhVfMGjgo_zlvx6604VfkA6H25qN2achItVjn7qZQcPaVPtaKNbKq6-h-8rQ3q52JVmqhS_Ui7fGsJZCtg_WN0dX2qVr_hJHmNzDHed1PSMg5Ho29xyfpd48F0fB2VgnS5-wsIKHZAdm0ISCBzu1iJDQWy_6jsttPoM1kW/s9248/20231028_171823.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="9248" data-original-width="6936" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7pqgZ9JkbkB2aWbXYxELvkPPhVfMGjgo_zlvx6604VfkA6H25qN2achItVjn7qZQcPaVPtaKNbKq6-h-8rQ3q52JVmqhS_Ui7fGsJZCtg_WN0dX2qVr_hJHmNzDHed1PSMg5Ho29xyfpd48F0fB2VgnS5-wsIKHZAdm0ISCBzu1iJDQWy_6jsttPoM1kW/s320/20231028_171823.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Good boys eating their dinner</i></td></tr></tbody></table></p><p>In the morning, I was giving serious thought to not trying this nonsense. The wind was still blowing and my boys weren't able to eat much before it blew away. But, in the end, we saddled up and went.</p><p>We're endurance riders. Our tolerance for bullshit knows no bounds.</p><p>Our plan from the outset was to start at least 15 minutes after ride start. Our numerous trail rides with Trey had taught us he'll do best if he starts out at the back, rather than trying to have him lead. Especially being out on trail with a number of unfamiliar horses.</p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi28KontODQyQOJmIYcJD8tOf14CegcZ1Jo45e_fTFtMD249UYFS49eL73AJFcW2P1YsC8nLxN9gydnNuOEW7YEJpuD91ZLNpTkbYQTvKJmnSLHuMxJUDQoffR-_YzSjL-AMPNW1jReGSai8znWfXel8PO8pFQhJl60dQz-rOl-lEAzp6yQd0rUzZafEATr/s9248/20231029_133554.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="9248" data-original-width="6936" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi28KontODQyQOJmIYcJD8tOf14CegcZ1Jo45e_fTFtMD249UYFS49eL73AJFcW2P1YsC8nLxN9gydnNuOEW7YEJpuD91ZLNpTkbYQTvKJmnSLHuMxJUDQoffR-_YzSjL-AMPNW1jReGSai8znWfXel8PO8pFQhJl60dQz-rOl-lEAzp6yQd0rUzZafEATr/s320/20231029_133554.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Trey, saddled up and ready to go</i></td></tr></tbody></table></p><p>While we were mounting up, TJ discovered her stirrups weren't where she wanted them, so she hopped back off to adjust them. Trey was a little hopped up and moving around, so I got off Demon so I could help hold him for her.</p><p>Unfortunately when I did this, I lost my grip on Demon's reins. He noticed before I could get them back. And decided he needed to go make friends.</p><p>Demon took off running for a couple trailers nearby. I set off after him, knowing I wouldn't get to him before he found a horse to be "friends" with. Fortunately, he's not a mean dude. When he found his target, he just snorted and sniffed noses while I snuck in and got a hold of his reins and pulled him away.</p><p>So now we were about 20 minutes past start time. TJ elected to lead Trey out of camp, as he was not able to focus while going between rigs and tied horses. Once we were out on trail, she mounted up and we were off.</p><p>Despite the lead time we'd given everyone else, it didn't take more than 30 minutes before we caught up to riders. Demon and I were leading, so I hollered that we were passing. The riders pulled off and we kept up a smart trot to get by.</p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwOWXMufTfcwPc6Fg69ni8FB6JrDXY8RH766-m5oAKrOOKsmJpz4FqxzHxpWOYly7LoR8Wkr-zqJvti4yxTv6XICEYLN_9F_NPpUSeBZCQGo_8EyGNn98yavyiw2a0gfUcgDmIexkBsZgImpaDyPLdjdhchJQSS7e0iJECBokifsEcWiYz8EJMLfoodlVR/s1345/20231029_110148.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1345" data-original-width="1009" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwOWXMufTfcwPc6Fg69ni8FB6JrDXY8RH766-m5oAKrOOKsmJpz4FqxzHxpWOYly7LoR8Wkr-zqJvti4yxTv6XICEYLN_9F_NPpUSeBZCQGo_8EyGNn98yavyiw2a0gfUcgDmIexkBsZgImpaDyPLdjdhchJQSS7e0iJECBokifsEcWiYz8EJMLfoodlVR/s320/20231029_110148.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>No ride photographer, so just crappy cell phone pics</i></td></tr></tbody></table></p><p>We passed several more riders, all while moving along at a good pace. This is a really good first ride for a young stallion as its all on 2 track and there's a whole lot of desert to head into to give a wider berth.</p><p>We finished the first loop, about 15 miles, in under 3 hours.</p><p>Headed out on the second loop, Trey was more focused but still needed led out of camp. We got going again and made very good time. </p><p>As we trotted along, I kept looking back to check on Trey, expecting he would start to show signs of needing to slow down. He never did. While he's not as fast as Demon (yet) he's definitely plenty fit.</p><p>Trey's biggest difficulty to now as been water. Both crossing it and drinking it. So it was nice to watch him go directly to the water tank and drink very well several times. And when the trail dropped off the rail bed, we discovered we were walking in a very shallow but broad stream. While there was plenty of "not water" it wasn't quite possible to walk through without stepping in water. It can't be said Trey *liked* this, but he handled it well. Helped that it came close to the end of the 25 miles.</p><p>At the finish, despite the distraction of other horses close at the vet check, and TJ needing to do a lot of asking for space, Trey's heart rate recovery was less than a minute after Demon's.</p><p>We pulled a sub 4 hour 25 for Trey's first ride.</p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcEyiNpkJYgyPkrvACIfsM7rM9o5id-NXTfr4xZod3jfL0BuskoKx1hUMnsPAfLmKGorvZMaw02z-gb75rC-7Y6BZErTPgsMut2yM6yvZ8_JDCMxb6s060qO4An5At4GkyZXOAJLRhQ_uBxH4YoCj1e7aFwPCEwbKSFahyetKutlri00jP_TlVjYMO0F8Y/s9248/20231029_133606.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="9248" data-original-width="6936" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcEyiNpkJYgyPkrvACIfsM7rM9o5id-NXTfr4xZod3jfL0BuskoKx1hUMnsPAfLmKGorvZMaw02z-gb75rC-7Y6BZErTPgsMut2yM6yvZ8_JDCMxb6s060qO4An5At4GkyZXOAJLRhQ_uBxH4YoCj1e7aFwPCEwbKSFahyetKutlri00jP_TlVjYMO0F8Y/s320/20231029_133606.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>TJ and Trey after a successful finish</i></td></tr></tbody></table></p><p>This was also the time the wind decided to stop.</p><p>After vetting through and getting some food into the horses, I let them rest for about an hour before we headed for home.</p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo07tH2uQcOFDJF9Ld4EMmoRhaA8j_kL-z26LBSS5HEun8yuhS4-ca9zuY__oqB0y4w1MvMW7Fs044DNxyCEDJ02eM6UCPf-3-zBIGaMlK_vhcwIQk2hVYc2i3PwwDaNksogmJuAWAK-YLD1jp67jxAqsP53O-t1q2fjrGZgSyWiHnqNOjIi1MwzYCQ73h/s9248/20231029_133658.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="9248" data-original-width="6936" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo07tH2uQcOFDJF9Ld4EMmoRhaA8j_kL-z26LBSS5HEun8yuhS4-ca9zuY__oqB0y4w1MvMW7Fs044DNxyCEDJ02eM6UCPf-3-zBIGaMlK_vhcwIQk2hVYc2i3PwwDaNksogmJuAWAK-YLD1jp67jxAqsP53O-t1q2fjrGZgSyWiHnqNOjIi1MwzYCQ73h/s320/20231029_133658.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Demon waiting for food and untacking</i></td></tr></tbody></table></p><p>All in all, a great ride. I'm super pleased with both of my boys!<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFs137YfWQtVWxELMJXNZrum2DFGCEXRq6i5zRd3zCXfaJr5xdf32AEJE3vlZFKFHCzB8zXd98NYMtwu8rr_PmdY9Z1YvFev3BmA0VDkfDYunxi0ssbsanOw-EJHAqCUMCWlPa4rPsjFgHftNNTkTqbL_LKFpHmMwmzz8sZ_eyLNtnTcGU__VvZV10-_An/s9248/20231029_133620.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="9248" data-original-width="6936" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFs137YfWQtVWxELMJXNZrum2DFGCEXRq6i5zRd3zCXfaJr5xdf32AEJE3vlZFKFHCzB8zXd98NYMtwu8rr_PmdY9Z1YvFev3BmA0VDkfDYunxi0ssbsanOw-EJHAqCUMCWlPa4rPsjFgHftNNTkTqbL_LKFpHmMwmzz8sZ_eyLNtnTcGU__VvZV10-_An/s320/20231029_133620.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>TJ and Trey share a post-ride smooch</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_8iLHlvMBqjveY4hhsQaQcCY4EKEXwAsCHUV7hJgCawbGvDo5tQboxQ2UE2AMPoou0Hg0KSP7PB94WrUg-iElW59BoWh6AQ_Yj2ESR8AvKRcL0uT04riFlSiDxpEgOlZvR3vFtBEaUaAC46udPOirgBwRp_qZKxQ-uyng7Jwt4qVCtWWRjfPcS7ZYXrOe/s9248/20231028_181350.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="9248" data-original-width="6936" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_8iLHlvMBqjveY4hhsQaQcCY4EKEXwAsCHUV7hJgCawbGvDo5tQboxQ2UE2AMPoou0Hg0KSP7PB94WrUg-iElW59BoWh6AQ_Yj2ESR8AvKRcL0uT04riFlSiDxpEgOlZvR3vFtBEaUaAC46udPOirgBwRp_qZKxQ-uyng7Jwt4qVCtWWRjfPcS7ZYXrOe/s320/20231028_181350.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Moonrise over ridecamp</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><br /></p>hammerithothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04872885874133892537noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8253443694650355321.post-40790459050286022182022-02-25T19:28:00.000-08:002022-02-25T19:28:13.370-08:00Laurel Mountain 2022<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhdZZrzRgrAG9sfuXTKwR8Px1jADObNL9wmN7wLQDqCEtbFBBAQMP0S5r4ULUb26STecypoWTkNKIJF2SoYKcPOYoqoiKe-h20pt3323uf8Afy_fU9tXYs3gvDbFpq6YC937yHLgcUH3FG8fA8bACNje2favcHQH9rjGlxt2yhAFc06ViHKD4cYgrqEbA=s9248" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="6936" data-original-width="9248" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhdZZrzRgrAG9sfuXTKwR8Px1jADObNL9wmN7wLQDqCEtbFBBAQMP0S5r4ULUb26STecypoWTkNKIJF2SoYKcPOYoqoiKe-h20pt3323uf8Afy_fU9tXYs3gvDbFpq6YC937yHLgcUH3FG8fA8bACNje2favcHQH9rjGlxt2yhAFc06ViHKD4cYgrqEbA=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> Fire Mountain having been barely a month before, and Twenty Mule Team coming up in 2 short weeks, meant Demon and I would do Limited Distance rides, just to help make sure everything was working right.<p></p><p>Shortly after Fire Mountain, my wristwatch died. I sighed and considered what I might do about this. Then, I was thinking about a friend who is using a heart rate monitor and really likes it. I'd used one years ago, and found it difficult and inaccurate. So I had long since given up. My friend assured me the Polar heart rate monitors work much different from the V-Max I'd used so long ago. So I looked into it, and it was in the back of my head as I thought about what I might do about my watch.</p><p>This led to looking at smartwatches which could pair with the Polar HRM. It became one of those things of well, I have to get a new watch, so I might as well get one of these newfangled smartwatch thingamajiggers. Then, if I'm gonna have a smart watch, I might just as well get the HRM, too.... Ultimately, I ended up with a Garmin Instinct watch (which I can use to share my location as I'm riding, which others who worry about such things really appreciate) and a Polar HRM. </p><p>Before Fire Mountain, I had added studs to Demon's shoes. I knew this had the potential to not work over time, and the only way to see what would happen was to ride him. And at Fire Mountain, one of the vets thought he saw something in Demon's right front foot. Which made me worry about that time he'd tripped on the first day of the ride, and had seemed really sore for a few steps. So I wanted another outing in the same area to continue to check out the studs.</p><p>We arrived in camp as the sun sank in the West. I quickly got everything set up, unhooked the truck and leveled the trailer, got food and water. Demon was quite happy to be at another ride, munching happily and watching the world go by from his Hi-Tie.</p><p>While setting up, I went through the processes of turning on the appliances. Punched the button for the refrigerator, flipped the switch for the water pump. The water pump, though, it just kept running. And running. And running. I turned on the tap, no water. Uh oh. Shut off the pump, went around outside and discovered the water line had come free of the tank. All 27 gallons I'd carefully stored up had been spread all over the highway somewhere.</p><p>Not one to be easily dissuaded by adversity, I fell back and punted. I found an empty gallon water jug and filled it from the 55 gallon drum in the truck. This would make flush water. I had plenty of bottled water for drinking and cooking. I could use the 55 gallon drum for wash water and such, plus, if I managed to get the fitting back in the water tank, I could put a little water in it and have enough running water to get by the for the couple of days we were there.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjZIaCwhQbsygzWM734sbr1sMq2eran4DvPSzFjLpA6OQmCAexutbW52ytNViNbQynnFjJhnsOdRffi15GZAG1I2Ywq1XzVrz4eb3qhAF0U3Ga7LJJubg2_QH_QlfnvF9orMpNc0dPQ68oMm03sYGukH6sVNM4v5ro5oaskERrZgxvpPH_acNiYGZ6wAA=s9248" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="6936" data-original-width="9248" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjZIaCwhQbsygzWM734sbr1sMq2eran4DvPSzFjLpA6OQmCAexutbW52ytNViNbQynnFjJhnsOdRffi15GZAG1I2Ywq1XzVrz4eb3qhAF0U3Ga7LJJubg2_QH_QlfnvF9orMpNc0dPQ68oMm03sYGukH6sVNM4v5ro5oaskERrZgxvpPH_acNiYGZ6wAA=s320" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p>We got vetted in and settled in for the night.</p><p>Day 1, 25 miles</p><p>I've gotten to where I really like to let the hotshoes get out of camp before I hit the trail. I figured we'd be middle to back of the pack speed. Still aiming for around 6-6.5mph average speed, but nowhere near the 7-8 the leaders are usually pulling. </p><p>I had to fiddle with the HRM and watch and figure out how to get them to "talk" to each other, but managed it handily enough once I got the hang of it. To my surprise and pleasure, they worked well all day.</p><p>About 5 minutes after the start, Demon and I ambled out of camp. It was the quietest start Demon has done yet, walking out on a loose rein. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEitAfz8doQYN6tw4FqhLsLfajVQ22J6BioZmGPlMuonJqMsr50fHH7uwf6digblltOkYhZrKR_tAMbB-ZdXEPV0jmMs3WngvB13TNxWmDvbeNYC7EjCJT-Jc7vNz6gNeTBm5Zoww8Tm0jnoPIQcyA_LtJbGIp6jUVO_x-GQVEoIruzvDTlCNl8CTwVEjA=s9248" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="9248" data-original-width="6936" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEitAfz8doQYN6tw4FqhLsLfajVQ22J6BioZmGPlMuonJqMsr50fHH7uwf6digblltOkYhZrKR_tAMbB-ZdXEPV0jmMs3WngvB13TNxWmDvbeNYC7EjCJT-Jc7vNz6gNeTBm5Zoww8Tm0jnoPIQcyA_LtJbGIp6jUVO_x-GQVEoIruzvDTlCNl8CTwVEjA=s320" width="240" /></a></div><p></p><p>For the most part, things were very good. Demon did very well over the even ground, uphills and downhills weren't challenging. But when there was rock, or particularly uneven terrain, he'd slow way down and pick his way gingerly over the trail. I had a suspicion those studs in his toes weren't doing him any favors.</p><p>I was really surprised when we hit the vet check and it turned out we were leading. That's not usual. But, as I said to another rider who was equally surprised to find herself out in front, where you place depends a lot on who shows up. Evidently everyone else was going a good bit slower to that point!</p><p>Most of the rest of the riders came in about 10 minutes after. Once our hold was over, and I'd allowed Demon to sample my egg salad sandwich (not a fan), we vetted and headed on down the hill toward camp.</p><p>It took a little while to find a bit of dirt high enough to get me back on. We walked down the hill until the trail got more even. Another pair of riders passed us jogging down the hill, but Demon was happy enough to go ahead and walk. </p><p>Once I got back on, we trotted smartly on and passed the other two riders. We were just trotting at a sedate pace when another rider, Tammy Simpson, came barreling up and passed us like we were standing still. They continued on at a solid canter until they were out of sight somewhere ahead, finishing some 20 minutes ahead of us.</p><p>Like I said, where you place depends on who else shows up.</p><p>We finished in 2nd place, with a solid 4 hour 25 miles. Which is typically not fast enough to top ten, but was this day.</p><p>After we'd finished, I took the time to crawl under the trailer and fiddle with the water fitting. It took some doing, but I was able to reattach it well enough to put some water back in the tank. It wasn't enough for showering or washing dishes, but enough to flush the toilet so I didn't have hike all the way to the porta-john in the night.</p><p>Day 2, 25 Miles</p><p>After the first day went as well as it did, I was happy enough to set out for a second day and let it be a bit more sedate. We were, after all, only riding to make sure we had all our gear working right. No need to race for that.</p><p>I again left well after the start so we could set a quiet pace. On the road, Demon took a couple of bad steps, enough other riders commented on it. I slowed him down on the paved road, electing to let him make time on soft trail instead. By now I was convinced I had a problem with the toe studs.</p><p>The first loop was 17ish miles, so it was a long morning back to camp. We kept a decent but not fast pace, aiming to finish the loop sound. I had plans to remove the toe studs when we got in for lunch.</p><p>At the lunch stop back at camp, I applied my multi-tool to the task of removing as many of the toe studs in Demon's shoes as I could. It wasn't as many as I'd hoped. I did, however, get out the ones I thought were causing the most problem, so between that and knowing the last 8 mile loop was relatively flat and sandy, I was feeling good about finishing the ride.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhYt0GmOlVDxtHwQDGH4i2rT0m1ZLGSOrPpO0izhma6t_S1zcEGW6nCn7xlbp_K2CH8N99C2XFSRoImLgA46fMyrGXpIS96AbVmXRQKNtsgF7AOZe_z4LOaAK3QW2NZwgNte-npmWx8Um8JSspygTCrRpz5X5qrf-W2KRToEEsytjL7hL5BTf-gyOUKpA=s9248" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="9248" data-original-width="6936" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhYt0GmOlVDxtHwQDGH4i2rT0m1ZLGSOrPpO0izhma6t_S1zcEGW6nCn7xlbp_K2CH8N99C2XFSRoImLgA46fMyrGXpIS96AbVmXRQKNtsgF7AOZe_z4LOaAK3QW2NZwgNte-npmWx8Um8JSspygTCrRpz5X5qrf-W2KRToEEsytjL7hL5BTf-gyOUKpA=s320" width="240" /></a></div><p><br /></p>All I really wanted to know at this point was if removing the studs had changed anything. So when we headed back out, I deliberately asked him to trot over rocky spots he'd wanted to pick his way slowly through. I felt him expect to get a zinger a couple of times, and gain confidence as that did not happen. He was still not as good as I'd like him to be.<p></p><p>The last 8 miles went quickly enough and we finished our second day.</p><p>After we finished, I was feeling pretty dirty and like I really could use a shower. But, I didn't have enough water on the trailer. But I *did* have enough water in the truck. And I just so happen to have a portable pump shower head. So I put the pump on the solar panel to charge up. Once it was done, I heated water on the stove, and, using one of Demon's buckets, took a shower in the horse box. I hadn't used that water pump in a long time, and I'm really glad I thought of it again. It's also good for giving the horse a bit of a bath on a hot day, too.</p><p>Day 3, 25 Miles</p><p>I was feeling pretty good about getting a third day finished, but it was not to be. I got the HRM set up and we started on out on trail. Demon was trotting clean but not with much enthusiasm. When we turned up on to rockier trail and passed behind the gun range, he spooked hard at a gun shot, tripping on a rock. After that, he was not quite right. By the time we got to Dave, parked out on trail to watch the horses go by, he definitely felt like we needed to not do this.</p><p><br /></p><p>Dave allowed as he thought Demon could manage, but I decided it wasn't worth it. We headed back to camp. I did get off and lead past the gun range, since whatever boomstick they were firing off was making me flinch, too.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgJyGzSRMGPlJ8gzTHA4eXKalJUp66EDCXOlZpQzIg3RYB04AK7FDIgpr5ZthThvpir16n14ONBL9qEzt-M9bbp--kjo-5fC0rUXpEpZTDfHGov0N_jBmsdKtSj8l5wfwCC63txYLrPXnodUDRPbc6kihT-LV4dGFczeXheoQsjTufRIEq74AePe8iAWA=s9248" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="6936" data-original-width="9248" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgJyGzSRMGPlJ8gzTHA4eXKalJUp66EDCXOlZpQzIg3RYB04AK7FDIgpr5ZthThvpir16n14ONBL9qEzt-M9bbp--kjo-5fC0rUXpEpZTDfHGov0N_jBmsdKtSj8l5wfwCC63txYLrPXnodUDRPbc6kihT-LV4dGFczeXheoQsjTufRIEq74AePe8iAWA=s320" width="320" /></a></div><p><br /></p>It was still an excellent two days, and with 2 weeks until Twenty Mule Team, plenty enough time to correct the issues with the studs. Otherwise, everything was going well, right down to a remarkably reliable HRM.<p></p>hammerithothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04872885874133892537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8253443694650355321.post-70423583908891660342022-01-23T18:59:00.001-08:002022-01-23T19:05:12.438-08:00Fire Mountain Pioneer 2022<p>There was no small amount of trepidation coming into Fire Mountain this year. After he scared me at Sesenta Años, and then not getting to start due to an abscess at Cayuse, I was quite stressed about getting Demon through this ride. I had also added QuickStuds (a traction device) to his composite shoes, as I felt he had less traction than he rightly ought to. Adding (or reducing) traction always has the potential to be wrong. I had ridden him 14 miles and he felt fantastic with the traction, but 14 miles isn't 50 and I wasn't completely convinced I'd done the right thing by him.</p><p>We arrived in camp later than I'd hoped due to issues with my new water carrying plan. I'd purchased a modular truck rack and half moon water tanks. After assembling the truck rack, we put the tanks on and I finally filled them on Thursday morning. By the time I'd driven the truck down to load hay, that modular truck rack had revealed it's weakness. It was not going to do the job. The tanks had to be drained and the truck rack pulled off. I got one of my 55 gallon drums and put that in, filled it, finished loading, and we were finally on the road by 10am, arriving in camp about 2pm.</p><p>Camp was downright packed. It took several fits and starts before we were able to park. The ride manager later said it was the first time camp had filled up to the point people were camping on the road outside camp. I got us squeezed in as close to our neighbors as I could in hopes of leaving enough room for more rigs.</p><p><b>Day 1</b></p><p>In the morning, I saddled up and headed out for a civilized 7am start. It's my habit to leave after the leaders on rides like this. I do not like to let Demon get caught up with the leaders and seeing who of the hotshoes was there, I was not eager to leave before they were well up the trail (a solid 5-10 minutes after the start). By the time we hit the trail, the controlled start had reached its terminus and the hotshoes were off up the trail. </p><p>Demon was plenty ready to go while being controlled and careful about it. He did get a little goofy when I finally asked for the trot. I definitely had a lot of horse!</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjUO5NNo4nomfi0JH5fzMrFxWjIRvuSShIb3STojw4hBtSvfwVJ7OcShCI2BvjzrPOvbroThMfEPPifEyAij2GRVAlYDBhH31ldYV283Mg9-ABTJMmErkKU-Jxr4C69sCL32Lb6RHVrMROGyqE66BDPfDFymDkbvk_8H0ooaQmKqQavKJjU3ptFbsavNA=s9248" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="9248" data-original-width="6936" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjUO5NNo4nomfi0JH5fzMrFxWjIRvuSShIb3STojw4hBtSvfwVJ7OcShCI2BvjzrPOvbroThMfEPPifEyAij2GRVAlYDBhH31ldYV283Mg9-ABTJMmErkKU-Jxr4C69sCL32Lb6RHVrMROGyqE66BDPfDFymDkbvk_8H0ooaQmKqQavKJjU3ptFbsavNA=s320" width="240" /></a></div><p>The first loop went by quickly, and we were back in camp for the first hold around 9:30am The second loop was harder to keep Demon motivated. He's got this habit of getting what I call "midday doldrums," during which time he would just.... rather not. This time period is generally between 11am and 3pm. Once the sun reaches its zenith and begins to descend, he starts to perk up. But this is not especially conducive to completing rides, so I've been working on getting him past this particular habit. I started using intervals with him to keep him moving. We'd do 10 minutes trotting, then 10 minutes walking, terrain permitting. He perked up with this method, especially once we reached the apex of the hill and started back down. On the third loop, he was still kinda dopey, so we continued with intervals until we got back to the downhill and he fairly cruised himself in.</p><p></p><p>After the last year we've had, I very nearly elected to pack it up and head home after succeeding in getting a completion. It felt rather like tempting fate to continue. But, I stuck it out. </p><p><b>Day 2</b></p><p>This was a 55 mile ride, so the start was at 6:30. The sun was just brightening the sky as the leaders once again made their way out of camp. The first loop was a very long, 40ish mile go. The first vet check was in the middle of the loop, so an out check. I made sure to pack a bag (the one with my little three footed folding stool in it) with hay and a bucket for the 30 minute hold. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjI3fBNSLiPg1kQsz28uukYhvh4hMvuuk5KgzPGZKYSN2_1rHOj3YQUj1DINouuQD9zVHZsxYQhgM8zCCxFH3xPw12oQltrKLm3_2Jy7z-wGJvFjlGkGffKvLvKF-4qaCoDEoJc5EBWKEfzy--UrwRpbQeX0My5mOrQ2AHG_tH2GkHUNc1TNpxXwSrD5w=s9248" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="9248" data-original-width="6936" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjI3fBNSLiPg1kQsz28uukYhvh4hMvuuk5KgzPGZKYSN2_1rHOj3YQUj1DINouuQD9zVHZsxYQhgM8zCCxFH3xPw12oQltrKLm3_2Jy7z-wGJvFjlGkGffKvLvKF-4qaCoDEoJc5EBWKEfzy--UrwRpbQeX0My5mOrQ2AHG_tH2GkHUNc1TNpxXwSrD5w=s320" width="240" /></a></div><p>As we were riding through "town," the most bizarre thing happened. Demon and I were trotting along perhaps 100 yards behind the next rider, when a small pickup truck drove onto the trail, honking at the rider to stop. By the time we caught up, this person was interrogating the other rider about what we were doing, why he'd seen hoof prints on the trail days earlier, on and on. I shrugged and said it's a permitted event, and people are allowed to ride horses on the trail, something to that effect, and rode on. I hoped the other rider would follow suit, but she did not. After a few strides, I turned back and told the guy to go back to ride camp and ask for the manager, since he wanted to "be informed," then took off again. Later in the morning, as I was passing by Brian, one of the ride officials, I told him about this encounter, just so he'd know what was going on.</p><p></p><p>We'd been told the first check would be about 20 miles in, and we'd pass through at 15 miles, do an additional 5, and have our hold. Well. The first time I arrived at the hold, my GPS showed 15.5 miles. OK, not so far off. Then as we were riding along, I was thinking it was gonna be a lot more than 5 miles to go around the hill and come back. I'm reasonably familiar with the area, having done several rides there, and 5 miles seemed a bit of underestimating it. When we ultimately arrived back for the hold, my GPS showed 24.5 miles.</p><p>After our hold, I got us going again and used more intervals to keep our pace up. We crossed the highway and made our way on the fire roads. The ribbons were pretty sparse on this section. At some point, I managed to lose the trail and I'm pretty sure I missed a check point, but we muddled through and made it back to camp. I couldn't trust my GPS reading since we'd been off track, so I don't even recall what it was. </p><p>After our hour hold, we went back out and did the much shortened third loop from day 1, finishing strong and passing the vet check well.</p><p><b>Day 3</b></p><p>Day 3 trail was Day 1 trail in a different order. So we headed out for the longest loop of 20 miles at 7am, feeling good and happy to be alive. We did more intervals, this time doing 10 minutes trotting and 5 minutes walking. We finished the loop in good order, and there, as I'm riding into camp, is that guy from the day before, parked just inside the gate and watching. I called Brian over and informed him he was there so it could be dealt with, whatever "it" was.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgrM1YkN9GthgUfmNpxWyMJnnBPimkVKHOJAvUGApac_C2qBLcKzoIWNHd_0HbXS7PW8v6BNndymmufs5U56zFOsj1L7WBttYVV1Rf1GkTcpdbHM6yeJgNFe9yd1QUGOgVDpRnHKXF1nyV_f-3P6T6lrQtlq3-3TCtvKkDvrRKiLEffEp-rQTTic_Dgmg=s9248" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="9248" data-original-width="6936" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgrM1YkN9GthgUfmNpxWyMJnnBPimkVKHOJAvUGApac_C2qBLcKzoIWNHd_0HbXS7PW8v6BNndymmufs5U56zFOsj1L7WBttYVV1Rf1GkTcpdbHM6yeJgNFe9yd1QUGOgVDpRnHKXF1nyV_f-3P6T6lrQtlq3-3TCtvKkDvrRKiLEffEp-rQTTic_Dgmg=s320" width="240" /></a></div><p>After our trot out, the vet, Mike Peralez, said he "saw something" on Demon's right front 2 or 3 times during our trot out. This immediately made me a bit paranoid. He had tripped really hard on the first day, and I'd been dwelling on it despite a lack of repeat performances, to the point I am suspicious the problem is one of the studs in his right front shoe is sunk in too far. So for Mike to point out that particular leg... well it made me a bit spooky.</p><p></p><p>After our hold we set out on the second loop, this time feeling kinda like we were taking time to pay attention to our surroundings. I was a bit nervy since being told "something" was going on, even though I felt and saw absolutely nothing. I abandoned intervals for the time being, focusing instead on going fast enough to complete. </p><p>Somewhere on this loop who should show up again but Mr I Wanna Be Informed. He was on a motorcycle, and he was talking to the riders ahead of us when we came down the hill. They left him shortly before I arrived, and I started Demon trotting after giving him a long look. He said something about having seen us at "start/finish" and I told him, why, yes, I'd seen him, too. He took off shortly after I passed and when I caught up to the other riders I asked what he'd said to them. Evidently he claimed he was the security guard for the big property out there in the middle of nowhere we'd passed, and tried to talk the riders into going over to the compound so he could take pictures of them in front of the house. They sensibly declined and continued on their way.</p><p>You meet all kinds in this endurance thing.</p><p>When we got in for the 1 hour hold, I presented Demon to Susan McCartney. After our trot, while she was finishing the exam, her scribe mentioned the note Mike had put in earlier about "watch right front." She scowled a bit, looked at the card, looked at the horse, then shook her head and said "I didn't see anything." That certainly put my mind somewhat at ease. I've had Susan vet my horses many times and I respect her judgment and lameness detection skills. Still, Mike had called out a leg that had already done something weird, so I couldn't entirely dismiss his observation, either.</p><p>Our third loop we did a bit more enthusiastically, having been judged completely sound by Susan, but I still didn't push super hard. But once we were headed downhill back toward camp, Demon perked up quite a lot and we rather sailed into camp. I had to hold him down to a walk for the last mile. He vetted through fine, although Mike did once again note something about that right front.</p><p>Overall it was a fantastic weekend and it went off without a hitch. I'll have to pull his shoes (he's about due a trim anyway) and see if my suspicions about that stud are correct. Maybe with the studs I'll be able to get a reset and use the same shoes for Laurel Mountain. We'll do LDs at Laurel, since the plan is the 100 at 20 Mule Team.</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjkTurPMVU6ijFwX3qAOp-Wuush9JIUBmTaBKOw-NKoQDiBVCljyW9QK30fgHfr61C8PZ23BUSQKLxmX2EYFDLNyEFfD75aPzePLWhjR9N68ImDwg0VlGNRW7QOznNNbq9BxCMjeGmfs7oIIHVsYDzmK-oenOO2YRLQCJ5e0YCcQwpnrxZfOQHjMN5mcA=s9248" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="9248" data-original-width="6936" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjkTurPMVU6ijFwX3qAOp-Wuush9JIUBmTaBKOw-NKoQDiBVCljyW9QK30fgHfr61C8PZ23BUSQKLxmX2EYFDLNyEFfD75aPzePLWhjR9N68ImDwg0VlGNRW7QOznNNbq9BxCMjeGmfs7oIIHVsYDzmK-oenOO2YRLQCJ5e0YCcQwpnrxZfOQHjMN5mcA=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">EasyShoe Versa Grip with 5 QuickStuds<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>I also think we've got the electrolyte thing handled. I gave him a tube of electrolytes at least 3x per ride day, plus more if it seemed like he needed it. He was doing very well and his recoveries are much more in line with what I expect from him. It's just a matter of being sure to remember to administer them!</p><p></p><p>Oh, and during that 3rd loop, I was asked what my favorite colors are, to which I cheekily responded "gray and blue." As many know, I ride in green and yellow, and my horses wear green and yellow. Over the years, there has been many a guess, from Green Bay Packers to John Deere, none correct. Well, there is a story, and I wrote about it lo these many years ago <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/5473639245187332798/3851826249936653246">here.</a></p><p>And, if you're interested in the story of making it through escrow, you can read all about it <a href="https://chaliceranch.blogspot.com/2021/12/escrow-is-bitch.html">here.</a></p><p><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/5473639245187332798/3851826249936653246"><br /></a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/5473639245187332798/3851826249936653246"><br /></a></div><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/5473639245187332798/3851826249936653246"><br /></a><p></p>hammerithothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04872885874133892537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8253443694650355321.post-35823989892732624162022-01-23T15:00:00.000-08:002022-01-23T15:00:30.593-08:00Cayuse 2021<p> This ride turned out to be an excellent lesson in reading the materials. I didn't do that. And it bit me in the behind.</p><p>I knew we were going to be late hitting the road. The home purchase *still* had not closed, and I had finally managed to find an engineer to re-inspect. The engineer was coming at noon on Friday before the ride.</p><p>I did email the ride manager to alert her I knew I'd be very late. In my mind, this meant I'd told her I wouldn't be there in time to vet in on Friday night. But I didn't read the ride materials with any particular care, and largely skipped over anything that wasn't explicitly labeled as "rules" for this specific ride. After 18 years competing in endurance, it seems like everything is largely boilerplate and it gets very easy to skip over stuff which looks like what comes out of every rider packet ever received.</p><p>Once the engineer left, with assurances he was happy to write a compliant report so we could close the world's most absurd real estate deal, I got us loaded up and on the road. It was 2pm by the time we were on our way.</p><p>The Cayuse ride being around Santa Margarita meant we had to slog our way through LA traffic to get there. There's a reason I tend to treat rides north and west of LA as non-existent. When it takes 9 hours to travel 300 miles, they may as well be on another planet. It's not that I mind driving for a long time. I don't. I mind driving for a long time and not making much progress. Plus stop and go traffic is hard on the horse. I don't like it.</p><p>We arrived in camp at about 10pm. It was hard to tell what I was looking at in the dark, and despite suspecting I was parking in an "off-limits" area, I took what I could get and we all went to bed for the night.</p><p>In the morning I wandered around until I found some semblance of ride management. I allowed as I thought I was parked improperly, and was directed where to move. A quick loading up of the horse and moving about 50 feet, we were in the clear. </p><p>Feeling confident I had properly alerted the ride manager to my expected tardiness, I went about my morning preparing for the ride. </p><p>It turned out, had I actually read the directions, vetting in the morning of was not permitted. The vets had to leave camp to be ahead of the leaders before the ride started, making early morning vetting impractical. I was disappointed, but, well, my own damned fault for not reading carefully. I did suggest in the future such a requirement be moved into the numbered ride rules and bold faced and a day of the week rather than a date used to bring attention to it.</p><p>I was prepared to just spend the day in camp volunteering. I'd brought a friend for her first experience at an endurance ride, so it would make for a good opportunity to start showing her the ropes. Then, the vet for the LD ride arrived. The ride manager came up and told me if I could get vetted in, we could at least do the LD ride.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjCqVaPOB5dJf-TFQ5FXcUe_4L7dYlZW8tqx6ED3axsqNvz7P1UUX5G_3u_zX74TzAUkVfm5ClUvI9Zye0jYYVpctzOUpyewSHIhR6ZqY6g8JXDYj_erd5Ka4JZKckVkpaNKsRk_MXT1j0ANI-Q6yfWu9c51EPj6oFE_nLWVxOCRzYZwUcHj2SCzUED5A=s9248" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="6936" data-original-width="9248" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjCqVaPOB5dJf-TFQ5FXcUe_4L7dYlZW8tqx6ED3axsqNvz7P1UUX5G_3u_zX74TzAUkVfm5ClUvI9Zye0jYYVpctzOUpyewSHIhR6ZqY6g8JXDYj_erd5Ka4JZKckVkpaNKsRk_MXT1j0ANI-Q6yfWu9c51EPj6oFE_nLWVxOCRzYZwUcHj2SCzUED5A=s320" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p>So I saddled Demon back up again and we presented to the vet. After the examination and trot out, the vet said it looked to him like Demon was a little off in the right hind. I had my friend trot him out and it was subtle but there. The vet would have allowed me to start, but I elected to bag it. I'm not a fan of starting out on a horse with a bad step going on, even if it could just be something he'd warm up out of.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhSWn1cmkl7ebLmIAjqKtbyyORJTTRugoCqFIqLgCdl8b4MOGh1w5skPusPBCq5ICqwUlb-37teCdD9ccnup0LBwpAGWQ6exURBKtISKtrR6DTGu01LsTSWSLsUWtmiSGI8fRKHmbn_z419LwHWxIrpKMooEHxXKgbjtw3EOLOOnXR9w-s-7j58GOAJHA=s3648" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhSWn1cmkl7ebLmIAjqKtbyyORJTTRugoCqFIqLgCdl8b4MOGh1w5skPusPBCq5ICqwUlb-37teCdD9ccnup0LBwpAGWQ6exURBKtISKtrR6DTGu01LsTSWSLsUWtmiSGI8fRKHmbn_z419LwHWxIrpKMooEHxXKgbjtw3EOLOOnXR9w-s-7j58GOAJHA=s320" width="320" /></a></div><p>We spent the day in camp, had a good time watching the vetting and hanging out with friends and visiting, and headed for home in the morning. It wasn't the start to the 2022 ride season I had hoped for, but at least we were going home in one piece.</p><p></p><p>A couple of weeks later, when I finally got around to reshoeing Demon, I found a dried abscess in the outside heel of that right hind foot. Just as glad I didn't start him that day.</p><p>Tl;dr: Read the ducking directions.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjcBOoGz9LIBEEas8RvtCfdi_8wMe55vjmX29I8sZkVdmkBkgRq9UQYx-T2QzqqQGffuaoAdYPiY94miMjKzLODUtxfemD9Px35mfXcOnh8foExuYWi-tpeG9wK1IjndmWln6Ia69cYjw0BcGKnuXXQ6dGv38g7TSRvsMKJ0FAPVBuDGwkor1PzvdkLKg=s9248" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="6936" data-original-width="9248" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjcBOoGz9LIBEEas8RvtCfdi_8wMe55vjmX29I8sZkVdmkBkgRq9UQYx-T2QzqqQGffuaoAdYPiY94miMjKzLODUtxfemD9Px35mfXcOnh8foExuYWi-tpeG9wK1IjndmWln6Ia69cYjw0BcGKnuXXQ6dGv38g7TSRvsMKJ0FAPVBuDGwkor1PzvdkLKg=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><p></p>hammerithothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04872885874133892537noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8253443694650355321.post-87411874237694067272022-01-23T13:54:00.000-08:002022-01-23T13:54:48.941-08:00Sesenta Años 20212021 was a year. Due to pandemic conditions, Demon and I did not get much opportunity to compete in AERC sanctioned events, and when we did, conditions conspired to prevent us from crossing the finish line. Sesenta Años was our last opportunity to complete a 50 before the end of the ride season.<div><br /></div><div>To be clear, we *did* finish a couple of AERC sanctioned LD rides, and even won a BC on a WDRA LD. Not completing a 50 didn't mean a thing, outside of not completing a 50. With AERC LDs already completed, Demon remains in the running to achieve his Longevity Award. It's nothing more than a point of pride on my part, to finish a 50 each competition year. Alas, it was not to be.</div><div><br /></div><div>By the time the ride rolled around, it had been a couple months since I'd been able to do any serious riding (I don't think I did any real conditioning between Virgin Outlaw and this ride). We had gone into escrow to buy the property we've been renting for six years, and it became a challenge quickly. In the last week before the ride, I was spending my days trying to find someone who could repair a poorly built deck in a screaming hurry and having no luck. I finally decided it didn't matter, I was not going to get it done, and figured I'd salvage at least some of the weekend by going to the ride. I packed up, loaded up, and we arrived late on Thursday night, with plans to ride the LD on Friday, the second day of the ride.</div><div><br /></div><div>In the morning I scrambled around and got the entry done and Demon vetted.</div><div><br /></div><div>After saddling, I noticed one of my stirrups was damaged. It took me a little bit to figure it out. I finally realized it must have happened when we fell at Virgin Outlaw. Sure went a long way to explaining why I'd felt slightly off balance! Not having replacements on hand, I had to go ahead and deal with what I had. </div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgbzNBfIbZgs6gtio5VW3cajjAmfFsHkqC2xpawtLib_KwHozRG2qJ_bpp7u69uwzlpZQ2axucWWKZavOc92lnCVyMz9jBe1I9sqPJMhtuKXEENRFwOzbSHb8XVta6qJ6h8H_7Yk6CAO9gtnMq0g8aUo1gPMv6AEioFGclhVugNnBJeRMns0N6akrZehA=s9248" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="9248" data-original-width="6936" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgbzNBfIbZgs6gtio5VW3cajjAmfFsHkqC2xpawtLib_KwHozRG2qJ_bpp7u69uwzlpZQ2axucWWKZavOc92lnCVyMz9jBe1I9sqPJMhtuKXEENRFwOzbSHb8XVta6qJ6h8H_7Yk6CAO9gtnMq0g8aUo1gPMv6AEioFGclhVugNnBJeRMns0N6akrZehA=s320" width="240" /></a></div></div><div><br /></div><div>Demon was looking good and I was really pleased with how controlled he went out of camp. I did have to kind of laugh as people commented it looked like he was giving me a rough time, all while on a loose rein and Demon was doing what I asked. He was making a good show of looking like he was out of control, while really being a perfect gentleman.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjEUJ8aR_IJKPX-fLZNtdUssxKlcgHOP-360LEgC8PXXYncqvYtq8-EyyxQhOfm54WioZ5m0i9bHE-lt6wu7UFqOTVu2bj1vOraRLfvqHnyL8bGX-3QaaDfA0E9yrrah6glE3lUsQwcOyFZuqL-tbRFhc-TrrTsRNEy8z4DJ1M8BKAI0xAEZ4xicrFiJw=s4640" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3480" data-original-width="4640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjEUJ8aR_IJKPX-fLZNtdUssxKlcgHOP-360LEgC8PXXYncqvYtq8-EyyxQhOfm54WioZ5m0i9bHE-lt6wu7UFqOTVu2bj1vOraRLfvqHnyL8bGX-3QaaDfA0E9yrrah6glE3lUsQwcOyFZuqL-tbRFhc-TrrTsRNEy8z4DJ1M8BKAI0xAEZ4xicrFiJw=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>About halfway through the ride, a couple other riders caught up to us. We chit-chatted a bit, discussing shoes and saddles and such, when one rider observed Demon was missing a shoe. I was a little surprised by this. Demon was feeling perfectly fit and sound. Usually the loss of a shoe will result in at least a little mechanical unevenness.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj6jLwphwCLZx8QpVEvC1XS9pCJh_JRF5Lnjo5fVa-rGcjzZtvB-FH5uzlJ7dIgipS9KnK2BOX66E2ZA-F5vB54H7nNlvC5PvVSQSY_Q6BsdVfkN7Lizpvj_ZQ6ePUF3TUtcqFjqNGL8DzEekZSRtX1X6EKlEI7C1-AjczX8_pR_li88rByPFRZtBwiow=s4640" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3480" data-original-width="4640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj6jLwphwCLZx8QpVEvC1XS9pCJh_JRF5Lnjo5fVa-rGcjzZtvB-FH5uzlJ7dIgipS9KnK2BOX66E2ZA-F5vB54H7nNlvC5PvVSQSY_Q6BsdVfkN7Lizpvj_ZQ6ePUF3TUtcqFjqNGL8DzEekZSRtX1X6EKlEI7C1-AjczX8_pR_li88rByPFRZtBwiow=s320" width="320" /></a></div></div><div><br /></div><div>I realized the shoe he was now missing was the one I had nailed on at Virgin Outlaw with just 4 nails and floated the outside toe quarter to relieve a suspected stone bruise. I had every intention of reshoeing him before this ride, but never got 'round to it, and threw him in the trailer with dodgy shoes! Despite my assertions that composite shoes are much less likely to be lost than steel, he lost the one I hadn't nailed on completely. And here I'd been discussing this not 3 days prior to the ride.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj3ShyoFQtxM4FLtTzLJqPzwvknc8oRF6dU7-NqmlrvHvgJutBMA26yPlQvWWuQn-0Zm4K92I2ScZB3pxFWImlOD_XPEM8PGMbjmjCY_dUTbMB_ahUO7NLcc8s_AWCAdcslVPQfys1yZc1GTNx-FZUFSvpnqkqJr670CWlyUhGzpZH65JL_lTgBk3Xzfg=s9248" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="6936" data-original-width="9248" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj3ShyoFQtxM4FLtTzLJqPzwvknc8oRF6dU7-NqmlrvHvgJutBMA26yPlQvWWuQn-0Zm4K92I2ScZB3pxFWImlOD_XPEM8PGMbjmjCY_dUTbMB_ahUO7NLcc8s_AWCAdcslVPQfys1yZc1GTNx-FZUFSvpnqkqJr670CWlyUhGzpZH65JL_lTgBk3Xzfg=s320" width="320" /></a></div></div><div><br /></div><div>Due to the lost shoe, I slowed us down quite a bit. I knew I had a new set of shoes in the truck and didn't want to badly damage the foot while riding. So just getting through it was the order of the day.</div><div><br /></div><div>I had no idea how far out in front we were.</div><div><br /></div><div>After we went through the weird little extraneous pasture loop and got back to camp, I found out we were in first place! We'd mostly walked (although Demon had plenty of opinion about that and we did a good deal of trotting if I deemed the footing forgiving enough). </div><div><br /></div><div>I chose not to present for best condition, as by that time I could feel an alternation in Demon's gait, and I wanted to reshoe him. I knew I wouldn't get that done in time to present, so I elected not to do so at all.</div><div><br /></div><div>It took me a long time to get Demon reshod, spending an awful lot of time distracting myself by making friends with other riders parked nearby. By the time I got it done, Demon had dumped my nails in his water and lost my clinch cutter. But it was done before dark!</div><div><br /></div><div>I entered us in the 50 for Saturday. Demon was feeling strong all day Friday and I had no reason to think he'd have any problems on Saturday.</div><div><br /></div><div>It was not to be.</div><div><br /></div><div>The first leg of Saturday's ride involved a long, heavy uphill pull. We largely walked, although we took every slightly flat section to trot enough to keep our overall speed up reasonably.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhW_3mcauvm6BkNUIRN8I5Z7ZayJBf9nOKYdj9UsdF5SpK_CG7v39bjCUIgFdg0TatINbZlHOxf3Ek8BVi2rgvfY28AU6cWLlZMXLOxc-LywegzPL7YdmDNT35lpvjst51FFrHIUHDJnpxUD4zdem-liNNvHM4GX49VhUmsb55xPXsXVZ8pxa-4fj-Dlw=s9248" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="9248" data-original-width="6936" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhW_3mcauvm6BkNUIRN8I5Z7ZayJBf9nOKYdj9UsdF5SpK_CG7v39bjCUIgFdg0TatINbZlHOxf3Ek8BVi2rgvfY28AU6cWLlZMXLOxc-LywegzPL7YdmDNT35lpvjst51FFrHIUHDJnpxUD4zdem-liNNvHM4GX49VhUmsb55xPXsXVZ8pxa-4fj-Dlw=s320" width="240" /></a></div></div><div><br /></div><div>By the time we reached the top, Demon was breathing pretty hard. I let him stop in the river crossing and cool off, having a drink and resting while the cool water flowed around his legs. We soldiered on, making our way relatively quickly back downhill.</div><div><br /></div><div>Back at camp, it took several minutes for Demon to recover to under 60bpm criteria. I found this disturbing. Demon has never taken more than moments to recover, and having walked in he ought to have been recovered to well under 60, if not under 50. During our hold, I contemplated whether I ought to give him electrolytes, or if I should pull him and give a go on another day. He passed the check, and I decided to go ahead and keep going. We were riding with a new friend, and always pretty close to camp, so I felt comfortable we could go out and return safely if I decided I didn't like it.</div><div><br /></div><div>Demon definitely felt like he'd had all his stuffing pulled out when we headed back out. He was a little encouraged by the presence of another horse, but he sure was falling back. There was a lot of water available on trail, and every time Demon got a drink, he'd rally for a bit before falling behind again.</div><div><br /></div><div>I decided to turn back for camp when he scared the hell out of me.</div><div><br /></div><div>We approached another tank, and Demon had a good drink. We walked away a bit to let the other horse finish drinking, and Demon started casting about like he was looking for grass.</div><div><br /></div><div>Turned out he was looking for a place to have a lie down!</div><div><br /></div><div>Demon laid down right there, under the tree, in the shade. I quickly stepped off, and he just chilled there. My heart was pounding as I waited to see what he'd do. It probably did not take the eternity it felt like, but he got back up and shook himself off.</div><div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjmbiSM4SLrGLYTpMjrPQrObU0NJYfbfq2OEFGDF6o2icEVUGl1T4Cq0fslyzFTxlkheIYSCx_Lh-gkoryIggf2bgk3V97xIfjPFw0REyNVm5OaURrHDjg2_qaQAdRjqJBmNL7gtCh4WWxEwg2i1Y5ugwn88WqxwMtpiNQ5iVnEB6CkuPAGoRikPSsQgA=s4640" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3480" data-original-width="4640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjmbiSM4SLrGLYTpMjrPQrObU0NJYfbfq2OEFGDF6o2icEVUGl1T4Cq0fslyzFTxlkheIYSCx_Lh-gkoryIggf2bgk3V97xIfjPFw0REyNVm5OaURrHDjg2_qaQAdRjqJBmNL7gtCh4WWxEwg2i1Y5ugwn88WqxwMtpiNQ5iVnEB6CkuPAGoRikPSsQgA=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>I told the other rider we were going to head back to camp. No way was I continuing to ride a horse who felt tired and spent enough to straight up lay down. It took us a while, but we walked back to camp.</div><div><br /></div><div>By the time we arrived, Demon seemed more his usual self, but I still felt like he wasn't quite right. The vet looked him over and declared him OK, so we went back to camp and I watched him like a hawk.</div><div><br /></div><div>After some time, his heart rate had not recovered as expected, and he was picking at his food with little enthusiasm. I debated with myself for a while, then went ahead and slugged him with a tube of electrolytes. Within half an hour, his heart rate dropped and he was plowing through his food.</div><div><br /></div><div>I spent a lot of time second guessing myself, thinking at first maybe I'd overdone the electrolytes, until I concluded it was far more likely I'd under done it. Demon isn't exactly a spring chicken, and while he needed minimal electrolyte support a few years ago, he clearly needs more now. As with everything related to horses, nothing remains the same except change. So I recognize he needs more electrolytes going forward. Thankfully he's really good about getting his electrolytes syringed and even seems to enjoy it. Now I just have to refine our electrolyte protocol.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEho7xJDnDavRFgqXaWHpJAQd7znVvVCa6GEjXGMIHmgVcYQkyI61CGcs7FeRSn5NsELY3qXPZKIySTBkeYa_MWtlgWuFcZY-s6BOTsK0RZxjpBQ83xBW_ZaKlgQiYL1AW2jpQRRjCzB2GDXOvlOVq4hgwSfjQ2TKhONiZB9fLo810I4hCWesiASKp36dQ=s9248" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="9248" data-original-width="6936" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEho7xJDnDavRFgqXaWHpJAQd7znVvVCa6GEjXGMIHmgVcYQkyI61CGcs7FeRSn5NsELY3qXPZKIySTBkeYa_MWtlgWuFcZY-s6BOTsK0RZxjpBQ83xBW_ZaKlgQiYL1AW2jpQRRjCzB2GDXOvlOVq4hgwSfjQ2TKhONiZB9fLo810I4hCWesiASKp36dQ=s320" width="240" /></a></div><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>hammerithothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04872885874133892537noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8253443694650355321.post-2752849671652054152021-10-30T09:32:00.005-07:002021-10-30T09:43:28.274-07:00Getting Old Ain't fer Sissies<p> "Age is just a number."</p><p>This mantra is often intoned by those who would deny the effects of aging. And they're right, to a point. I know a number of individuals of varying species of similar age of wildly different physical condition. Eventually age gets us all. </p><p>It's not the years, it's the mileage.</p><p>This morning, as I checked through my emails and social media and dandled the cat while drinking my first cup of coffee, I heard the rattle of a horse against a corral panel. Hoss is currently residing in one of the upper pens with Tess, his current charge. I listened and wondered if what I was hearing was Hoss struggling, yet again, to rise.</p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnWfQp-25qj3cznT6qb71Li6MOugVRDXBXdOxbZ8vKK7UXYFMFkVNE9pc65SolqdrKg22cv2jbBSFOZcQy36krP1l6tMqObJdzssxRka6cFacGLnAX_PB4cxDfrX807-o2MlzAY6wgJuEs/s3264/20210902_153506.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2448" data-original-width="3264" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnWfQp-25qj3cznT6qb71Li6MOugVRDXBXdOxbZ8vKK7UXYFMFkVNE9pc65SolqdrKg22cv2jbBSFOZcQy36krP1l6tMqObJdzssxRka6cFacGLnAX_PB4cxDfrX807-o2MlzAY6wgJuEs/s320/20210902_153506.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me: Time to feed horses! Meowleficent: No<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>He gave me a scare a few months ago, with several days of being unable to rise well on his own. I really thought for a while there he had quite abruptly reached the point I was going to lose him. A down horse is a dead horse, and if he couldn't rise on his own, well, he was as good as dead. Fortunately having his hocks injected seems to have mostly cleared up this issue. He's even no longer wearing his protective boots. He still gets up ass first like a cow, but he can get up, and he isn't spinning on his hocks. I call it a win.</p><p>So hearing that sound of a horse in a panel, I had a moment of concern. It did turn out I had nothing to worry about. When I poked my head out the front door, he looked back at me, on his feet, in anticipation of breakfast. Likely he or Tess had been sticking their heads through to mess with the horse next door.</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkH7Rfa-CMjiwvH9UQ-YhlEvk4a4EECPDxQk6PZR2LC6S50hJsLPHuCvgM4jUtiXCFoB-yFl15YyU9aq0jNWkK0MraNZEkw4BCZSJjQqOCgip9b8ud0i2B0ZpGCsbxnBY99RcjEVqhh3eZ/s4160/20211005_080227.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3120" data-original-width="4160" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkH7Rfa-CMjiwvH9UQ-YhlEvk4a4EECPDxQk6PZR2LC6S50hJsLPHuCvgM4jUtiXCFoB-yFl15YyU9aq0jNWkK0MraNZEkw4BCZSJjQqOCgip9b8ud0i2B0ZpGCsbxnBY99RcjEVqhh3eZ/s320/20211005_080227.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hoss in all his booted glory<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Hoss is 17. This is not old age for horses by any stretch of the imagination. These days horses commonly live and work up to their 30s regularly. But just as with people, some horses start to show signs of decay at a relatively young age. Hoss already has some significant arthritis. He's had signs of arthritic changes since he was 5 or 6 years old. Despite this, he had a successful career as an endurance horse, covering over 4,000 miles in 50 mile or longer increments, with fairly few pulls. He was top ten mileage several years, and brought home a handful of other awards as well. Nothing to sneeze at. What seemed to be his downfall was a rattlesnake bite, after which he never returned to his usual self. He now has a hard time recovering metabolically, and is no longer capable of disguising his front end lameness. I think he has some neurological deficits as a result of the bite, which would explain a lot about his current condition.<p></p><p>I love Hoss. He's a fantastic horse, and he's worth every penny I'm spending to keep him comfortable and more. The money spent to inject his hocks and keep him supplied in Equioxx and Lubrisyn is cheap at twice the price. </p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggHsPtcK0mgA-hDShfBLAq52nL5XdJnYX24o5wny9IG1_OkAlr5RyNO-gsZmYiIGnCkqHFh7lnNdZo4bRyp8ZLszhyynIeJkS742dmCcD-4oe5ki1kTnmmT6Q7XSf9yHDymfeYvKbQwENJ/s4160/20210915_093837.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4160" data-original-width="3120" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggHsPtcK0mgA-hDShfBLAq52nL5XdJnYX24o5wny9IG1_OkAlr5RyNO-gsZmYiIGnCkqHFh7lnNdZo4bRyp8ZLszhyynIeJkS742dmCcD-4oe5ki1kTnmmT6Q7XSf9yHDymfeYvKbQwENJ/s320/20210915_093837.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Enjoying a graze during post-injection hand walk</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p>I'd spend this money even if he wasn't so important to the breeding operation. At this point he has "raised" 6 foals, quietly teaching them what is expected and how to be around people, and accompanying them on their first trailer ride to their new homes. He has helped with the settling in of new horses and accompanied Demon and DC on their first trail and endurance rides. He's seen me through recovery after several surgeries, carrying me carefully and gently while I regained my riding muscles. He's still the horse I choose to ride for clearing trail or doing a search mission. Even though he'll never hit the endurance trail again, he will always be my steady companion.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTkhzQ6SKnZKgp0W6ey5q2T3PEoBUA5bLfeQ4mlE1hbxwwiPM_s9DwRW3XXJyk5ZaFTsTCWuYRnhmE-2xci8RGtBysm_saVq0ltuDWvE-fEaeuRoqlWt_x8JQ-zqoE1s-5X0obWijw_IRC/s4160/20210909_085319.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4160" data-original-width="3120" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTkhzQ6SKnZKgp0W6ey5q2T3PEoBUA5bLfeQ4mlE1hbxwwiPM_s9DwRW3XXJyk5ZaFTsTCWuYRnhmE-2xci8RGtBysm_saVq0ltuDWvE-fEaeuRoqlWt_x8JQ-zqoE1s-5X0obWijw_IRC/s320/20210909_085319.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><p></p><p>Truly, he is worth far more to me than anyone could ever offer to buy him.<br /><br /><br /><br /></p>hammerithothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04872885874133892537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8253443694650355321.post-84797538631444563272021-10-04T14:42:00.001-07:002021-10-15T06:02:57.336-07:002021 Virgin Outlaw XP I & II<div>Link to video: https://youtu.be/q03BgzidqZI</div><div><br /></div>After 3 months of recovery and rehab for Demon, and a lot of work for me, too, it felt like time to get out and do a ride. Mostly I needed a chance to get away for a few days or a week, out of the day to day grind. While I certainly love my horses and my life generally, sometimes a change of scenery is required.<div><br /></div><div>So, unsure how much we could or would actually accomplish, I submitted my entry for all 6 days and we hit the road.</div><div><br /></div><div>It's been a few years since I've gone to VO, and I think I've only been once. So when I put the GPS coordinates into Maps and it told me it was 750ish miles away, it didn't seem especially unusual. I read the directions real quick but didn't commit them to memory. Seemed like I had every thing set up and ready to go.</div><div><br /></div><div>We set out on Friday afternoon, much later than I'd hoped, and made it just under 300 miles. We boondocked at Cima Road overnight, then headed on in the morning. Had breakfast with my daughter. Continued on our way, expecting to make camp by midafternoon.</div><div><br /></div><div>That is not what happened.</div><div><br /></div><div>As I was driving along the 15, listening to my book, we passed what I thought should have been our exit and just figured Maps knew better than me. It wasn't until I was directed off the highway and I realized nothing around looked familiar <i>at all</i> I decided I'd bollixed something up.</div><div><br /></div><div>I went back to the email, and tried again to use the GPS coordinates to no avail. Eventually I searched the road name, which seemed to put me in the right way.</div><div><br /></div><div>I was some 100 miles out of my way.</div><div><br /></div><div>Turned around, followed the new directions, got back where we needed to be after dark.</div><div><br /></div><div>Then blew it at the turn down the forest road to camp.</div><div><br /></div><div>Got turned around, got to camp, and proceeded to wander around camp looking for a place to park.</div><div><br /></div><div>Sheesh.</div><div><br /></div><div>Sometimes this sport makes me feel completely incompetent and before I've got the horse unloaded.</div><div><br /></div><div>I got Demon unloaded, took him to water, and got him set up. Decided it wasn't important to get the leveling and everything done until we'd rode the first day. I was going to need to unhook the truck and head into town, seeing as I'd forgotten everything I'd been meant to take with me from the refrigerator. I even forgot to pack a blanket for Demon. We'd do the LD in the morning and figure out the rest.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Day 1</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div>In the morning I got up and knocked on Dave and Annie's door. Let them know I was there, handed over my handheld GPS, and went to put in an entry card for the day. Went back to the trailer, finished up breakfast and groomed Demon. Took Demon back up to be vetted in. Dave pronounced him clear to go. Annie let me know the tracks had not uploaded to my handheld. I was on my own.</div><div><br /></div><div>So I set up the tracks to download to my phone while I finished saddling up. Once I got the tracks on my phone, I noodled around with EasyTrails in an effort to set it up to follow. The tracks were mostly titled in a way that made them easy to decipher, but a few were less than entirely clear. I looked at maps trying to decide which one I was meant to follow before deciding probably the 30ish mile loop was it. </div><div><br /></div><div>I wasn't feeling particularly good about trying to ride out of camp, something I've never been worried about doing. Demon was certainly no more amped up than usual. Nevertheless, I ended up walking out of camp.</div><div><br /></div><div>This of course leads to an interesting predicament. I can't get on from the ground just yet. I'm too slow. I have to use a step of some sort in order to get on without pulling the saddle over. So I fairly quickly decided I'd better suck it up and get on.</div><div><br /></div><div>I found a likely spot in an embankment cut by a seasonal stream. It was about 2 feet high. Perfect for getting myself on. So I sidled Demon up to the downward side of the embankment and mounted up.</div><div><br /></div><div>Now, in order to line up alongside the embankment, I had to point Demon away from the way the trail was heading and by this time we'd been passed by nearly every other horse in camp. So it wasn't particularly surprising that he couldn't contain his enthusiasm and tried to head back to the trail. Except that, instead of going forward and turning around, he chose to back up. He chose to back up and turn. He turned up the embankment. Backward. I really did not have time to orient and determine how best to help him before we ended up turned around, sort of halfway on the embankment, and he lost his footing and fell over. Fortunately for him, he was relatively close to the ground. Me, not so much. Landed hard on my right elbow and wrist as well as my ribs. </div><div><br /></div><div>I decided to hike a bit farther.</div><div><br /></div><div>We reached a gather corral and the person manning the gates directed us on through. We continued hiking and reached a road, where Dave and Annie intercepted us. Dave told me I had been misled, and we were on the wrong danged trail! Our choices were to continue on (having already gone a good 2 miles) and he'd submit the ride as a 30 for those who'd made the same error, or we could turn back and pick up the correct trail.</div><div><br /></div><div>I chose Option A.</div><div><br /></div><div>I hiked for quite a ways further, eventually looking for a likely rock or stump to get me on. Eventually we found a fallen log sturdy enough to get on and we were off. Once I was on, Demon needed to get moving! So we had a nice trot for a while.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh24YtC9dxN1y6BaMrHOWk9FYLDgEAxnMPguN2LIZkbNVdvAmQzGsnovc-CIQNaCiNTQi8ZCG6NtdJYhX6MJG8ievJ1VSb-qeh8QiweD0SbVfVUJi80QZNMHwsJOScavDVLy-UE47SfnrMF/s4160/20210919_090738.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4160" data-original-width="3120" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh24YtC9dxN1y6BaMrHOWk9FYLDgEAxnMPguN2LIZkbNVdvAmQzGsnovc-CIQNaCiNTQi8ZCG6NtdJYhX6MJG8ievJ1VSb-qeh8QiweD0SbVfVUJi80QZNMHwsJOScavDVLy-UE47SfnrMF/s320/20210919_090738.jpg" width="240" /></a></div></div><div><br /></div><div>Because we'd ended up on the wrong trail, we got to see Thunder Mountain Trail, an extremely beautiful section of white knuckle trail with stunning views. There are portions of the trail narrow enough Demon was knocking rocks over the edge. There are portions with sheer dropoffs on both sides. It's absolutely gorgeous. At one point I did consider whether I might be safer on foot, but quickly dismissed the idea. Odds are, I would have simply fallen off the damned trail to my death, leaving Demon to figure out what he ought to do with himself. Demon is much more sure footed than I am, that's for sure.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmORyKv0YZgM1R91bfb1hgTOnLDIksKfPm7DeCzbjRCBEwygZaloeKHTUfUzv7KXFmElq-DZ30_xqLCWPHh9A_MH_PMsmRPL9Eg9PZ_VGyguqRdZF8-6aO81UM-hJagK87DwyST-u84wlh/s4640/20210919_084634A.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3480" data-original-width="4640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmORyKv0YZgM1R91bfb1hgTOnLDIksKfPm7DeCzbjRCBEwygZaloeKHTUfUzv7KXFmElq-DZ30_xqLCWPHh9A_MH_PMsmRPL9Eg9PZ_VGyguqRdZF8-6aO81UM-hJagK87DwyST-u84wlh/s320/20210919_084634A.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-mBCyuVGKzwBB9yVDGxWS5gQFaMFNTMlSssVWig4R1Qe53uUDMXc4jctI7-7doLj9tWDRS_UkYYLdHoa_YeggK75QlTB3EUCHpuFgjrYeC8ukMF1JGfjEOQrYDFJbPhcsPliBFh4cgclT/s4160/20210919_095447.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4160" data-original-width="3120" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-mBCyuVGKzwBB9yVDGxWS5gQFaMFNTMlSssVWig4R1Qe53uUDMXc4jctI7-7doLj9tWDRS_UkYYLdHoa_YeggK75QlTB3EUCHpuFgjrYeC8ukMF1JGfjEOQrYDFJbPhcsPliBFh4cgclT/s320/20210919_095447.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I decided we'd make it a fairly slow 30. Seemed like a good day for it. Especially with the number of gates I had to get off to open and close. Precious few could be opened effectively on horseback, and of the ones that could, the chains were too low for me to be able to reach without just falling off anyway. Not that Demon is especially tall, more that I am not especially flexible. Most of the gates were wire ranch gates or dragged the ground and had to be lifted, or the chains were below the level of my knee on horseback, or the chains had to be passed around a post I needed both hands for. Overall, the only practical way of handling the gates was on foot. At least most of them had something soon after which served to help get me back on. A few I wound up hiking a ways for.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBihTVhvwCNLXNE8pTQJVhR1I0V5y-GRBjvikgLcGHBHWPWcriToDI17WgenlSN3S-AUxon8cE4YZLqgR4SLmLTdSTn5zcs1acP3Tf4xj2TpAt8Zs9yWrdTv36xku3aCsB2T-L0AeJ40ID/s4160/20210919_112811.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4160" data-original-width="3120" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBihTVhvwCNLXNE8pTQJVhR1I0V5y-GRBjvikgLcGHBHWPWcriToDI17WgenlSN3S-AUxon8cE4YZLqgR4SLmLTdSTn5zcs1acP3Tf4xj2TpAt8Zs9yWrdTv36xku3aCsB2T-L0AeJ40ID/s320/20210919_112811.jpg" width="240" /></a></div></div><div><br /></div><div>On the last section before heading up to camp, Demon was getting pretty thirsty. There was a cow pond off the trail. I did not want to go into the cow pond. Demon made it clear he was getting a drink from the cow pond with or without me. I elected to dismount and let him go in alone. Even still, he did a good job of trying to drag me in after him. I might have been better off to stay mounted, but every time we encountered a cow pond, which apparently he has decided are the best water on earth, I dismounted and let him have at it. I'm going to remember this the next time he insists his stock tank at home is too icky to drink from.</div><div><br /></div><div>I managed to find a place to get back on, and we hit the jeep road at a good clip only to discover a gate. So I had to get off and handle the gate. At least this one had a stump on the far side.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH_z4QWcb2kTQpI1RfuCXVAvlLXg01sKJ3YEMtO4EQaCUdmDKII0spoWcKm71GGYqYcH-DpDqoAgEfosyBfSx12q-vAkQE1EdgqfsewzE6NIRKdLzk-gxCw82JOt9MI-eGVAyqV30oDsl9/s4160/20210919_132743.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4160" data-original-width="3120" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH_z4QWcb2kTQpI1RfuCXVAvlLXg01sKJ3YEMtO4EQaCUdmDKII0spoWcKm71GGYqYcH-DpDqoAgEfosyBfSx12q-vAkQE1EdgqfsewzE6NIRKdLzk-gxCw82JOt9MI-eGVAyqV30oDsl9/s320/20210919_132743.jpg" width="240" /></a></div></div><div><br /></div><div>Once we made it back to camp, after a really nice day mostly on our own, I declined the offer of continuing the 50 and went back to our trailer. I still needed to level and unhook and head in to town for some food.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Day 2</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div>In the morning, I got up and ran my hands over Demon. He had a ridiculously itchy spot just under his girth, and was rather swollen behind it. He seemed a bit sore to the touch around it as well. Other than that, he seemed fine. Maybe a little cold, since I hadn't brought him a danged blanket. </div><div><br /></div><div>Ultimately I elected to have a day in camp and allow him and myself a little time to recover. I applied plenty of thick cream to what I decided must be a bug bite to protect it from the flies and let him have the day to eat.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Day 3</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div>The morning of Day 3, Demon looked pretty good. The swelling and itchiness were significantly reduced. He wasn't at all sore. So I saddled up and we headed out.</div><div><br /></div><div>The trail for Day 3 headed around Castro Bluff and back. There was lots of single track. At some point as we went hotting along, we managed to get off trail. Despite being a ride with few ribbons, it's not a ride with no ribbons, so I was pretty sure we'd gotten off trail when I pulled my phone out and checked. Sure enough, we were off trail. I turned around and headed back up, letting the riders behind me know we were off trail. </div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEWrpR14J0a1OF50fbmdlczzIh2W9rnURdZN3HddLm5QBGNGShUsVq2_8OmVmaQpuMAnwxRCgCQlCTvJRBkNyNDcw72OBCe_NNDbS3DmFRMurLvqHxiSjR1xbcNDOx7sFE46yhRj_iAkFG/s4160/20210921_081043.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4160" data-original-width="3120" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEWrpR14J0a1OF50fbmdlczzIh2W9rnURdZN3HddLm5QBGNGShUsVq2_8OmVmaQpuMAnwxRCgCQlCTvJRBkNyNDcw72OBCe_NNDbS3DmFRMurLvqHxiSjR1xbcNDOx7sFE46yhRj_iAkFG/s320/20210921_081043.jpg" width="240" /></a></div></div><div><br /></div><div>We got back to the so well marked turn I don't know how I managed to miss it. Unfortunately, from there, I couldn't be sure which way we'd come from and which way we were meant to go. So I picked a direction and tried to watch my phone screen to see if we were going the wrong way. Fairly quickly, a couple horses and riders were coming at us. Pretty good indication I had chosen poorly!</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMwRxVFMzttsWL9hHDGAg_bPg56JeHIMmkwiHv41NfHEkKEdDDl6GHRyD84nfpxXY74nsC8xeyNdt3gvM7Ys9geBkA7OlhbKO2tcPoLt4L4k0aWKVuhl0z3V39MYTLwR-u2DcPyolExDXo/s4160/20210921_092327.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4160" data-original-width="3120" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMwRxVFMzttsWL9hHDGAg_bPg56JeHIMmkwiHv41NfHEkKEdDDl6GHRyD84nfpxXY74nsC8xeyNdt3gvM7Ys9geBkA7OlhbKO2tcPoLt4L4k0aWKVuhl0z3V39MYTLwR-u2DcPyolExDXo/s320/20210921_092327.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div>And then we came to that cow pond again. Despite having recently had a drink, Demon wanted a drink from the danged cow pond. So I dismounted and let him wade in. At least this time I knew there was a gate just up the road, and just stayed off until we got past it and to the extremely convenient stump on the other side.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDNaW0hBz-fuUUAnndo6HQQZHF5ZCXACdWO004tb5pmG6H9OKP1aD25ItJlnizqt0AIvDGnK8TWW1SOaz4C6cm1NUVTIBFw5Cf1UXnokO73wW0Au8u0PHhb4Te51E6Nt1Mlij-AkK-j2lF/s4160/20210921_104624.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4160" data-original-width="3120" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDNaW0hBz-fuUUAnndo6HQQZHF5ZCXACdWO004tb5pmG6H9OKP1aD25ItJlnizqt0AIvDGnK8TWW1SOaz4C6cm1NUVTIBFw5Cf1UXnokO73wW0Au8u0PHhb4Te51E6Nt1Mlij-AkK-j2lF/s320/20210921_104624.jpg" width="240" /></a></div></div><div><br /></div><div>Once again turned back the correct way on the trail, we finished the first loop in good in order, did our hold, and headed out for the second loop.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeN0FCbDN0IdGs4kyJps3zqFgkF5PjObPQw0nUGnytcAsp66oXxUcoARHf-Pp5nRwjPdNn_mLn38IDSWz810k9Ry0m07ADUqU3cyLOk7JPiHAIYOaA-_V4wbcfcSyUhxMDW42sjyOrvJiG/s7830/20210921_095240.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2043" data-original-width="7830" height="83" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeN0FCbDN0IdGs4kyJps3zqFgkF5PjObPQw0nUGnytcAsp66oXxUcoARHf-Pp5nRwjPdNn_mLn38IDSWz810k9Ry0m07ADUqU3cyLOk7JPiHAIYOaA-_V4wbcfcSyUhxMDW42sjyOrvJiG/s320/20210921_095240.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The second loop was mostly jeep trails, so fairly boring. Coupled with not being Demon's favorite part of the day (unless he can have a nap), he wanted to just walk it. But I knew we didn't have time to play at walking. So I pushed pretty hard, going so far as to set a timer on my watch. We'd trot for 10 minutes, walk for 5. This routine got us through the loop quickly enough and we finished with time to spare.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Day 4</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div>After a rest day, we were once again ready to hit trail. Demon's bug bite did swell up again with rest, but after walking him and lunging him in camp a bit I determined it wasn't bothering him particularly and it would probably do him some good to move. I did leave his girth looser than usual, having a couple weeks earlier determined I could do so safely enough so long as I didn't try to mount from the ground.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj27GVKBBDWXQZ7J0d7hf-P9F9MvS8P9NiUW5AnI4yzqWpePC5zrIHA5wiQFgE0xR_6THX1mH-e7L8uAdxNMz_TbGCDF24cGarDVoopY1ULAXhpO1CU3D_l7FC-wVl2H0dUGla1cMhgBmle/s4160/20210923_090308.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4160" data-original-width="3120" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj27GVKBBDWXQZ7J0d7hf-P9F9MvS8P9NiUW5AnI4yzqWpePC5zrIHA5wiQFgE0xR_6THX1mH-e7L8uAdxNMz_TbGCDF24cGarDVoopY1ULAXhpO1CU3D_l7FC-wVl2H0dUGla1cMhgBmle/s320/20210923_090308.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div>This day headed down Castro Canyon to pick up Thunder Mountain trail the other direction. I'd entered us in the 50, having by this time decided Demon and I both were in good enough shape to complete one, despite our fall early on and the resulting sore elbow and ribs I was experiencing.</div><div><br /></div><div>Going down Castro Canyon at a good trot, I leaned right to get around a tree. Demon wanted to go left to avoid a boulder. These two things happened at the same time. The unfortunate result was, Demon was unable to clear the boulder. His right front smashed into the boulder. He hit it hard enough to be immediately all but 3 legged lame. </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix0uLFyTIAk6kvQaOhYbmjn1MzAfXBkkDnJaLvwxMc0bHpuvkcwQ2a7uEHv5uH9EAHRxRlJmZRLDoJgPfCpxaKhIWfJuw83t_pNnkk7dwX0yPk9vzc4ORxLQZrNZdE59OBRNcQryLYQji9/s4160/20210923_092202.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3120" data-original-width="4160" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix0uLFyTIAk6kvQaOhYbmjn1MzAfXBkkDnJaLvwxMc0bHpuvkcwQ2a7uEHv5uH9EAHRxRlJmZRLDoJgPfCpxaKhIWfJuw83t_pNnkk7dwX0yPk9vzc4ORxLQZrNZdE59OBRNcQryLYQji9/s320/20210923_092202.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /></div><div>We slowed to walk as Demon considered his position. That foot stung. He wanted to go, but he had a limp for a while. About the time I was thinking I needed to call back to camp for a trailer, though, he smoothed out and trotted sound. Even trotted sound heading up into Thunder Mountain, where we would be obliged to walk for some time.</div><div><br /></div><div>After we made it through Thunder Mountain, we got back to a wide road. We found a bucket for a good drink, and started on our way. I asked for a trot, and he was clearly off.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpkLP-te9R7IvPlOzbYL6nbF5AToUsUP80FKg8WZf9-oBXSGTFtpb9drWHGez6gn3pVOIXcT57xj1k8C7r_rAhNG7apzWQp5k9VHa6SlP5RFru-QNSX-TuYvqMqvkQ5dQ52Hk7NVRHxnDz/s4160/20210923_105610.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4160" data-original-width="3120" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpkLP-te9R7IvPlOzbYL6nbF5AToUsUP80FKg8WZf9-oBXSGTFtpb9drWHGez6gn3pVOIXcT57xj1k8C7r_rAhNG7apzWQp5k9VHa6SlP5RFru-QNSX-TuYvqMqvkQ5dQ52Hk7NVRHxnDz/s320/20210923_105610.jpg" width="240" /></a></div></div><div><br /></div><div>Knowing now we would not be finishing, but having plenty of horse, I opted to ride at a walk back to camp. The times I had to get off to handle gates, it was clear I was not going to be able to keep up with Demon on foot. He was prepared to drag me if he had to. So ride I did, albeit keeping to a walk despite Demon's demonstrated desire to at least trot.</div><div><br /></div><div>There was another cow pond just before a gate here, into which I was obliged to allow Demon to wade without me. At least this time he didn't try to drag me in.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg77g0ixZ29C4u1fNbuglwJIZX37vFKbQ0cT663JVjtLdVGK05D6R7peXBNeEHhxQ7-Q_6tChA_CJuBQcQ4Smk3rL9hQl2TSltIf0B8rNabPEB9hx4zFt5FBVUmZtz_omM7ViYzKK5nT6ex/s4160/20210923_141524.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4160" data-original-width="3120" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg77g0ixZ29C4u1fNbuglwJIZX37vFKbQ0cT663JVjtLdVGK05D6R7peXBNeEHhxQ7-Q_6tChA_CJuBQcQ4Smk3rL9hQl2TSltIf0B8rNabPEB9hx4zFt5FBVUmZtz_omM7ViYzKK5nT6ex/s320/20210923_141524.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Back at camp, I stopped at the trailer first to strip off the saddle, knowing we were done for the day, before taking him up to see Dave. In the few minutes it took for me to untack, he went from okayish to grade 4 lame. Dave had me trot him out and we discussed the possibilities. I allowed as I thought it was probably due to striking the boulder, and I'd take him back to the trailer and pull the shoe and run hoof testers over him.</div><div><br /></div><div>We pulled from the 50, but we got a WDRA 30 completion nevertheless. </div><div><br /></div><div>Back at the trailer, I pulled the shoe and ran the hoof testers over his foot. From the outside toe quarter to just in front of the last nail he was pretty reactive. There was little question it was the source of the issue. I left him be for the night after a good rubbing down, and threw him lots of hay.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Day 5</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div>Having pulled on Day 4, clearly we weren't going to be doing anything on Day 5, but since I was in no hurry to get home, I decided we'd stay in camp for the day. Besides, I needed to nail another shoe on his foot, and being in camp would give his foot time to settle down for the long haul home.</div><div><br /></div><div>After a little breakfast and everyone else had left camp, I took Demon for a walk around camp. He was vastly less sore than when we'd gotten in the day before. Back at the trailer, I dressed the hoof and floated the sore section before nailing a spare shoe back on it. Then we went for another walk. </div><div><br /></div><div>With the affected section of hoof wall now not contacting the shoe, he was almost entirely sound.</div><div><br /></div><div>Dave drove into camp along with Hosebag (Dave Rabe) as I was finishing up our walk and asked me to trot Demon out for him. He was impressed with the improvement, seeing him as almost completely sound. He wanted to see how he would look come the next morning. I allowed as I figured Demon was much better off, but I was concerned about trying to do a ride with the massive gap I'd put between the hoof wall and the shoe. There was no way to keep debris from building up and causing an issue. </div><div><br /></div><div>At this point, Hosebag offered to put a pair of Easyboots over the shoes, and we could see what that would do for him. So we went over to Hosebag's trailer and got a pair of boots. We'd re-present to Dave in the morning.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Day 6</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div>In the morning, I led Demon around camp for a bit. He looked great to me. I couldn't see a thing. So I took him up to see Dave. Dave also proclaimed him completely sound.</div><div><br /></div><div>We tacked up and headed out for a nice, late, 8am start. </div><div><br /></div><div>It didn't take long, though, before it seemed to me Demon just did not feel right at all. And every time I let him trot, he seemed less right. By the time we got to where Dave was stationed to watch the horses heading out on trail, Demon was definitely off. Certainly not as bad as he'd been, but definitely we were not going to continue. I turned a very disgruntled Demon back to camp.</div><div><br /></div><div>At the last gate before camp, I dismounted to manage it and we walked a ways so I could use the cattle corral to get back on. Just so I could see from the ground, I asked him for a trot in hand on a flat section.</div><div><br /></div><div>Completely sound.</div><div><br /></div><div>So basically, it was me. He was sound in hand, lame under saddle. Still an improvement. It'll heal.</div><div><br /></div><div>Since we were now officially completely out, and with nothing in particular to do in camp, I decided to pack up and head for home. It was an incredibly lovely week. I needed it. We needed it. Despite a mishap with a boulder, we proved we're able to do this. I did a lot of work on my riding to get here. Demon had some work as well. Obviously it has paid off. We're both in a much better place.</div><div><br /></div><div>Until the next ride....</div><div><br /></div><div><i>There will be video of this ride available. I got myself a cute little action cam, which I tried out on this ride for the first time. Now I'm just hoping it'll upload to YouTube. It will be linked here once it's finished!</i></div><div><i><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIxELQW4wGdFDVvbWFi743y4azKvuwA4HKedWcqYsW4pQ8e_f3A4ITIEYpzcid8MuXNK7WFP4nQmt5xHNEfCkmxdteFBjA3vtQlUcYnlio91gsy-wp4I4pe-4Q_zTR2tt5glYz2_3OKvdl/s4160/20210915_112035.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4160" data-original-width="3120" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIxELQW4wGdFDVvbWFi743y4azKvuwA4HKedWcqYsW4pQ8e_f3A4ITIEYpzcid8MuXNK7WFP4nQmt5xHNEfCkmxdteFBjA3vtQlUcYnlio91gsy-wp4I4pe-4Q_zTR2tt5glYz2_3OKvdl/s320/20210915_112035.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /></i><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div>hammerithothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04872885874133892537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8253443694650355321.post-10790380521941387322021-06-22T12:53:00.003-07:002021-06-22T12:53:55.362-07:002021 National Championships at Fort Howes<p><br /><br /> It's enough to make a person question their life choices.</p><p>After pulling at 20 Mule Team with a stone bruise, and having addressed such with pads, and seeing no further sign of lameness in Demon since, I was fully confident we'd do well at National Championships and bring home a completion. It was not to be.</p><p>Two weeks before National Championships, I reshod Demon. The bruise in his hoof looked good, was well keratinized, and he was trotting sound even after a 10 mile ride. He got new shoes and pads before turned back out until we left for Montana.</p><p>The whole trip started out rocky. My elderly dog, Mac, suddenly took an extreme turn for the worse and clearly required euthanasia. The vet couldn't get out to perform the job until noon Thursday. I had planned to leave Thursday morning. Well, OK, guess I'm leaving in the afternoon. Shouldn't be a huge problem.</p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZuJdD0BwKNZ0DdnY9kvIafLst-OAhE5YYRhJBH3e1XIQVMSUVrBQUvpBXEUjkMeqBAFqFLL8DArWc45Cu1pULJI69KCndzMXX8XnZXAkUuAAqkVHy3pRHH4O_qJhvnoZLsTsoqNWotRrg/s1273/20210610_134340.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1273" data-original-width="1164" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZuJdD0BwKNZ0DdnY9kvIafLst-OAhE5YYRhJBH3e1XIQVMSUVrBQUvpBXEUjkMeqBAFqFLL8DArWc45Cu1pULJI69KCndzMXX8XnZXAkUuAAqkVHy3pRHH4O_qJhvnoZLsTsoqNWotRrg/s320/20210610_134340.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mac, may he rest in peace</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p><p>Once the vet left, I got loaded up and we were on the road a little before 2pm. This is when I realized that 6-8 hour delay in departure was a bigger deal than I'd thought. I had it in my head that the drive was 1200 miles. Nope. 1400. This meant my planned stops were right out the window. Add in having left so much later meaning more traffic (and there were some serious accidents on the road, too) and it took 10 hours to make 500 miles. </p><p>Just to make things even more interesting, a little over 200 miles into the trip, another driver honked and waved at me, indicating there was an issue with the trailer. I pulled off and walked around the rig, discovering one of my brand new (less than 1500 miles) trailer tires had separated. Here I'd been thinking Demon was being particularly antsy in the trailer. It wasn't him. It was the tire. </p><p>I'd stopped in a poor place for actually executing a tire change, so I limped us on down the road a couple of miles. I found a spot where, if necessary, I could unload Demon. <br /><br />I'm very glad I had stopped with my devil-may-care attitude about having a spare and all the appropriate tools. I had a tire iron, chocks, and the Trailer-Aide device, plus had carefully put the trailer's spare tire in the truck (the spare tire mount in the trailer itself was in a rather unfortunate location and I'd stopped using it long ago). </p><p>Being appropriately armed, I proceeded to changing the tire. The first challenge was the lug nuts. The unfortunate side effect of getting new tires is having these young bucks who do not understand about galling nuts and bolts putting the lug nuts back on after mounting new tires. Some of them put the nuts in the impact driver, then put it on the bolt, significantly increasing the odds of galling. Which thus increases the difficulty of removing said lug nuts without a breaker bar or impact driver. One of my lugs was badly galled, and was not wanting to break. Normally, it's not a big thing other than the sweating and swearing. The problem I was having was that the rim was not resting firmly on the ground, depriving me of anything to brace against. I ended up putting a chock under one side, kicking it under there as hard as I could, and my toe under the other side, doing my best to limit the turn of the hub as I struggled to break the lug free. I did ultimately persevere, but as one person said when I told this story, "safety third!" The next challenge was getting the spare out of the truck, which involved climbing up on top of the hay, pulling it up onto the hay, getting off the truck, and pulling the tire down behind me. It was a ridiculous amount of work and took me a solid hour to accomplish. I will be purchasing a cordless impact wrench in the very near future, just so I don't have to worry about galled or over torqued lug nuts.</p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx7mTxRuGGIyKVQ1a5YrFeC9Kq0pk7fqV1VwT1ES1-_3qt2TlLz2SvccISIYGQTpHQPhh3jyZhALjJaSQB6WihStbes0muFX4U3JYTGa_4Y2Z8IVK7g6pf2rtyCmTiOhGkjlybOHt_6X1m/s4160/20210610_191211.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3120" data-original-width="4160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx7mTxRuGGIyKVQ1a5YrFeC9Kq0pk7fqV1VwT1ES1-_3qt2TlLz2SvccISIYGQTpHQPhh3jyZhALjJaSQB6WihStbes0muFX4U3JYTGa_4Y2Z8IVK7g6pf2rtyCmTiOhGkjlybOHt_6X1m/s320/20210610_191211.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flat ready for removal, at last!<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table>When I did finally find a place to stop for the night, I couldn't take Demon off the trailer for more than a walk. There was no place to park where I could safely tie him to the trailer and not have vehicles come alongside. He's black enough I've had people nearly walk into him in the dark, and I'm not trusting drivers to do any better even with headlights. So after a walk around, he had to spend the night on the trailer. He was not happy about it. I had to keep the pass through door between the LQ and the horse box open so he could see me, and he still fidgeted an awful lot.</p><p>This left 900 miles to hammer out on Friday. I wanted all day Saturday for both of us to recover, and having had to spend the night on the trailer it seemed even more important to have that for Demon. Not to mention I didn't sleep especially well with an unhappy horse on the trailer with me. At least I was able to make this push at a faster clip and we arrived in camp about 10pm, and even still had enough light to manage leveling the trailer.</p><p>We both slept much better with a quiet and level spot.</p><p>Saturday was a quiet day, but I did a lot of walking back and forth. At one point, my left knee, which has been giving me trouble since the left hip was replaced in November, was so painful I almost couldn't walk at all. I managed by putting on a brace for the walking part.</p><p>Sunday was an early start. I got up at 3am and chucked a bunch of food and an electrolyte mash in front of Demon before laying down for a little longer. I walked down to check in and leave my wagon in the vet check area to lug my saddle back to the trailer during the vet hold. We had a good start, leaving well after the fastest riders. Demon felt really good. He drank or at least tasted the water at every opportunity. At the 9 mile trot by, he was drinking and eating, and judged sound. I clambered back on with the assistance of the mounting block ride management had brought out, which was a shorter one than I'd usually use, but got the job done.</p><p>We continued down the trail and Demon felt strong and good, wanting to chase other horses. I did my best to keep him from getting too obsessed about other horses. He has this thing, he wants to see all the other horses, either passing or being passed by, at least once. He'll slow down if horses he hasn't seen yet are coming up behind, but once they've passed him, he'll pass them and continue without a care in the world for them. It's a tough dynamic to manage at times.</p><p>The first loop was relatively flat with minimal (at least to my Southern California, done a lot of Duck rides mind) rock. So I allowed Demon to keep up a good clip, although I was still aiming for a 7.5mph average. We were sitting at 8mph, but it was early in the day so I wasn't concerned about it.</p><p>We were trotting along nicely and I noticed my left foot didn't feel quite right. Somehow it was stuffed all the way into the stirrup, well beyond where I'd normally want my foot. It took multiple strides before I was able to recenter it, only to have it push forward again. I was having one heck of a time keeping it back where it belongs. At the canter, I looked down and could see my leg flopping around from the knee down, and I couldn't do a damned thing to stop it. Standing resulted in the entire leg moving forward. </p><p>It wasn't long after I'd realized I really had little control over that left leg that Demon bobbled just a bit. I slowed him to a walk for a bit before he gamely offered the trot again. He seemed sound, but just as at 20MT, something did not seem quite right. We varied walking and trotting back in to camp.</p><p>After coming in to the vet check, I pulled the saddle and checked his pulse at the knee. I can't hear well enough to use a stethoscope anymore, so I do it manually, although my fingertips are a little insensate so it's not perfect. All I can tell for sure most of the time is if he seems to be down enough to present to the vet. He was down enough to feel confident I could present him and we went to the vet line.</p><p>The vet took his pulse and sent us for our trot out. I spooled out the line to let Demon trot a little ahead so I could watch him. I wasn't sure, but I thought I saw a couple of bad steps. When we got back to the vet, he said nothing and continued the exam. I thought I must have been imagining things, since I've never had a vet not tell me immediately upon return if my horse was off. Once he finished the exam, he told the scribe Demon's CRI (60/68) and informed me is was off. Having now heard Demon's heart rate coming in was 60, I told the vet I was confident our day was done, as Demon has a very rapid recovery and has never come into a vet check with a heart rate over 52 unless something was wrong. The vet held our card and asked me to re-present him toward the end of our hold time.</p><p>We went to the trailer, where Demon drank well and then laid down for a nap. He wasn't able to lay out completely because of the hi-tie, so I dragged my chair over and put a leadrope on. We just hung out together while he napped. He rolled onto his side and went right into deep REM sleep for about 5 minutes. He had a good lay down for 15 minutes, then got up and drank some more and started casting about for food. I took him back to the vet, where it was determined he was still off and we were sent to the treatment vet.</p><p>Long story short, the treatment vet went over Demon quite carefully. I even removed his shoes, as with pads on it's next to impossible to use hoof testers. The treatment vet thought maybe something had gotten under the pad, a theory which was quickly disproven by the undisturbed presence of the hoof packing I'd used when I shod him. Nothing of note was found. The treatment vet even checked his temperature (100.2, on a really super hot day, too). </p><p>So, after giving ourselves a couple of hours to rest, I decided to pack up and head for home. By the next day, when we got to Scipio, Utah, and I had a nice arena to turn him loose in, he was completely sound. </p><p>There is little more frustrating than an intermittent lameness which resolves so quickly it's impossible to diagnose.</p><p>The game plan now is to have the chiropractor out (she's exceptional at detecting small issues in horses, and has helped us get appropriate treatment for multiple horses no vet had yet isolated an issue in). If she doesn't find anything of note, we'll start riding again after a 6 week total lay-up, with the goal of completing an LD before the end of the year. I'll be visiting my doctor to pursue what the heck is going on with my knee (I'm sure it'll need surgery, and I'm bitter about it). Depending on the chiropractor's findings, there's a significant possibility that Demon's lameness is him compensating for stupid things my left leg decides to do. </p><p>Tevis, obviously, is out. One does not bring a horse with 2 consecutive lameness pulls to the starting line of Tevis. But, hope is a good thing. So, Tevis is on the calendar for next year. July 16, 2022.</p><p><br /></p>hammerithothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04872885874133892537noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8253443694650355321.post-67502407494845774502021-04-30T15:45:00.002-07:002021-04-30T15:45:19.556-07:00Sunflower Ranch Obstacle Course<p> Hoss needs to get out and have some fun, too, so when a local ranch was putting on an obstacle course day, I decided we'd load up and go. Hoss really does like getting out in public and being fawned over, and this sort of event is right up his alley.</p><p>Our "go time" was 1pm, and nothing was being timed for this little informal event. We got there around 12pm so I could check in and look around. Hoss stayed in the trailer while I looked at the vendors and got myself a pulled pork sandwich. I sat and watched horses working the obstacles while I ate, then went out and unloaded Hoss.</p><p>We tacked up and headed in to the ranch. At 1pm we went in the gate and got mounted up.</p><p>Since it wasn't timed, I really more or less allowed Hoss to decide where he wanted to go. His first choice was to check out the blue wavy man thing. You know those things on the blower motors with the ridiculous waving arms? That sort of thing? He not only wasn't afraid of it, he wanted to check it out up close!</p><p>Once we'd seen that, I directed him over to the first obstacle, a series of pool noodles one is meant to pass between the ends of. They're arranged so the ends of the noodles emulate branches that are across a trail. This was easy.</p><p>The next thing was not so easy. A wooden box with scrunched up plastic bottles. He wanted nothing to do with this nonsense. Of course, what he was really doing was seeing what he could get away with. We discussed it a bit and after a gentle pop with the quirt, he remembered that yes, he does know how to do these things and it really is kind of fun. He walked through the bottles fine after that.</p><p>There were several different bridges, a pathway with rocks and logs, a hillside with rails and rocks, two water crossings, beach balls blowing around, barrels with pool noodles poking out hanging from a shade shelter, all sorts of stuff. We went 'round and tried different obstacles, doing some of them several times. When he figured out there were treats in the mailbox, Hoss kept taking me back to it.</p><p>We spent an hour going through the obstacles and having a good time just doing something together. There was a photographer, from Simply Gaudy, so we got a whole lot of pictures to share.</p><p><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi7AJYgZ3jrhVulLPokg8lbLlRJr432ECfdEX3eZZ_G9gHD2Cv6_W_1sEa4P_Ul5OQH6iILSdykXfCPPdLkoVicdQIFZT2cIkLqbe5tWuT0O8XmMAhnPMs16M-qXOPdAaUnJBc0upT8rYR/s2000/20210425-IMG_0600.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1333" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi7AJYgZ3jrhVulLPokg8lbLlRJr432ECfdEX3eZZ_G9gHD2Cv6_W_1sEa4P_Ul5OQH6iILSdykXfCPPdLkoVicdQIFZT2cIkLqbe5tWuT0O8XmMAhnPMs16M-qXOPdAaUnJBc0upT8rYR/s320/20210425-IMG_0600.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Headshot!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuLOEevj7ex4upDr8Jzy9a5Z4_Og4-WPElHhffDzW99vV-RZf1xaMf6a-6nNOx8wZOlgdAKZI3YehY7mqT4P7BdSomSCnIBnIJHK-wXE70X7LPCf_OOEYFfLh6zd4DH2SBNgwOH-vRmRrj/s2000/20210425-IMG_0618.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1333" data-original-width="2000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuLOEevj7ex4upDr8Jzy9a5Z4_Og4-WPElHhffDzW99vV-RZf1xaMf6a-6nNOx8wZOlgdAKZI3YehY7mqT4P7BdSomSCnIBnIJHK-wXE70X7LPCf_OOEYFfLh6zd4DH2SBNgwOH-vRmRrj/s320/20210425-IMG_0618.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Going up the multi-step bridge</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6kRl8Gj0glnQ4j2vkiUwzpPDAvrzBff1R40wZf6C4tTBCs2VKtunGNaLMgtoy4me76YkXicSzwo4H0sFU0zrHr8oJNlMU1Kt7KUW324WUMHLTaKPm7MO1w834NTAYUJ8FqSP2LS0zM9Uk/s2000/20210425-IMG_0623.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1333" data-original-width="2000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6kRl8Gj0glnQ4j2vkiUwzpPDAvrzBff1R40wZf6C4tTBCs2VKtunGNaLMgtoy4me76YkXicSzwo4H0sFU0zrHr8oJNlMU1Kt7KUW324WUMHLTaKPm7MO1w834NTAYUJ8FqSP2LS0zM9Uk/s320/20210425-IMG_0623.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And over</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL5X-9XOjYMxIKSiw9QPv3wttihwoN6A4h7dtnsN8kgDKeoFWefgc2jvY4zsGf8ElMLt54p6xzr0477qZx-kROuN7fTZgnKN1k1fygC3HOzygRUQIN1F7VUch_R6afYd2heVWPXrJ-Ex4s/s2000/20210425-IMG_0636.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1333" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL5X-9XOjYMxIKSiw9QPv3wttihwoN6A4h7dtnsN8kgDKeoFWefgc2jvY4zsGf8ElMLt54p6xzr0477qZx-kROuN7fTZgnKN1k1fygC3HOzygRUQIN1F7VUch_R6afYd2heVWPXrJ-Ex4s/s320/20210425-IMG_0636.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Very small carpet lined box</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBSShMvo1-ioVyBs3vUQGPEnq_yFHViH6SWvnE8Sj41Uab6JdSIBMgmFByZovSWuYvmlzDsl0GlXLHIe5QkRieB9xQI8UARVs2vPtkFbtDCBMlgI4ZeJzXvADXlXLSqwrLW6vWUBsndPZD/s2000/20210425-IMG_0659.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1333" data-original-width="2000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBSShMvo1-ioVyBs3vUQGPEnq_yFHViH6SWvnE8Sj41Uab6JdSIBMgmFByZovSWuYvmlzDsl0GlXLHIe5QkRieB9xQI8UARVs2vPtkFbtDCBMlgI4ZeJzXvADXlXLSqwrLW6vWUBsndPZD/s320/20210425-IMG_0659.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Through the tiny water crossing</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdHVg-tKkT-GhpRa6usYBbZKu47QlA2IQLwzlnhENQeQEU2RMlyD52Y0TrV8VglP1VGjdZkdlJoJDYR70X7GNeL1BWYt1ZXcO4zARK6BVFkwcQ2rW3i6WUuEA433rMTR6qJaN9968w8Vdw/s2000/20210425-IMG_0648.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1333" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdHVg-tKkT-GhpRa6usYBbZKu47QlA2IQLwzlnhENQeQEU2RMlyD52Y0TrV8VglP1VGjdZkdlJoJDYR70X7GNeL1BWYt1ZXcO4zARK6BVFkwcQ2rW3i6WUuEA433rMTR6qJaN9968w8Vdw/s320/20210425-IMG_0648.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Over the dome bridge</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHjCHGRvB_WVCBBAz9QGrLFIGYgnNmsgW03UouFI3c1n-_6TTWGjE70lJU7VSXklZbHO-xveDtZHzlV2AvhanCXIYIMFbR-uIXTWSeVn5KBSTpTWxpiI33Ji-UxXbS8qzfy9GGOUWQWCy4/s2000/20210425-IMG_0666.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1333" data-original-width="2000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHjCHGRvB_WVCBBAz9QGrLFIGYgnNmsgW03UouFI3c1n-_6TTWGjE70lJU7VSXklZbHO-xveDtZHzlV2AvhanCXIYIMFbR-uIXTWSeVn5KBSTpTWxpiI33Ji-UxXbS8qzfy9GGOUWQWCy4/s320/20210425-IMG_0666.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Into the water bottles</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN8N9IIIm4PUEInLsjBk8BR8lRriUYM6PYX-GV3yi7nIqhpmcaEGaUh0rOBmaBLi0v42UeSgYr6PR8rfXHh6THrpsME-X-Pwg6OhZrDc5_teTeKzUIdT5zrlfMAYxXE999KXUxeJUBk2gN/s2000/20210425-IMG_0676.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1333" data-original-width="2000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN8N9IIIm4PUEInLsjBk8BR8lRriUYM6PYX-GV3yi7nIqhpmcaEGaUh0rOBmaBLi0v42UeSgYr6PR8rfXHh6THrpsME-X-Pwg6OhZrDc5_teTeKzUIdT5zrlfMAYxXE999KXUxeJUBk2gN/s320/20210425-IMG_0676.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Up the rocky hillside</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSd0jS8-gNW5lXwxpyqO6lZxydhuQVFaKhhmtAh3j4ev6xF8tnGKCe7uZowV_YYrKXoOwV7E3D8mfcij3yvF_2w7niBVjhdJpCXGKz__5khEylqkEizikKz5CHA9NafR_JJgk7CdDuk0B6/s2000/20210425-IMG_0757.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1333" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSd0jS8-gNW5lXwxpyqO6lZxydhuQVFaKhhmtAh3j4ev6xF8tnGKCe7uZowV_YYrKXoOwV7E3D8mfcij3yvF_2w7niBVjhdJpCXGKz__5khEylqkEizikKz5CHA9NafR_JJgk7CdDuk0B6/s320/20210425-IMG_0757.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The very best obstacle: a treat dispenser!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgybE0Fbt69lPS7PbNTfkPt2vUeQxbzWbwVZYSGQ3-xJ_xRHIcWvwh4XmvXuVQo1dST8VZwPb4HNWUxnx_0NG07WYeQk0JJOBaOL_2f6SI50_B06D_mlAdkYnOll6aR2k_-z95G7DWmwis2/s2000/20210425-IMG_0750.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1333" data-original-width="2000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgybE0Fbt69lPS7PbNTfkPt2vUeQxbzWbwVZYSGQ3-xJ_xRHIcWvwh4XmvXuVQo1dST8VZwPb4HNWUxnx_0NG07WYeQk0JJOBaOL_2f6SI50_B06D_mlAdkYnOll6aR2k_-z95G7DWmwis2/s320/20210425-IMG_0750.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Posing on the plank</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_ya77F_TxgeKqLzXaiP7Mc2ZgsbWRD5ZepZptil7bEAfkshN9e2eUyWAni23k0nga3N2PLg4pMa1bPkl-3jCWSuZF-0IPa2PWrGF1SqgDdxQYFIAhduuRNbNayL2SnF2Fngb31dyGN-t3/s2000/20210425-IMG_0795.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1333" data-original-width="2000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_ya77F_TxgeKqLzXaiP7Mc2ZgsbWRD5ZepZptil7bEAfkshN9e2eUyWAni23k0nga3N2PLg4pMa1bPkl-3jCWSuZF-0IPa2PWrGF1SqgDdxQYFIAhduuRNbNayL2SnF2Fngb31dyGN-t3/s320/20210425-IMG_0795.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Carrying the flag</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhW_QUtdLrNmAgVmHwPvjRhhWSoFbzPQopCLgUp4W8xXR-4qrp0QcxDBfksm0kpN4477x_X_LtqAvlh5HzsTk2vEBOM-CPrc3wA5M9Vg3Dz58c1tzA6Kme7sF_H4ELbbuHh8JeL0Nk-QPi/s2000/20210425-IMG_0785.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1333" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhW_QUtdLrNmAgVmHwPvjRhhWSoFbzPQopCLgUp4W8xXR-4qrp0QcxDBfksm0kpN4477x_X_LtqAvlh5HzsTk2vEBOM-CPrc3wA5M9Vg3Dz58c1tzA6Kme7sF_H4ELbbuHh8JeL0Nk-QPi/s320/20210425-IMG_0785.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another headshot.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1_VNUcjpcnAZfyUhVdknVoSC__j8RM2SCoyIK76oI4Iqt7ylvzpYaqwgQqbb5NBPe7pwyqR1RQLI0LrboDoSR-PdX_FWuBLTvE6oHa2aEfkT3y8b3BtSf5kGTmQ6isrZCMG_dBubwKKW-/s2000/20210425-IMG_0786.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1333" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1_VNUcjpcnAZfyUhVdknVoSC__j8RM2SCoyIK76oI4Iqt7ylvzpYaqwgQqbb5NBPe7pwyqR1RQLI0LrboDoSR-PdX_FWuBLTvE6oHa2aEfkT3y8b3BtSf5kGTmQ6isrZCMG_dBubwKKW-/s320/20210425-IMG_0786.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And another... He had a lot of head shots</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p>hammerithothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04872885874133892537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8253443694650355321.post-66593045408362905272021-04-30T15:22:00.001-07:002021-04-30T15:22:36.969-07:0020 Mule Team 100 2021<p> Some trails just feel like they're out to get ya.</p><p>The 20 Mule Team ride is known to be fairly easy to moderate and not particularly challenging. That did not mean the trail didn't eat us.</p><p>We arrived in camp late Thursday night for our Friday ride. I knew camp was going to be very full and parking at a premium so I wanted to get in early so we'd be able to find a suitable spot. With the help of the ride manager, we parked at the far end of camp along the "road" through camp.</p><p>This turned out to be a poor choice. We spent all day Friday watching horses and people walking hither and thither past our camp. And Demon, on the Hi-Tie, was right next to the road. It didn't take much inattention on the part of a human to end up bringing a horse extremely close to him. If someone came from the rear, they could be unaware Demon was even there before he had seen them and nickered. So Demon wound up being on high alert in camp all day Friday, and although he ate and drank well, it still felt like he didn't get as much relaxing in as he usually does.</p><p>Saturday morning ride start was 6am. I carefully went over the map and cut off times and established the times I was shooting to get in to each check. Quick, but not super top ten quick. I was shooting for a 6.5mph average.</p><p><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjy-2-mejwiAiOwySCkF-cI8wu5m3_p7u20vOJfsHBMmf0cPZD8zCxxYh9jfBxxFIWt5sCCihNyjLHoQCbzFZd-Inul9qIHu-M6Gm3rsr4_z6QANV4TzjWsGbnV9t1TZAk5X-TSNrqJinq/s4160/20210410_054625.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4160" data-original-width="3120" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjy-2-mejwiAiOwySCkF-cI8wu5m3_p7u20vOJfsHBMmf0cPZD8zCxxYh9jfBxxFIWt5sCCihNyjLHoQCbzFZd-Inul9qIHu-M6Gm3rsr4_z6QANV4TzjWsGbnV9t1TZAk5X-TSNrqJinq/s320/20210410_054625.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ready to go in the pre-dawn light.</td></tr></tbody></table></p><p>I got us ready and we were out the gate at 6am. Demon was on the muscle immediately, which isn't unusual for him. It can take a little while for him to settle in, so I wasn't concerned. But, he was going much faster than he usually does and he wasn't paying attention to his footing like normal. He was all eyes about the other horses.</p><p>The earliest part of the trail is pretty even, so despite being goofy, I felt cautiously OK about letting Demon more or less have his head. I knew he'd settle after a while, surely before we got to the heavy rocks. Well, more the fool me. He did *not* settle down.</p><p>We somehow ended up in the lead. I snuck a look at my GPS to find we were averaging Ludicrous Speed. I wanted him to slow down. He did not want to slow down. We were starting along the trail along the highway when he finally decided he could slow down, which allowed another horse to pass us. I figured at that point we'd be OK, he'd let others pass and drop back to a more rational pace. But no.</p><p>At this point we were getting to the rockier stuff where attention to where he puts his damned feet became important. I kept asking him to slow, he kept bulling on. Walking was all but out of the question. He'd walk a bit then the jigging would start. Reluctant to end up in a war, I did my best to meet him in the middle and allow him to trot. But of course making him slow down had meant other horses passed, and I don't know where this hyper competitive horse came from because he's not the one I'm used to riding. </p><p>We were up on the old rail road bed when he tripped hard in the canter. He caught himself and barely unseated me, and kept going without turning a hair so I didn't think much of it. He looked fine.</p><p>Then a little later, I found myself doubting. I thought I saw a head bob. I thought I felt his hind end not right. I hovered over the saddle and watched, trying to determine if I was right or if I was playing tricks on myself. He looked good. He felt good. He kept wanting to go. So, go we did.</p><p>I tried to get him slowed down for the last mile into the vet check at 19 miles, and he was just not thrilled with my plan. We had some moments trying to take it easy and not gallop in like Bonanza. When we got to the road, I did allow him to trot for a good stretch, just to settle my mind that he looked and felt sound.</p><p>I was tired. I went to get off as we arrived, and ended up hooking my right foot over his hip to get myself over. Hooray for a well broke and tolerant horse! We got our time card and walked over to the pulse takers.</p><p>I finally was able to get a good look at my GPS. We had a 8.5mph average. Yeesh. Quite a bit faster than I'd hoped to go.</p><p>I knew before the P&R volunteer said a thing that we were in trouble. She spent far too long with her stethoscope against his side. I knew he was not recovered, and that was not a good sign for Demon. He typically will be in the high 40s for his heart rate coming in as we did, even with all the excitement. So when the volunteer said he wasn't down, I knew in my heart our day was over. It only took a few more minutes, and we went to the vet.</p><p>After the physical exam (which he passed with flying colors) we trotted out. I spooled out the line and let him get ahead of me, as the sound of his footfalls behind me was not quite right. Just barely, he had a bit of a head bob. </p><p>Back at the vet, she completed the exam and we talked about the lameness. The vet said she watched him trotting up the road and if that had been all she had to go on, she would have pronounced him sound. She wanted to see him again and see if he was better at the end of our hold time. I agreed, although I really did not think it was in our interests to try to continue. We hung out and he ate and drank. I picked up that left front foot and probed at it, but nothing was obvious (yet). </p><p><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3gowgIyboyRTuKtpn-r7Be2HAMByb3t8XczcYZ4Go58-pDvhZdiHGtejBSFVkzUYfRPfVChnvzu2BrtoXF2h2a65f94J-rNt8c4Sd86ODO5IXzT1SCSoOnMB7LKX57YzqKIkPsAXKR8TQ/s4160/20210410_084046.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4160" data-original-width="3120" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3gowgIyboyRTuKtpn-r7Be2HAMByb3t8XczcYZ4Go58-pDvhZdiHGtejBSFVkzUYfRPfVChnvzu2BrtoXF2h2a65f94J-rNt8c4Sd86ODO5IXzT1SCSoOnMB7LKX57YzqKIkPsAXKR8TQ/s320/20210410_084046.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Waiting for our ride, watching other horses come in.</td></tr></tbody></table></p><p>We went back to the vet, and he was a little better. I was told we could continue, but I declined. I already had a suspicion it was a stone bruise, it just hadn't developed enough to find with my bare hands. We waited for our ride back to camp.</p><p>While we waited, I went and picked up that foot again. And lo and behold, now I could feel the mushy spot. Not sensitive enough to get a reaction from thumb pressure, but definitely the source of the issue. I was just as glad we were having a trailer ride back to camp.</p><p>At least I knew what the problem was and could address it at home.</p><p>We spent a few hours in camp chatting with others before packing it in and heading for home so Demon could spend the night in his nice big turnout rather than tied to the trailer.</p><p>On Sunday, I lunged him and he was completely sound. Took him to the barn and pulled the front shoes. I thought I'd just put pads under the shoes he was already wearing, but decided they were not quite big enough with pads, so he got a new, larger pair. Which of course got me wondering: Should I have taken him up a size when I shod him? Maybe? I did have to do more work than usual to make these fit. I know I should have reshod him more than 1 week before the ride....</p><p><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE4Y_xRLqRmqaD_ur1fNy0KrC6LCVC08FLyrlisxPcYz6pfsO968T7Vv-0ScmCwcJb4RcZC-mK1M7b28bK9B62g32BRvZLj7Fplc_0inomwYFsOs5eVrssfydJUfYtqU9cyry-V_8tuEEv/s3072/20210411_170902.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3009" data-original-width="3072" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE4Y_xRLqRmqaD_ur1fNy0KrC6LCVC08FLyrlisxPcYz6pfsO968T7Vv-0ScmCwcJb4RcZC-mK1M7b28bK9B62g32BRvZLj7Fplc_0inomwYFsOs5eVrssfydJUfYtqU9cyry-V_8tuEEv/s320/20210411_170902.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The bruise is barely visible just next to the shoe at the 2nd nail. I had to manipulate the color to get it to show.</td></tr></tbody></table></p><p>Second guessing is part of the game. I'll never be sure if he would have been OK if I'd used larger shoes, or if I'd padded him to start, or if we'd parked somewhere we weren't having the Parade of Horses past the trailer all day, or if I'd laid back and not started right at the beginning of the ride and got hung up with the leaders, or if I'd managed to slow him to a more rational speed, or, or, or, or, or.</p><p><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmDkSwOzX3lK_Oo_ZUNjCbL3dF1AMQj3-B0oOQmF87T3fuNAeBuH7VFjpkrM_S-VS2KBBLme2cqqfefckaQHxaVUqw1rgYWIbrTlohuqoi2XWmKZ_K8aJQD7_8-ZSCJL4RLQXKN6N59gFh/s4160/20210411_143404.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4160" data-original-width="3120" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmDkSwOzX3lK_Oo_ZUNjCbL3dF1AMQj3-B0oOQmF87T3fuNAeBuH7VFjpkrM_S-VS2KBBLme2cqqfefckaQHxaVUqw1rgYWIbrTlohuqoi2XWmKZ_K8aJQD7_8-ZSCJL4RLQXKN6N59gFh/s320/20210411_143404.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Home, and not pleased about it, either.</td></tr></tbody></table></p><p>In the long run, he's fine. I stuck the pads on him and he's been in his turnout ever since, bored for 3 weeks. He's done some trotting in his pen and he's sound. We'll get some saddle time this weekend and assess where we are. I plan to make some changes for National Championships in June, though. First is those bigger shoes. Second is pads on his fronts, even though he has done just fine without pads for 5 years. We'll park where there's less foot traffic. We'll give the leaders a good 5 minutes to get ahead of us. If we finish, of course, there's no way to know what elements make a difference and which don't, but this really isn't science.</p><p>This marks the 4th time we've been to 20 Mule Team. Of those 4 times, only once, the National Championship in 2019, did we finish. I'm starting to feel like this trail has a vendetta against us in particular. Maybe 5th time's the charm....<br /><br /><br /><br /></p>hammerithothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04872885874133892537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8253443694650355321.post-55675012628825321302021-03-23T20:06:00.003-07:002021-03-23T20:06:38.826-07:00Eastern Mojave @ Coso 2021Due to the pandemic, the ride typically known as Eastern Mojave and held at Cima Rd and I15, was moved way up the 395 near Olancha, in an area known as Coso Junction. This is where the Death Valley Warmup/ Coso Junction ride is usually held in early December. That ride didn't happen so the location made for a perfect replacement for the usual Mojave location. <div><br /></div><div>I definitely had a little trouble getting out of the driveway for this ride. When I went to hook up the trailer, I discovered the batteries were completely dead. I had already set up shore power for it, as the solar didn't seem able to do anything for it, and it had taken most of a charge when I put it back on the solar. But when I went to hook up, the solar panel was showing no power and the power panel was completely dead. Putting it back on shore power fixed the issue, only to have it go dead once back on the solar. Dreading an issue with the charging system, and knowing if it wouldn't charge on the solar panel I'd be without power in the living quarters pretty quickly, I fetched Mike and his tools and we proceeded to go over the thing seeking the issue.</div><div><br /></div><div>After we'd opened the junction box Mike commented the blue wire felt warm. Well I've done enough wrestling with trailer wiring to know the blue wire provides power to the brakes. This seemed really weird. Why would the brakes be drawing power? </div><div><br /></div><div>And then I noticed it.</div><div><br /></div><div>The cable and switch for the breakaway brakes was missing.</div><div><br /></div><div>Now, this warrants a little explaining. I can't tell you how many years I drove around without a breakaway on my trailer. It wasn't until fairly recently I became aware such a thing even exists. Even more recently that I discovered they are required on 2 axle trailers. So I went a long time without a breakaway, and thus a long time not needing to go through the process of connecting and disconnecting one. Due to this, it wasn't long after I bought this trailer that I forgot to hook up the breakaway to the truck and dragged the end off the cable. So I had half-assed it for a while, until I got what I needed to repair it and hook it properly to the truck.</div><div><br /></div><div>Which I promptly forgot to disconnect the next time I used the trailer.</div><div><br /></div><div>The brakes were pulling power because, well, the switch was open. </div><div><br /></div><div>The cure was to, for now, cut out the breakaway. </div><div><br /></div><div>And we were finally able to hit the road at 1:30pm.</div><div><br /></div><div>We arrived in camp at 7:30pm, to find everyone buttoned down and the ride trailer shut up. There were perhaps 5 rigs in camp, which, coupled with the ride trailer being closed, caused me to think perhaps I'd gotten the dates wrong. A quick check of the website assured me I was where I wanted to be when I wanted to be there. The wind was so horrendous there was no parking in such a way as to reasonably block it. When I tried to step out of the truck, my hat blew away. I set up camp as quickly as possible and did not bother to unhook the truck, which made the trailer much more stable in the circumstances.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Day 1:</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div>What a great day to Duck* around in the desert.</div><div><br /></div><div>In the morning, I went and knocked on Dave and Annie's trailer. Annie answered and greeted me with a smile, telling me I could go into the ride trailer to get a packet and put in an entry. She informed me everyone was doing the LD, with a particular look I understood to mean she really, really hoped I'd do the LD, too. Seeing as 50 miles mostly by ourselves didn't sound super fun, I was fine with doing the LD instead. Bonus: ride start was 8am.</div><div><br /></div><div>After a leisurely morning, we saddled and headed out with the few other brave souls who had elected to brave the desert. A winter storm was predicted for the area, which resulted in many riders begging off. So 6 riders started the first day.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjBb78bYnSQkVKcu7_KBBj7Iz__HdgNG0vDtY4TmyjMucx9ylE5eCifxx_1u-hj6cGclt9pxWECIPxz8spLAsF9mLXcNobMN7KObwaCFi5NbBBFGHzVhfSk_NvWyF6o9skYj04Mi99N4P7/s4160/20210310_074317.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4160" data-original-width="3120" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjBb78bYnSQkVKcu7_KBBj7Iz__HdgNG0vDtY4TmyjMucx9ylE5eCifxx_1u-hj6cGclt9pxWECIPxz8spLAsF9mLXcNobMN7KObwaCFi5NbBBFGHzVhfSk_NvWyF6o9skYj04Mi99N4P7/s320/20210310_074317.jpg" /></a></div></div><div><br /></div><div>On our way out of camp, I looked down and lo and behold, there was my hat, in a tire rut. I was thus obliged to dismount, recover the hat, and put it in the truck. This did not please Demon, as it meant most of the other horses were already well on the trail by the time I got back on.</div><div><br /></div><div>We started out along the road up into the desert. Demon was super happy to be out and going. We quickly pulled ahead without much sign of a desire to slow down. He also stopped and had a drink at the first water stop, a skill he's picked up over the miles. These days he rarely passes up an opportunity to drink or eat.</div><div><br /></div><div>The first half of the ride was mostly a long uphill pull. We settled back to a walk several times, letting Demon catch his breath. Eventually we were caught and passed by Bart Eskander, and we ended up riding together genially for the rest of the morning.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRQYllqEPFpkdZ_bvCviuAxtKBGLf8W_fYVg7oh6lNMEm-AoeBMsIiGSR_xqG9_URcCb4BNMxEp8IpegXO-QdVAkDiwV_rAceXWr9AMgq7uLobcLVVHte5kLJIK8tDKAx9qloUgxYvAYga/s4160/20210310_090619.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4160" data-original-width="3120" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRQYllqEPFpkdZ_bvCviuAxtKBGLf8W_fYVg7oh6lNMEm-AoeBMsIiGSR_xqG9_URcCb4BNMxEp8IpegXO-QdVAkDiwV_rAceXWr9AMgq7uLobcLVVHte5kLJIK8tDKAx9qloUgxYvAYga/s320/20210310_090619.jpg" /></a></div></div><div><br /></div><div>After we turned back downhill, we mostly went faster than we had uphill. We stopped at the vet check for about 20 minutes to let the horses drink and eat before hitting the trail back down to camp.</div><div><br /></div><div>We did not go as fast as we could have. It was a lovely day and I certainly didn't mind being out longer than otherwise necessary. Demon and I were awarded the first place finish by dint of arriving at Annie first. Bart and his horse did a lot of leading, not because Demon wasn't willing, but because Bart's horse is naturally faster.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Day 2:</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div>Our first 50 mile point ride of the weekend.</div><div><br /></div><div>Start time was 7am, which I didn't mind particularly. I checked the weather before we left, to decide if I should take my duster or if my jacket would be enough. I decided the jacket was enough. This decision would haunt me later.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX-2OPLa7O-nJe8ctr3r7Vrj4DOCS74SQopommSF0AgRKo7tgltA2MQtfiBwL1dOzLgwSnuJIzAeSz_1j4alY4bDiRCUR5tEabZWRRkAPIDgJ8yds8fEtDAI3Dms2RkBg2bQkEj6YWrJ5k/s4160/20210311_084949.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4160" data-original-width="3120" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX-2OPLa7O-nJe8ctr3r7Vrj4DOCS74SQopommSF0AgRKo7tgltA2MQtfiBwL1dOzLgwSnuJIzAeSz_1j4alY4bDiRCUR5tEabZWRRkAPIDgJ8yds8fEtDAI3Dms2RkBg2bQkEj6YWrJ5k/s320/20210311_084949.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div>We left camp a bit more sedately than the day before, still with the leaders. Much of the trail was the same as the day before, although the other direction. I was keeping a close eye on my GPS and our average speed. My goal was to do about 6.25mph. So when, about halfway through the first loop, Demon wanted to slow, I wasn't unhappy. He'd been going pretty fast. But then, he didn't want to speed back up. He just wanted to poke along. He kept casting about for grass, which is rather sparse in this area. I would make him trot for a while before he would fall back to a trot and want to stop for a bite. I was thinking he needed to pee. In the past, before he got pretty good at peeing under saddle, he'd simply plod along until we got back to the trailer and he would pee there. These days, though, that hasn't really been a problem so I was rather mystified until we had our vet check. He ate a bunch of hay and, when we hit the trail again, was back to his normal, cheerful, and forward self. He was just hungry!</div><div><br /></div><div>Of course, halfway through that first loop, the clouds rolled in and the snow started. And all I had was that jacket.</div><div><br /></div><div>After we left the vet check, we got motoring and, since we're pretty danged good at downhill, took advantage of it to make some time. Except it's tough to make time when you can't really see where you're going. Fortunately most of the time Demon was very confident and was able to keep us on trail while I squinted and basically stared at his neck. The snow frequently blew straight into my face. It was only when the wind was sideways to him Demon was reluctant to go forward with much speed. It made for a slow ride back to camp. Making it tougher was the small loop we had to do which took us away from camp about a mile and a half out. At first Demon was really annoyed, but when he realized it was good, fast trail, he picked it up and we got it done relatively quickly, even if the sleet did start blowing right in our faces when we turned up the road.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6TU3tDJFSpzMi4PgRCiBh_Mlz2mqkqDbdlBCGmDeDVqFqrCJPwnjUzP7zCXyCKuls6H_NOZbwMjljwYGBvV5_5GgqFn0lxghP91GXAWK_tzphE6coB0EqnWv9SCD3btdx6OoQK8kDHnKb/s4160/20210311_130623.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4160" data-original-width="3120" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6TU3tDJFSpzMi4PgRCiBh_Mlz2mqkqDbdlBCGmDeDVqFqrCJPwnjUzP7zCXyCKuls6H_NOZbwMjljwYGBvV5_5GgqFn0lxghP91GXAWK_tzphE6coB0EqnWv9SCD3btdx6OoQK8kDHnKb/s320/20210311_130623.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Back at camp, we trotted out quickly (4th place, as well as last place) and went to the trailer to untack. I got his blanket on and threw food in front of him before taking myself into the living quarters to dry off and warm up. Bizarrely, my arms were soaking wet. I thought my jacket must have leaked through, but how odd for my arms to be almost solely what was affected. I didn't have much energy to think on it. I got the water heater going and bundled under the blankets until I had hot water for a quick shower, after which I dressed in the next day's ride clothes and my fleece pajamas.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Day 3:</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div>The snow was still with us in the morning, despite ride start having been delayed until 8am to give the horses a chance to warm up before the start. I elected to put my duster on over my vest, in an effort to stay as dry as possible. This presented the problem of storing my phone and GPS in places where I'd be able to access them readily. The duster unfortunately lacks pass throughs so I can keep those items where I normally would on my belt. Fortunately, it does have rather large pockets and I was able to drop my phone and GPS as well as gloves, spare batteries, and my map into them.</div><div><br /></div><div>There were more riders this day, as more people had rolled in the prior day, and so we were riding along with several fresh horses. Demon was feeling really good and drinking and eating well, so I allowed him to largely keep up with the front runners. He was doing so well, in fact, that I could allow him to drink while other horses were also drinking at the same station. </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj-vN0RoPwTQcWRFuu00xYk_1a4b4uEz8ylU73ZME5u6ZdbJCd44zrISmroFkzlFumvk94X-2MWR6csqfRzRKxX8xJpR8ifZL5QsgeKExxR0gNCnsWY6KcER_g2HCP11oNIfKchchkgOFO/s4160/20210312_091620.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4160" data-original-width="3120" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj-vN0RoPwTQcWRFuu00xYk_1a4b4uEz8ylU73ZME5u6ZdbJCd44zrISmroFkzlFumvk94X-2MWR6csqfRzRKxX8xJpR8ifZL5QsgeKExxR0gNCnsWY6KcER_g2HCP11oNIfKchchkgOFO/s320/20210312_091620.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The vet check was back in camp, and after almost 5 miles of flat or downhill two track roads, we had an average speed of 7.5mph. We slowed as we approached camp and came in well recovered for our hour hold.</div><div><br /></div><div>During the hold, I checked the weather forecast and determined it was safe enough to switch back to my jacket. I hung the duster and we left camp with the jacket.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGgJzyKv0PNZFqgYGCyqWq2UQXKhpKnDiG4T2BBXeWR9j2vMtC4LFylnP3EURTTec7NcPwKYwHx_nUeOXuvIc4FKy-vWLRsgwtbFW2lKb0eaiBDMqA6ok27t-9-vcgcO41VR_Rl2CJ-t-O/s4160/20210312_133225.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4160" data-original-width="3120" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGgJzyKv0PNZFqgYGCyqWq2UQXKhpKnDiG4T2BBXeWR9j2vMtC4LFylnP3EURTTec7NcPwKYwHx_nUeOXuvIc4FKy-vWLRsgwtbFW2lKb0eaiBDMqA6ok27t-9-vcgcO41VR_Rl2CJ-t-O/s320/20210312_133225.jpg" /></a></div></div><div><br /></div><div>We started back out on the flat portion of the trail, and Demon was charging along nicely until the trail started heading uphill, at which point he decided he found this annoying and he didn't want to trot uphill. So we went fairly slowly, allowing the leaders to leave us behind, and made our own dogged way around the second loop. Once we were back to flatter and downhill territory, Demon picked it up again and we finished with an overall average of 7.25mph, the fastest Demon has ever done a ride.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Day 4:</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div>Once again we had an 8am start. This day was very clear and the sun rising in the east lent its warmth to the morning quickly, even if I did need my jacket for the start.</div><div><br /></div><div>Again we were with the front runners, but this being the day after doing his fastest ride, and his 4th day in a row, my goal was to finish, and speed was irrelevant. So when he decided he didn't really want to go quite so fast as the fastest horses, I was more than happy to allow him to drop back.</div><div><br /></div><div>We happily kept our own counsel through the now-familiar trails. By this time I was pretty spent, but Demon was starting to get stronger. This is a common phenomenon in multi-day rides. As the days go by, the horses get stronger while the humans start needing naps. It's not unusual to have riders pull in to compete the last day, thinking they can do well against a bunch of spent horses, only to get their doors blown off, much to their dismay. </div><div><br /></div><div>But today, despite feeling pretty danged good on average, it was a good day to go at a more relaxed pace.</div><div><br /></div><div>We turned down the mostly flat portion of trail to head back to camp, and took up a steady trot which caught us up with a couple of riders. One of the horses, a dark bay mare, took a shine to Demon. I could see her glancing back at him and watched the rider correct her several times. That mare wasn't even observably in heat, and she wanted nothing more than to canoodle with Demon. Once there was enough space to give a wide berth, Demon and I went off into the desert and passed by at a smart trot.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6voAe1-TDS_4Pkhielk0OzRxADAe6lwXM9Q3oEcdqIEWC4spvuw8PyMewQpb6E6Y6kblxWUK5v0hfxMCFOaO8HSfYEFQw34HXRN74tzyiLpZCL3bauEaPEE1-hmSw-Cp71QNeb8loXqUO/s4160/20210313_103729.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4160" data-original-width="3120" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6voAe1-TDS_4Pkhielk0OzRxADAe6lwXM9Q3oEcdqIEWC4spvuw8PyMewQpb6E6Y6kblxWUK5v0hfxMCFOaO8HSfYEFQw34HXRN74tzyiLpZCL3bauEaPEE1-hmSw-Cp71QNeb8loXqUO/s320/20210313_103729.jpg" /></a></div></div><div><br /></div><div>The vet check at camp was shorted to 30 minutes due to a cold breeze that had taken hold. So I got Demon fed and made myself some lunch as quickly as I could, and we headed back out on trail.</div><div><br /></div><div>For the second loop we had to head off to the north toward the LA aqueduct and several mining operations. Much of this is fairly flat, but it does have some interesting points. Demon headed out smartly enough, then saw the two mares we'd passed earlier hit the trail and slowed down until they caught up and passed us. </div><div><br /></div><div>The biggest reason Demon is not a winning horse is he wants to see every other horse on trail in front of him at some point before he wants to lead. It's not that he minds leading. He just wants to know who's behind him.</div><div><br /></div><div>Once the mares were ahead, we picked up the trot to keep up. When they slowed, Demon did not, and we continued on for a bit. I quipped to the other riders, "See you in a bit!"</div><div><br /></div><div>Sure enough, Demon slowed down again and the mares caught us again. The dark bay was still being quite the flirt. Demon was very professional about it and ignored her studiously. </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI5pBtOpEVjxUPfgL9iySLpRqzie2NWRTeHnm34iaNOrJNlECEE8wJfI-n7JK9YXrRwAFSbaRf-ikw21oR7fJs8R2yCIvLxo6AnVDCJEvaEBe5moVRVvfUrPloEvWLQhoTdJSJitrlpMi9/s4160/20210313_132333.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4160" data-original-width="3120" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI5pBtOpEVjxUPfgL9iySLpRqzie2NWRTeHnm34iaNOrJNlECEE8wJfI-n7JK9YXrRwAFSbaRf-ikw21oR7fJs8R2yCIvLxo6AnVDCJEvaEBe5moVRVvfUrPloEvWLQhoTdJSJitrlpMi9/s320/20210313_132333.jpg" /></a></div><br /></div><div>After we hit the high point and started back down, we rode along the aqueduct, which is covered in concrete. Water had pooled on top. Demon was pretty thirsty and he could smell that water. He made a move to jump up onto the concrete top (about 3 feet) to get a drink, and did manage to sip some water off when the pooling was lower. Not having any idea how well such a structure would hold up to 900 pounds of horse plus rider, nor feeling especially good about traction once on top, I did not allow him to indulge his desire to get up there.</div><div><br /></div><div>Fortunately once we turned truly back toward camp there was a water bucket and Demon was able to get a good drink. After which we were able to get in some good trotting for some time.</div><div><br /></div><div>Once we got within 2 miles of camp, Demon wanted to walk, and the mares passed us again. This now being Demon's "thing" and not being especially unhappy with a horse who isn't interested in charging back to camp, I allowed for the nice little mosey back to camp.</div><div><br /></div><div>At the ride meeting that night, I was pleased to find Demon and I had been awarded fastest time (who else ya gonna give it to, if there's only one horse and rider what did all 4 days?), but particularly thrilled that Dave awarded Demon the overall best condition award. While clearly there were no other candidates, Dave would not have awarded it if he didn't feel Demon had deserved it. If he felt I'd overridden Demon or otherwise pushed him harder than he was fit for, Dave would not have put that on the plaque.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd2PwtMHO2P64wXiwMp0reirtsEZopvJMX4Fo5289pX95JNy1Y6ykOLfKPgfijlyxIyVbaRA38wKFGp9Pl33AGM8TkuHrwGbHrkZ8cGe4u9u0Guyk1cKWZQDog4Dzj5eQEfKEBx1P7s9J0/s4160/20210313_193106.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4160" data-original-width="3120" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd2PwtMHO2P64wXiwMp0reirtsEZopvJMX4Fo5289pX95JNy1Y6ykOLfKPgfijlyxIyVbaRA38wKFGp9Pl33AGM8TkuHrwGbHrkZ8cGe4u9u0Guyk1cKWZQDog4Dzj5eQEfKEBx1P7s9J0/s320/20210313_193106.jpg" /></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM50I7iyQbgtU91rAJbhD1DEABogvhdU_s6sWYoKarPeRLHDmUbwtPelLlMab8x-HBshJkgNO2KANQmjCNJdV_dfqHOFDrX0za4KQhPGCf4AFbWnDbVZQnQjv3VMFdOmw4uauYYeiWgJXT/s3567/20210313_193154.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3567" data-original-width="2771" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM50I7iyQbgtU91rAJbhD1DEABogvhdU_s6sWYoKarPeRLHDmUbwtPelLlMab8x-HBshJkgNO2KANQmjCNJdV_dfqHOFDrX0za4KQhPGCf4AFbWnDbVZQnQjv3VMFdOmw4uauYYeiWgJXT/s320/20210313_193154.jpg" /></a></div></div><div><br /></div>Overall it was a great weekend and I feel really good about both of us. I was a lot better off after 4 days than I had been after the 2 days I rode at Laurel Mountain. I was able to run enough to trot my horse out without looking like I was going to fall down. Demon ate and drank both in camp and on trail quite well. Any time we stopped to wait for other horses to drink, he'd cast about in the desert for something to eat. Demon was able to drink while other horses were close by drinking, and even when riders weren't paying close attention to keeping their horses' heads away from him, Demon kept his own and didn't do anything foolish. In the past I've had to wait for other horses to leave before I could allow him to drink. This is a great thing for him to be able to do, as on the Tevis trail it will likely be far harder to get him a trough all to himself. As to the hunger, I have a suspicion I need to up my electrolyte game. I suspect he's looking for food in an effort to get electrolytes. While it works, there's simply not enough time and sometimes not enough food to replenish electrolytes. So I will fiddle a little with how often I do electrolyte him when we do 20 Mule Team.<br /><br />* Yes, I mean Duck. These days it seems few people are aware of Dave Nicholson's nickname, The Duck. The story of how the appellation came to be hung upon him varies depending on when you ask and how many drinks are involved.</div>hammerithothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04872885874133892537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8253443694650355321.post-77736502398228802962021-02-16T20:44:00.000-08:002021-02-16T20:44:50.690-08:00Laurel Mountain XP Ride 2021<p> The second best thing I've done in my life was getting my left hip replaced on November 16th, 2020.</p><p>The best thing was having the right one done in November 2013.</p><p>Now that I have a matching pair, I'm feeling a lot better in the saddle, and put it to the test. February 4-6 I entered Laurel Mountain, a 3 day XP event, planning to ride days 1 and 3 and do the limited distance rides. </p><p>Demon and I arrived in camp about 4pm on Wednesday afternoon. The wind was howling out of the South, putting the kibosh on my plan to park with the tail of the trailer to the South. I wanted to keep Demon and the camper door out of that wind. It was strong enough I almost couldn't open my truck door. I parked the trailer with the driver's side to the South, putting the Hi-Tie and camper door to the North. This way at least Demon wouldn't be battered by the wind and I wouldn't be trapped in the camper by it. As it was, the wind was so strong it found it's way through the cracks in the trailer and nearly kept the stove from running.</p><p>By 8pm the wind blessedly died down and we had an otherwise peaceful night in camp.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ5qZVA-Wjz0BAUqNXgEn85MJYdPLrSHqoYhS7I5Nuw4zTHN60OVsNrUKh9oyZ1_MlysBEza4EJfpye-RbbDkj_eNhSRo7RH5mdJgAst3gsbwZKEN_ykzYnOKvpOm_9MqvcfApczDFR9ti/s4160/20210203_171039.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4160" data-original-width="3120" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ5qZVA-Wjz0BAUqNXgEn85MJYdPLrSHqoYhS7I5Nuw4zTHN60OVsNrUKh9oyZ1_MlysBEza4EJfpye-RbbDkj_eNhSRo7RH5mdJgAst3gsbwZKEN_ykzYnOKvpOm_9MqvcfApczDFR9ti/s320/20210203_171039.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Settled in for the night</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>Due to Covid-19 restrictions, sign-in was accomplished by virtue of management having put out packets with entry cards, maps, and detailed information about the ride. There had also been an email a couple of days earlier with GPS tracks. I had successfully loaded those on my Garmin eTrex 20 so I'd have the tracks to follow. I took my day 1 card, filled it out, and entered us as planned for the 25 mile ride.</p><p>The ride start for the day 1 25 mile ride was 8:30am. Felt like phoning it in. I was up at 4am to feed a very demanding Demon. He's been doing this endurance thing long enough to have developed the understanding he's meant to have as much hay in front of him as he can possibly consume, and is to be provided food upon demand. He'd been pestering me for a while and I'd been ignoring him as best I could, but I finally tended to his desires. </p><p>While waiting for start time, I wandered around camp a bit to see who was there and chatted with a few people before heading back for coffee and cereal for breakfast. I saddled up and we headed over to trot by before hitting the trail.</p><p>Demon was eager and super happy to be heading out. My only concern was how long it had been since he'd done much work. After Grand Canyon, we got home, I put him in his pen, I didn't ride him again until January 1st. He hadn't worked until then for 4 months, and the longest ride we'd done between then and Laurel Mountain was 7.5 miles. Not only was I concerned for his fitness, I was concerned for mine. Since the hip replacement in November, my left knee has been giving me fits, really making my life unnecessarily difficult. And I am definitely not yet to the point of mounting from the ground.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0bKt2TmQndev5G7C9JlSyhViSagUQsZv8JRuf_nVo5yPPfvGcA8P80IRW3l4uALCZA0Ftl9IelCUCtl2ruJVwa9Ty48pJUXXhqIbBgW7uajzgL-FL3GNyQG2_0POWtiTqXqqF8cQMa8Br/s4160/20210204_105608.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4160" data-original-width="3120" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0bKt2TmQndev5G7C9JlSyhViSagUQsZv8JRuf_nVo5yPPfvGcA8P80IRW3l4uALCZA0Ftl9IelCUCtl2ruJVwa9Ty48pJUXXhqIbBgW7uajzgL-FL3GNyQG2_0POWtiTqXqqF8cQMa8Br/s320/20210204_105608.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>The first leg of the 25 is a fairly straight shot up the canyon toward the Laurel Mountain Golfball. I am not sure what, exactly, this structure really is. While it certainly *looks* like a golf ball on a tee, it is far too large for Earthly golf courses. My best guess, based on location and what's around it, is it's a radio tower of some kind.</p><p>We were trotting along on the gradual climb toward the mountain, and Demon was absolutely, 100% positive we were meant to be somewhere off to our left. He was trotting along looking ever so slightly left, and at any opportunity, he'd try to turn left. He even sort of stealthily drifted left, trying to head off into the desert in search of the trail he was absolutely certain his stupid human had missed. But we finally made it up and around and climbed to the Golfball.</p><p>I hopped off when we reached the vet check and Demon, having not seen water in some 10 miles, promptly dragged me to the water tanks. Typically I can decently hold him back. That was not the case this day. It was all I could do to keep up well enough not to get literally dragged. At least my knee had not collapsed beneath me when I dismounted, as I had greatly feared it might.</p><p>The trot out after our hold must have been a sight to behold. I could just barely go fast enough for Demon to trot, and I limped the whole way. But we were cleared. I then realized I hadn't thought far enough ahead to getting back on after the hold. Fortunately Annie found a spare bucket and turned it over for me to get on with. I may have walked a long way before finding something of sufficient height to get me back on.</p><p>We walked the steep hill back down to the flats, then set up trotting again. I kept thinking he'd want a break, but he really didn't. He just kept right on trotting along. He even asked to canter, a request I happily obliged each time. He only stopped for water and when I pulled him down for some of the more technical downhill sections and some rocky stuff.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNalnfuUbKS42Eipt4EPoQcKSWH91xqd0XorRV-dpXa5yj6ZID7lasfXmvjqP1vyj58g9ShSA0AVfFu53jt2PCfDQ0u_aiShP1jc9D-p3ZW-_0fT249BrjhHeFGOp03ex4F4HhxWQdAGOg/s4160/20210204_123026.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4160" data-original-width="3120" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNalnfuUbKS42Eipt4EPoQcKSWH91xqd0XorRV-dpXa5yj6ZID7lasfXmvjqP1vyj58g9ShSA0AVfFu53jt2PCfDQ0u_aiShP1jc9D-p3ZW-_0fT249BrjhHeFGOp03ex4F4HhxWQdAGOg/s320/20210204_123026.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>We got back to the road back toward camp and had to pass the gun range. This wasn't a big deal last year, but this year, some dude was firing off some heavy rifle and that was enough to spook Demon. I was able to keep him calm, but he definitely thought getting by there quickly was ideal. I obliged and we set off at a smart trot to leave that particular nonsense behind.</p><p>Before arriving at camp, we had to turn left back out into the desert for another 3 miles. Most horses, upon hitting this turn, the wind goes out of their sails and they really don't want to move out. Not Demon. He'd been gradually slowing as we approached camp. When I asked him for that left turn, he surged forward and headed back out into the desert at a smart trot. However, when we made the turn back toward camp on the trail we'd headed out on in the morning, he slowed to a walk. It took some prodding to get some trotting for at least another mile or so.</p><p>It's really funny having a horse who's disappointed to have the day over with.</p><p>Once back at camp, we unsaddled and settled in for a nice post ride rest.</p><p>Friday we had the day off and stayed quietly in camp as the other horses went out and back all day.</p><p>That afternoon, I went over the map for Saturday. I was contemplating the distance of the LD, and thinking about how I wasn't any worse off after 25 miles than I'd been at 12.5 miles, so if I was going to ride 35 miles on Saturday, I may as well ride 50.</p><p>I entered us in the 50.</p><p>Saturday's ride start was at 7am. I was again up by 4am to feed and water, and got my coffee going so I could lay down for a bit longer. We were saddled and ready to hit the trail after a quick trot by at 7am.</p><p>This was a pretty long, technical 35 mile loop to start the day. There's still plenty of jeep road with decent footing to make time on. There's also quite a bit of history in that part of the country. Old buildings from mining days gone by still stand, or at least partially stand, as nature slowly takes them back. These days it seems some of those old mining claims are being re-explored, as several old encampments along the Bonanza Trail are active once again. Much of those 35 miles are very scenic and interesting. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinO__yslYmlQ4lwtkfn-Kp9CXYpvdXIlY3Pz07L40TT2Dc85bxqpuU9k5i_W7Q1ua_pi-g1L-2d6AeWOkBhUOO-VWz4DFARZmJ8zrS1Gzm_a5Uc_ge5PfX8kuW7XEsDZEhZK1TEXhMIWpA/s4160/20210206_081948.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4160" data-original-width="3120" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinO__yslYmlQ4lwtkfn-Kp9CXYpvdXIlY3Pz07L40TT2Dc85bxqpuU9k5i_W7Q1ua_pi-g1L-2d6AeWOkBhUOO-VWz4DFARZmJ8zrS1Gzm_a5Uc_ge5PfX8kuW7XEsDZEhZK1TEXhMIWpA/s320/20210206_081948.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWaWD1JyYxjkwJT4z1iG0Tb3y9_A5sUtO29yr2Iu89Gi0VqOSpBQqd3zCh7fVbC5jq1KU7u9esXqFDvp_EoqBHpskE0jwtCMl57_ejEznhDpbDzigoqHwzkiqL3t3GZ2BYtCwJj4Q60316/s4160/20210206_083243.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4160" data-original-width="3120" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWaWD1JyYxjkwJT4z1iG0Tb3y9_A5sUtO29yr2Iu89Gi0VqOSpBQqd3zCh7fVbC5jq1KU7u9esXqFDvp_EoqBHpskE0jwtCMl57_ejEznhDpbDzigoqHwzkiqL3t3GZ2BYtCwJj4Q60316/s320/20210206_083243.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrEvufmHRc4mJhFVCkzzly1oGhHoUj4fU_RklRblYo6fzqDuHvjOG_xLBkcI7NRSHEVjOalelzngC6z-KiyboAYUbBbH8iw2EnOK87JUnZjr4JzlVZgOZLVZRaxuhkiAnj9EyIJS7SFJca/s4160/20210206_094013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4160" data-original-width="3120" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrEvufmHRc4mJhFVCkzzly1oGhHoUj4fU_RklRblYo6fzqDuHvjOG_xLBkcI7NRSHEVjOalelzngC6z-KiyboAYUbBbH8iw2EnOK87JUnZjr4JzlVZgOZLVZRaxuhkiAnj9EyIJS7SFJca/s320/20210206_094013.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bonanza Gulch Post Office</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Then there's Red Rock/Inyokern road. Miles and miles of almost entirely straight, virtually flat dirt road. That was a bit tough. Demon really likes single track, so trotting along on such an unvariegated stretch of road, having allowed the other horses to get away from us, was a little disheartening for him. We took several walk breaks, although they were not long, as Demon would seem to get his resolve back and we'd head off at a trot again. Eventually we turned right onto a smaller, more interesting jeep trail where he was able to have a drink and we had our mojo back.<p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtb7Z_yEn9iSEKrADrLp9uIoh9P_juN6MpFIcFftbtCkYCgfuwzgPZMxTZR-6I2MI-yk-73tMetCnAdH8yhOn49V_PiNCd28q-op3CAxqvQahe7XEa6HQxp3QQZ5B6ErwJYcT7JkFi2xW-/s4160/20210206_103856.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4160" data-original-width="3120" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtb7Z_yEn9iSEKrADrLp9uIoh9P_juN6MpFIcFftbtCkYCgfuwzgPZMxTZR-6I2MI-yk-73tMetCnAdH8yhOn49V_PiNCd28q-op3CAxqvQahe7XEa6HQxp3QQZ5B6ErwJYcT7JkFi2xW-/s320/20210206_103856.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red Rock/Inyokern Road</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p></p><p>I was running the track on my handheld, so I knew how far we were from camp. I kept sneaking peeks at it, and peering off into the distance, thinking surely I should be able to see camp by now? We got to within 2 miles of camp and still no visual sign. I was beginning to wonder if there was some glitch in the track, or if this was some sort of elaborate practical joke, when we crested a hill and camp came into view. I breathed a bit of a sigh of relief and we rode in for our 1 hour hold.</p><p></p><p>After our hold time, I got back on and we rode over to Dave, where we did our trot out before heading out for the second loop. This loop is a bit more boring and there's considerably less going on. It's also the loop we had a nasty fall on last year. So neither of us was feeling particularly brave about ramming through those miles to get it over with.</p><p>Not long after we headed out, another horse and rider caught us up. We exchanged greetings as they passed and continued on. After a bit, the other rider paused her horse, unsure where to expect the next turn. As I was using the GPS, I was able to assure her it was a bit further ahead. Ultimately, we ended up riding those last miles together and I wish I had written her name down, because I am *terrible* with names. We mostly trotted, with a little walking here and there. We managed to miss a turn somewhere, but were able to find our way back to the trail with little issue.</p><p>Then we had to pass the shooting range again.</p><p>This time, an extra heavy rifle was being fired. With two horses reinforcing the idea that going that way was stupid, it was much more difficult to get them to go. I managed to get Demon onto the road and then off into the desert a bit and pick up the trot so we could get the heck out of there. All the while never quite sure when the next shot was going off. Both horses were unhappy, but at least they weren't bucking or rearing or bolting. Some sideways spooking and a powerful desire to bug out were the worst of it.</p><p>Once again we had to turn off to the left away from camp. Demon, having done this before, was well pleased and knew what to the expect. So we led the way at a cheerful trot until the turn back to camp. Even though those last two miles were mostly walking, we made good time.</p><p>Back at camp, we trotted our horses by Dave to vet out. Headed back to the trailer and enjoyed the rest of the day and evening.<br /></p><p></p>hammerithothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04872885874133892537noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8253443694650355321.post-32052492540970413752020-01-13T14:34:00.002-08:002020-01-13T14:34:44.877-08:00Death Valley Encounter 2020The weather the few days leading up to the Death Valley ride had me concerned about making it to the ride at all. On December 26th, even here in the mountains of San Diego County, we got fully 4 inches of snow. Our local freeway was briefly closed. I knew by the time we needed to leave on the 27th the roads would be in good shape, but I had a much closer challenge: getting the trailer out of the driveway. I have to keep it parked by the barn in order to keep it plugged in while not in use. Getting it out involves backing it down the driveway. The driveway is steep enough if it's iced over the trailer will drag the truck helplessly down the hill. Ask me how I know this. So we had to wait for the sun to do its job and defrost the driveway before I could get the thing out.<br />
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We did finally hit the road about 10am, which all things considered isn't bad. It's only about 270 miles to ridecamp. It's really rare for two days after Christmas to have particularly bad traffic. I usually make the drive in 5 hours or less.</div>
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Not this time.</div>
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Of course with all that weather and snow, people were out in force. We hit a lot of backups. It wasn't until we got past the Kramer Junction we were able to reliably make time. There was even snow on the mountains between Red Mountain and Trona. We made it to camp about 5:30.</div>
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Due to all that weather, there were very few rigs in camp. Maybe a dozen. Probably less. Never have I seen ridecamp at DVE so empty.<br />
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Because there were so few riders, the decision had been made to vet everyone in at 6:00am on ride day. Seeing as there was perhaps a total of 15 riders all told, it was an easy enough thing to accomplish. Our ride started at 6:30am.<br />
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<b>Day 1</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
After a reasonably quiet night (Demon did yell a bit at one point, but nothing to cause me to think anything exciting was happening) I got up at 4:30am and fed the beast. He's a hay dunker, so I also refreshed his water. I went back inside to find my husband, Mike, started on breakfast and coffee. It's really nice when Mike is home and able to come with me to rides. He cooks for me and cleans up camp while the horse and I are off riding. He likes camping.<br />
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Since Demon's Tucker endurance saddle broke, I was obliged to go back to using the Tucker western style saddle I use on Hoss. It started out as Demon's saddle, until I discovered Hoss's saddle at that time no longer fit him, and the Tucker endurance fit Demon as well as DC. I didn't have much opportunity to ride in it before the ride itself, just enough to verify it works. So I'd really forgotten how difficult it was to ride Demon in this saddle. And I would pay for its shortcomings.<br />
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We started off very nicely down the trail right at 6:30am. A quick jaunt around what Heidi Helly and I would come to call "the stupid loop" before the week was over got us headed up into the hills and on our way to the ETI and down into the Panamint Valley.<br />
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Although I was doing my best to keep Demon to a more sedate pace, we found ourselves up with the top 3 riders when we dropped on the Panamint Valley. Demon was keen to be on the hunt, but I don't want him to be in the habit of chasing (or waiting for) other horses, so I pulled him back as I was able and kept him on a slower pace. I was happy with how we were doing, though, as I'm working to get him at a consistent 6.5mph average pace.<br />
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As we descended the ETI trail, several burros came into sight. There must have been a dozen, all told, watching us all pass by. In all the years I've done this ride, I've only ever once before seen a single burro, the very first time I attended.<br />
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After the vet check, it's a relatively flat trail back to camp. Demon had used up more energy than necessary wanting to go faster, so I had to encourage him a bit more than I had in the morning. He still did OK. He did lollygag and wait for another pair of horses to catch up before really picking up the pace.<br />
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We were behind Nina Bomar and Dave Rabe for a bit, until we arrived at a confusing junction. I had my GPS going, showing the track we were meant to follow, so I said hey, this way and kept going. It was now downhill and toward camp, two things which motivate Demon well enough on their own, and he was more than happy to leave the other horses behind. So we kept on trotting on down the trail. We arrived back at camp about 4:30pm.<br />
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While I was at the vet check, Annie told me Mike had asked her who was cooking, and went off to ask if he could help. She said Sarah, who was the week's cook, would be happy for the help, as her crew had not been able to attend the ride. I told her he'd be absolutely delighted to help out.<br />
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When I met back up with Mike, he told me he'd be doing some cooking that night, so he'd already prepared my dinner before heading back to the club house. By the time of the ride meeting, it seemed he'd already become the de facto head chef of the ride.<br />
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<b>Day 2</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Remember I said I would pay for the shortcomings of the saddle we were using? I paid early and often. Long before we finished on Day 1, I had raw spots on my right thigh and left upper knee. This saddle is poorly designed for the way Demon moves. It fits him. It fits me. It's generally a super comfortable saddle. But, it's just not super awesome for posting in, and the pitch of the pommel means if I'm not in just the right place when we slow down or stop I get slammed into it. So before I even mounted up on Day 2, I was dealing with open wounds. Ah, well, it's called endurance for a reason.<br />
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On this day we headed out opposite of how we'd finished on Day 1 to hit the Slate Range trail. Much of the Slate Range trail and the T3 are very technical single track. It's harder to get a good pace. So I planned to get as much speed on the first 8 miles as I could. Unfortunately I managed to screw up my math and we ended up much slower than I really wanted to go.<br />
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We made the ride over the Slate Range, overlooking the Panamint Valley. While on the power line road between two sections of single track, we encountered another herd of burros. We got back to camp at about 1:00pm. Had I done my math right, we should have been in by a little before noon.<br />
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After our hold time, we headed back out for 24 more miles. About halfway through, I had myself convinced I was staying in camp on Day 3. I don't like the Tower Trail, anyway. I was really sore. 3/4 of the way through, I had myself convinced I was doing the LD the next day. Then the sun dropped behind the mountains and it got dark. And Demon likes working in the dark. He picked up the pace. I had to turn on my headlamp to decipher trail markings and my GPS, and Demon is unruffled by the extra light. I think he finds it comforting, in a way. By the time we hit the last mile back to camp, I was back to of course we'd do the 50 on Day 3.<br />
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We got back to camp about 6:00pm. Made for a very long day.<br />
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<b>Day 3</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Once again we hit the trail at 7am. After a decent night's sleep I felt ready to hit the trail despite saddle sores and overworked muscles.<br />
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This day's trail took us straight up to the T3, widdershins to how we'd come down the day before, back to the Last Tower, and straight down the Tower Trail.<br />
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The Tower Trail is a steep and technical drop down into the canyon between two mountainsides. There are many dropoffs and very steep declines. In the past, the ride has taken us up the Tower Trail, which I prefer. However I seem to have been outvoted and now we go down it. It's steep and technical enough most riders dismount and lead their horses down. I, on the other hand, am far too crippled to walk down (or up, for that matter) this trail while also managing a horse. If my horse and I must descend or ascend a trail like this separately, it has to be <i>really</i> separately and someone has to catch him at the other end. So, as other riders dismounted and led down, Demon and I dropped off and rode on down.<br />
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Once at the bottom, the trail is quite nice for the few miles back to camp for the vet check. We did our best to make good time back to camp, knowing the bulk of our miles were after lunch. This loop, arduous as it was, was 21.1 miles. We would still have almost 29 miles to cover after lunch.<br />
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Heidi Helly and OP caught up to us somewhere before we got back into camp, and we decided to ride together for the remainder of the day, if possible.<br />
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After lunch, we headed out with Heidi for the last loop. It was set up on our GPS units as two loops, labeled loop 2 and loop 3, as it came back through camp before doing the by now infamous "stupid loop" before coming in for the finish. We gave bags with hay and feed for the horses to Heidi's husband, Pat, so we could take a short break when we headed back through and let the horses eat.<br />
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After the first part of the loop (which is pretty much a blur at this point) we got back to camp at about 4pm and gave the horses 10 minutes to eat. We were really wanting to be on the muscle because we wanted to get the "stupid loop" mostly done before it got full dark. Once Demon and OP had a chance to get a little in their bellies, we mounted back up and headed back out.<br />
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We did our best to set a good pace with the rocks, and managed to just get off the "stupid loop" before crossing the highway and hitting the last three or so miles of trail. The sun dropped behind the mountains and once again Demon started picking up the pace, although he didn't seem to want to do more than walk really fast. By dint of following trail signs and my GPS, we made our way back to camp for another 6pm or so finish.<br />
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By this time, Mike was doing the lunch and dinner cooking, reprising dinner leftovers for lunch and feeding the whole camp. I was a very well pampered rider, as he would walk over to bring me lunch when I came in, sparing me walking over to procure lunch myself. All I had to do was ride my horse.<br />
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<b>Day 4</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
New Year's Eve. The 4th day always seems to be a little grim. It's hard to get in that saddle one more time. The horses, on the other hand, are on the upswing and feeling way stronger. I started out as usual, loosely riding with Heidi, who always starts out leading OP. Demon was feeling particularly good, and as I suspected he'd start sandbagging a little on the uphill slogs, I let him loose to get some distance done. We had a good go, crossing the highway and getting most of the way to Great Falls before he started to flag a little.<br />
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Coming out of Great Falls and on the downhill again, we picked up the pace a little. We made it 'round to the vet check area for the LD riders, got a quick checkup, and headed on down the hill. Still having a good go, right up until we turned left instead of right.<br />
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Demon was very much not happy about continuing away from camp, and uphill into the bargain. We persevered, and made our way back over the highway as quickly as we could. We continued on, setting a decent pace, until we hit the wash, where, due to deep sand, we were obliged to slow to a walk.<br />
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Once out of the wash, we picked up the trot again and alternated back and forth for a bit. We made our way back to within a mile of camp, where we had to turn away from camp and do a small portion of the "stupid loop" yet again. Once we got moving, Demon picked up the trot and it did not take him long to realize we really were heading back to camp and he kept his pace up to get back into camp about 11:30am.<br />
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Heidi and OP pulled in to the lunch stop not long behind us. Demon ate and drank well and we were off again to do the same thing over.<br />
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Demon was distinctly less than impressed to be doing the same trail a second time. We still managed to set a reasonably decent pace, although he really did think we should do something - anything! - different. He even tried to head on up to the Great Falls rather than take the shortcut as we had in the morning. But, we got going.<br />
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Heidi and OP caught us up as we were coming out of Great Falls. We continued on together, as much as the two horses were likely to stick together. Demon didn't want to trot uphills, and OP didn't want to trot downhills. So they would separate and come back together as the trail drove them. Back up the hill and across the highway and through the wash we went.<br />
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Demon was ahead when we got back to the little bit of the "stupid loop." We went to the water trough, and Heidi and OP were not far behind. I thought Demon would wait for them and we would head back to camp together.<br />
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I was wrong.<br />
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Demon stuck his nose in the water tank, decided he didn't really need a drink. He looked up the trail and decided this would get us back to camp, and the faster he did it the sooner. He picked up his head and off we headed to get it finished.<br />
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By this point I wasn't going to discourage him. I let him have his head and we trotted and cantered to within half a mile of camp. We got back just before full dark, making a finish at 5:30pm.<br />
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Overall it was a great ride. The New Year's Eve party, with Heidi and Pat performing was great fun. Those who were unable to make it, or chose not to try due to the weather, really missed out on a great event. I did come home with some spectacular saddle sores which are still rather raw. Fortunately Demon has a new Specialized Saddle we'll be picking up from Heidi in a couple of days. I can hardly wait.<br />
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***Since this writing, the new Specialized Ultralight has been procured and we are both extremely happy with it.</div>
hammerithothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04872885874133892537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8253443694650355321.post-25457832370507377512019-05-11T21:24:00.003-07:002019-05-11T21:24:35.421-07:00Sesenta Anos 2018My last opportunity to put on miles for 2018 was the Sesenta Anos ride in Santa Barbara. I had planned to load up both Hoss and Demon and head to the Virgin and Outlaw ride in Semptember. My truck, however, had other plans. Specifically, it planned to retire. At just shy of 300,000 miles, that 2004 F250 gas engine had decided it was done. So, instead of going to V&O, I got a new truck.<br />
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But that wasn't the end of it. I had a cute little 6 month old filly to deliver to her new home in New Mexico. And a couple of mares to pick up, one as far away as Tennessee. So that excursion cut into getting to any rides.<br />
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Sesenta Anos was my next to last chance to get miles for the 2018 season, and if I could get 2 or 3 50s on Demon, I could keep him comfortably in the the top ten for the Jim Jones Stallion Award. We could get more miles at Gold Rush later in the month, as well.<br />
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Complicating matters was an incident Demon had on a training ride a week earlier. We'd been out training with his Scoot Boots on all four feet. At some point I realized he didn't feel right. He wasn't lame, but he wasn't right, either. We slowed to a walk for the remainder of that ride. When I got him home and removed his boots, I found a rock had gotten wedged into the back of one of his rear boots above his heel bulbs and rubbed him quite raw and bloody. It looked much better after a couple days of rest and Desitin applied daily, so I decided to glue boots on for the ride so he wouldn't have to have anything above his hairlines to irritate his fetlocks. I had a pair of EasyBoot Gloves I took the gaiters off and glued on his fronts, and a pair of Renegade ProComps I glued on his hinds. When we left for Sesenta Anos, I figured if I kept him well lubricated with Desitin he'd do just fine.<br />
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On day 1, I very carefully slathered all of Demon's fetlocks with Desitin before saddling up and hitting the trail. It was a largely uneventful day (and of course I'm getting around to writing this several months later, so memory has faded). We finished in decent time.<br />
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I got Demon vetted out and in for the next day, then untacked. I washed his fetlocks and reapplied Desitin for the night. Got him set up with his feed and water and we both went to bed.<br />
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Day 2 was similarly uneventful. I again cleaned Demon's fetlocks and reapplied Desitin. So far he was looking quite good. No heat or tenderness and he was eager to hit the trail. Day 2 the vet check was back in camp, and the way the loops ran, we got really close to camp before pulling away again. This did not please Demon. He knew where camp was and could not for the life of him figure why I was telling him we weren't going that way. But, he managed to get through it and finish again.<br />
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Once again, cleaning and reapplying Desitin was the order of the evening.<br />
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Day 3 started rough. I had a hard time getting my tail up out of bed and as a result I was quite rushing around camp trying to get done and hit the trail. During this bit of hurry, I forgot to reapply Desitin to Demon's fetlocks. I remembered just before I mounted up, but I decided he'd been doing well and didn't need it. He'd be fine.<br />
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This was a mistake.<br />
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The day was quite lovely, and it was quite a climb on the first half of the ride, necessitating quite a lot of walking. So when we got to a downhill section, Demon was a bit forward and we ended up cantering full tilt down a hill rather steeper than I would have chosen for such an act. I had a wild moment of thinking we must look at least a little Man From Snowy River.<br />
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At the vet check, we rested for a bit before presenting to the vet. The vet told me Demon was not lame, but he wasn't moving quite right. I got Pat Helly to trot him out so I could see, and he was putting his right hind down in a different place in the stride every step. Like he was trying to find just the right spot to put it and it wouldn't be uncomfortable.<br />
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The same hind he'd gotten the stone on.<br />
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Palpation revealed the still-irritated area was sore to the touch at this point. Although he was not lame, there was no way I was going to try to finish another 25 miles with any pain on palpation, so we pulled.<br />
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It was a good ride, and we did get another 100 miles, which ultimately finished Demon in 5th place for the Jim Jones Stallion Award. I had already decided we weren't going to try to go to Gold Rush. I was going to let him heal up and we'd go to Death Valley next.<br />
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<br />hammerithothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04872885874133892537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8253443694650355321.post-72735741232945637262018-09-11T16:32:00.005-07:002018-09-11T16:35:59.716-07:002018 Grand Canyon II<br />
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The Grand Canyon ride this year has been split into two, 3
day pioneer rides. In the past, it was a single, 5 day pioneer ride. The grand
experiment for the 2018 season by XP Rides has been to turn all previous 5 day
rides into two 3 day rides with a rest day in between. So far, I’m liking it.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
On the rest day, Wednesday, I headed into the Grand Canyon
North Rim National Park. Entry was $35, but with access to the internet at the
Lodge, an excellent restaurant with a view over the rim *and* offering gluten
free pancakes on the breakfast menu, plus a place to shower and do laundry, it
was well worth it.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtmUq0cA2l51BvEtwDTK0C17kQeuc_cOBFRJv9pRps0iXQkGq3aJYkBZVs5R_1FjYFazeLgQWEbglf7n8RRSjTUbDq8MORyQQjyHDxRDAfv8YFCROOru4S2UwT9oVtO02oEX2N2fdgiAvD/s1600/20180829_092437.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtmUq0cA2l51BvEtwDTK0C17kQeuc_cOBFRJv9pRps0iXQkGq3aJYkBZVs5R_1FjYFazeLgQWEbglf7n8RRSjTUbDq8MORyQQjyHDxRDAfv8YFCROOru4S2UwT9oVtO02oEX2N2fdgiAvD/s320/20180829_092437.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">North Rim from the lodge</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After I’d gotten my shower and done my laundry, I got ice
and coffee and headed back to camp. When I went to put the ice and coffee in
the camper, I discovered I couldn’t get the door open. I decided it was
something I should deal with in camp, so headed back.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Once back at camp, I tried again to open the camper and was
utterly unsuccessful. Using the key made no difference, either. Thinking I
might have better luck from the inside, I got the step ladder out of the
trailer and crawled in through the camper window.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It turned out being inside just meant I couldn’t get out
rather than not being able to get in.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I tried removing the door knob, as the problem was clearly
the latch not moving. This did not make things better and I had to call out for
help.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Rebecca Florio helped me with the doorknob, putting the
piece I’d knocked out back in place. Despite some effort, it made no difference
and I was still stuck. She went off to find more help, coming back with some
tools from Steve Bradley. After we’d worked at it awhile without success,
Rebecca headed off to see if she could find Tom. In the meantime, Steve headed
over with yet more tools and with a good deal of prying and cursing, we were
able to get the latch out of the door frame. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4jHgm4tKSSHOdbXQ6imvX4Eyty3W5R4aYSuigV1cSRnxSY_aiEGLeAJHLwUEn7zIsN6AZx8XixqxFzhAbGFNtxBzzdWnKAwpD93fCu9j6EesocDOIF1CXlR15qBZf1ak1n-ieSsnpWclD/s1600/20180901_053910.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4jHgm4tKSSHOdbXQ6imvX4Eyty3W5R4aYSuigV1cSRnxSY_aiEGLeAJHLwUEn7zIsN6AZx8XixqxFzhAbGFNtxBzzdWnKAwpD93fCu9j6EesocDOIF1CXlR15qBZf1ak1n-ieSsnpWclD/s320/20180901_053910.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now I had an open door.
Fortunately we did not ruin it in the process. I was able to put the door
handle (sans latching mechanism) back in the door and use the dead bolt to
latch it.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
DC had another catch rider for day 4, so I took her and Hoss
to vet in for the next day. Hoss would be going on another fun ride. He was
starting to look quite good. Still, I wanted to be gentle with him and me both
so opted for the easy thing.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I talked about ride strategy with the new catch rider and
sent them off in the morning. It turned out DC went quite a lot faster in the
first half of the ride than she had any right to, and the rider allowed this.
At 10 minutes in the vet check, her heart rate was still high, although once it
started to drop she recovered quickly. They took the second half a little
slower, losing yet another boot (5 glue on boots lost in 3 days of LDs, that’s
gotta be some kind of record) and having to stop to put on a replacement. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
They
finished in 5<sup>th</sup> place. It was clear DC had gone more quickly than
she should have. She still had a higher-than-usual heart rate a few hours
later, so we opted to take the 5<sup>th</sup> day off.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As for Hoss and me, we headed out the other way toward the
East Rim. We had a lovely little ride, ultimately going 17 miles and using one
of the nifty features of my GPS, which allows me to pick a waypoint and have it
point me in that direction. We’d made a difficult climb up a hill and I wasn’t
a fan of the idea of going back down it, so we headed along until we came to a
road. I knew there was a road to the East Rim, so I knew we had something we
could follow back to camp. Once we hit the road, I found a waypoint near camp
and asked the GPS to get us there. It was a beautiful ride, though abrasive. By
the time we got back to camp his hind shoes were nearly worn through.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikQ6tmkkgWCm4FKj8kBtBIKFKY6ehkM6UUxmdAawuR5iiWfcR0W67yI02MhFV6yREpO-V59iGKtZgEgyb6w1UAv-usAGgEAWs5Gb6-dI2WNY7JaLeULYdrDd0C4i6xsZ7bcRad6Pu4Hhfi/s1600/20180830_114911.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikQ6tmkkgWCm4FKj8kBtBIKFKY6ehkM6UUxmdAawuR5iiWfcR0W67yI02MhFV6yREpO-V59iGKtZgEgyb6w1UAv-usAGgEAWs5Gb6-dI2WNY7JaLeULYdrDd0C4i6xsZ7bcRad6Pu4Hhfi/s320/20180830_114911.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The long road back to camp!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I decided to ride DC myself the last day. When I took her to
vet in, the vet pulled me aside to talk about what had happened with the catch
rider. It turned out I didn’t quite get the whole story. DC had come into the
vet check in a full body sweat and shaking. The vet told the rider it was probably
adrenaline and they needed to slow way down. Unfortunately slowing down as the
vet intended did not happen, as shown by the 5<sup>th</sup> place finish.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now, I do have to take some responsibility for my horse
getting overridden. When we’d talked about ride strategy, I had said the rider
would need to hold DC back. What I did not make clear was I meant that as an
instruction, not advice. I’ll take my lumps for being unclear in my
instructions. I had spent Friday quite concerned about DC. giving her
electrolytes and food to get her back into riding shape. She was clearly much
more tired than she should have been for going 35 miles.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We had a good ride on Day 6. DC was quiet chargy, having
been allowed to set her own pace a couple of days earlier. It took some doing
on my part to hold her back and keep her together. She developed a girth gall
on one side. I was able to move the girth off of it by tightening the rear
billets on her saddle more than the front ones. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLjnF8iNBhERUNnSK6UKQEKqTZJ5aCMABz2IBKVdomvfeujChaLuB1QuRepGxEHlZ5t_SYv6po9DpZuVeKfoPf-aAdgryMOoKWRWIzC4pHvcsew5nGZmYFMS-avcE6N4XUVspZCzuXLHPX/s1600/20180901_101006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLjnF8iNBhERUNnSK6UKQEKqTZJ5aCMABz2IBKVdomvfeujChaLuB1QuRepGxEHlZ5t_SYv6po9DpZuVeKfoPf-aAdgryMOoKWRWIzC4pHvcsew5nGZmYFMS-avcE6N4XUVspZCzuXLHPX/s320/20180901_101006.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">East Rim</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It was a long go to the vet check, solidly 19 miles, but we
rode along the east rim of the Grand Canyon. I got a few pictures, when I could
get a hand off the reins to take them.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
At the vet check, I got off and walked in and realized DC
had lost her right hind boot. Again. She was still wearing the Glove on her
left front. After a bit, I realized the boot on her right front was mostly
gone. The sole and rear of the boot had come off. Now she was missing two
boots.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If losing 5 boots in 3 rides wasn’t a record, 7 in 4 has to
be.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The remaining miles back to camp were primarily on gravel
roads. Oh, boy. DC was not happy about walking. Mostly, she jigged. All the way
back to camp. I was so beat up I couldn’t walk her in. Fortunately she managed
to pull off a halfway decent trot out at camp and got a completion.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
On Saturday, I headed back in to the North Rim to do my
laundry, get a shower, and have a nice breakfast. It was simply gorgeous
staring out the picture windows into the canyon.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKMj5QgBl-N2kJXAxG3inYAif-Io_dQpwdLxWxea_LVK8isGP3DHsaK40U7F5eYXmJHOVnefCiUfT7sILFfs4nHGbyBY1BtgBZJclktut66r_-LZNZ0YOxOHthmFqOXrIbSid1ppgd8c7j/s1600/20180902_075011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKMj5QgBl-N2kJXAxG3inYAif-Io_dQpwdLxWxea_LVK8isGP3DHsaK40U7F5eYXmJHOVnefCiUfT7sILFfs4nHGbyBY1BtgBZJclktut66r_-LZNZ0YOxOHthmFqOXrIbSid1ppgd8c7j/s320/20180902_075011.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">North Rim</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When I got back to camp, I packed up, hooked up, and we
started on the way home, stopping in Las Vegas for dinner with my daughter and
son in law.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj1dihvFir8_g5L2Jc_Ezvc_qXL_6c8JV5S7CV3u_Vk9m9O93TtGuBkN3hCmgwVR0_tIgB8KUwBPm2F9Oa8bcznVQxC2hu9oE5psrcQaHP5vm7Oi-V13kLx2fZAQZqqfEGhP26Ot8mTg0P/s1600/20180902_075039.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj1dihvFir8_g5L2Jc_Ezvc_qXL_6c8JV5S7CV3u_Vk9m9O93TtGuBkN3hCmgwVR0_tIgB8KUwBPm2F9Oa8bcznVQxC2hu9oE5psrcQaHP5vm7Oi-V13kLx2fZAQZqqfEGhP26Ot8mTg0P/s320/20180902_075039.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">North Rim Lodge, from the Rim</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I have to say, the double pioneer thing works very well. It
seemed like there was a good turn out for <o:p></o:p></div>
all six days, and it made for a nice
breather to have a day off. I do hope the format continues.<br />
<br />hammerithothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04872885874133892537noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8253443694650355321.post-84220493565822067772018-09-11T15:49:00.000-07:002018-09-11T15:49:01.953-07:002018 Grand Canyon XP Ride I<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Some set-up is called for in this post, as a great deal
happened in the months between Montana de Oro and Grand Canyon. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As alluded to in the previous post, I underwent surgery on
June 27. Early in the year, I had seen my orthopedic surgeon and, having decided
injections were not effective, elected to go ahead with a second hip
replacement. I had hoped to have the surgery by mid-March, to be recovered in
time for the births of foals and to continue my ride year. This was not to be.
The hospital was under renovation, and operating rooms were short. In the
meantime, I continued with life as much as possible with a deteriorating hip.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I finally got the call to schedule the surgery, plus the
pre-op class and final appointment with the surgeon. After jumping through all
the hoops, I met with the surgeon, who told me he wanted to do arthroscopic
surgery and repair my hip. This was fantastic news, while at the same time
being quite frustrating. I had gone through the physical and dental clearance
and had the class, all of which could have been skipped had he offered
arthroscopic surgery in the first place. While pleased, I could also have
cheerfully choked the life out of him.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Under the knife I went. It’s a one-day surgery, so once I
recovered from anesthesia, I got to go home. I opted to rent a Game Ready ice
and compression device, as I can’t take much in the way of anti-inflammatories,
and the one I can take is not allowed post-surgery. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When I did wake up, I realized immediately the surgery had
worked. By the time I got home, I felt really good. I never took one narcotic
pain killer. I used the Game Ready mostly as a precaution against inflammation.
I spent the 3 weeks of limited weight bearing pretending to be lame.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Once I was off weight bearing precautions, I started riding
Hoss in the arena bareback. I started out at 3 times per week and felt very
good about my balance before I started riding in our saddle again. The first
time I put the saddle on, we went to the arena and really had a poor ride. I’d
gotten so far as cantering a little bareback, so I was surprised when he was
being difficult about it under saddle. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When I took the saddle off, I quickly
realized why.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Two giant dry spots, one on each side, demonstrated his
saddle no longer fit.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This is the saddle we’ve done 7 years and 3,000 competition
miles in. To say I was surprised is an understatement.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The next time we rode, I threw that saddle on him without a
pad, and it was quite clear it’s not a fit. Fortunately, Demon’s Tucker western
saddle is a good fit. So, with 3 weeks to go before a multi-day ride, I have a
horse with a new-to-him saddle.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I was noodling on Facebook one day and saw a post from a
person looking for a catch ride for Grand Canyon. I thought, well, why not, DC
can be ready for LDs in plenty of time, and it’d be nice to get her some extra
miles. Sarah Walton and I arranged to meet and for her to ride DC the first 3
days of the ride.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In the remaining 3 weeks, I needed to get some miles on Hoss
to have him ready to do much of anything. So of course, when I brought him out
for a ride on August 7<sup>th</sup>, he had blown a huge abscess out of the
outside heel of his right hind foot. It was sore on palpation, and it bled if I
looked at it too hard. I removed the shoe, trimmed out what I could to relieve
the abscess, and put him in a small pen to start recovering. It would be
another 2 days before I could put the shoe back on, and another week before the
spot wasn’t sore to the touch. With just a week to go before the ride, he was
going to be just as fit as he was and no fitter for the ride.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I got everything ready and packed to go. We left on the 23<sup>rd</sup>,
the ride starting on the 26<sup>th</sup>. I wanted to arrive in camp by early
afternoon on the 24<sup>th</sup>. Knowing the AC in the truck is not reliable,
I wanted to cross the desert in the late afternoon or early morning. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Before loading up, I glued DC’s boots on. It was her very
last set of Gloves. Never having had a problem with glue – and having attended
more Vettec clinics than I can count – I was unconcerned about a lack of
back-ups. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We were on the road by 6pm and had an uneventful drive to
camp and arrived by midday Friday.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-LhmImqIvQc6NPhfKyaWVYxUyb8p-BqYv57DYaLVJDv4SD6wtUIWMf4Vb-YiHS3sY6PQeW1aYFDLBeD3GMlMbfRpjukA8ex5Bj9slTYtz1HFXEjjN1In1SmaVCxEvforpQzPBokPperRa/s1600/20180824_191013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-LhmImqIvQc6NPhfKyaWVYxUyb8p-BqYv57DYaLVJDv4SD6wtUIWMf4Vb-YiHS3sY6PQeW1aYFDLBeD3GMlMbfRpjukA8ex5Bj9slTYtz1HFXEjjN1In1SmaVCxEvforpQzPBokPperRa/s320/20180824_191013.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
While unloading and setting up the horses, I noticed an
unusual number of yellow jackets. The little bastards have always been a
problem at this ride, just not in camp, historically. When I retired to the
camper, I made sure to close the screen door in an effort to reduce the odds of
one coming in.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Within two hours, I had killed three of the bastards. I’m
very allergic to them. I’ve been under immunotherapy for 6 years and my odds of
a serious reaction are quite low, but I’m not exactly eager to test the
effectiveness of the treatment. Eventually I had to go ahead and close the door
to keep them out.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sarah arrived on Saturday afternoon. After sitting and
chatting and getting acquainted, we headed out for a little pre-ride. We were
having such a good time talking and riding, by the time I thought to look at my
watch we’d been out for an hour and a half! Ultimately we were riding for over
3 hours. We got back to camp, untacked, attended the ride meeting, and vetted
our horses in.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
By morning, it was clear I was not in any shape to be
riding. Besides, during our pre-ride, Hoss had looked not quite right on the
opposite front from his abscessed hoof, and his heart rate half an hour after
we’d come back was higher than I would expect.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
While I was eating my breakfast, I glanced out the camper
window and noticed DC’s left hind foot did not look right. She’d lost her boot
in the night! I’d brought glue and spare glue on boots, but I didn’t have glue
tips. I was able to get one from Dave Rabe and glued a spare boot on. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I sent Sarah and DC down the trail, having walked with them
until we were out of camp and they were allowed to trot. I knew DC would never
be able to walk through camp, and I also wanted to be sure Sarah was safely on.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Walking back into camp, I stopped to talk with another
person. We were standing there chatting amiably when a yellowjacket started
hovering about. By this point I was already getting a little paranoid about the
things. It seemed whenever I stopped one would be nearby. No one else seemed to
be having this problem. Just me. It was like they were hunting me. Me
specifically. Like they could sense I was allergic to them and they were on a
mission to get me. Well, while I’m standing there chatting, and thought that
asshole had left, I felt a sudden sharp pain in my right ring finger. Sure
enough, I was stung. I swear the little bastard was laughing maniacally as it
flew away.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It was clear I wasn’t having a serious reaction immediately,
but damn it hurt anyway. I headed back to camp and took a Benadryl and stayed
in the camper while I made sure I wasn’t going to react seriously. It was clear
within an hour or two I was going to be OK. I had numbness and tingling in the
tips of my right ring and pinky fingers, itching on the back of my hand, and
cramping in my forearm muscles, but nothing more than that. It mostly passed
within two hours.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAyt6xNlwlL3rN_QHLgXSZ8pqDO9shPBNygu-ZzTicZocSc7Cxqfl4AQVkIrd4kQk7Wyi-KE-oBzK9DgPmB1MGe6dlVpmhO_Esm2lkEm8sWrdUvlOtYctZ8VDKAhc84-atdboMST-5bJqn/s1600/20180826_091929.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAyt6xNlwlL3rN_QHLgXSZ8pqDO9shPBNygu-ZzTicZocSc7Cxqfl4AQVkIrd4kQk7Wyi-KE-oBzK9DgPmB1MGe6dlVpmhO_Esm2lkEm8sWrdUvlOtYctZ8VDKAhc84-atdboMST-5bJqn/s320/20180826_091929.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hoss hanging out in camp</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Before being stung, I had volunteered to help out, so I
dragged my chair over to man the finish line. As I’m sitting there, watching
horses come in, I overhear someone talking about finding a glue on boot. I’m
thinking, uh-oh. The person brought the boot to where I was sitting and sure
enough. It was one of DC’s front boots. At this point I’m thinking, well, she’s
coming back on the trailer. There’s no way she can manage this with a boot off.
After another little while, another rider shows up and hands me DC’s other
front boot. Definitely, she’s coming back in the trailer.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Then, lo and behold, here comes my little mare, tail and
ears high, looking just as pleased with herself as she can be. They got into
camp and Sarah hopped down. I took DC’s heartrate and she was at a cool 52.
Didn’t hardly look like she’d done anything at all. When Sarah trotted her out,
she looked great.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Later I examined her feet and discovered they did not look
appreciably different than they had when I’d glued her boots on. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sarah explained she had been so worried about the hind boots
she hadn’t really checked the fronts much. Besides, when she did try to see the
fronts, DC decided she meant “go faster” and would start cantering. It wasn’t
until they arrived in the vet check that the loss was noticed. Sarah asked for
advice and after being given 3 affirmatives to continue, she did so, just
staying at a slower pace. She hooked up with another rider and they came in
together at the end. Had Sarah known the boots had come off within the first 5
miles of the ride, she would never have continued on. It’s a good thing she
didn’t know.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now I had a horse with no front hoof protection. I asked
around a bit and came up empty on getting her another pair of boots to borrow.
We decided instead to do the intro ride. I was still thinking I shouldn’t go
super far, and worried a bit about the still exposed part of Hoss’s back foot. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
During the night, I decided to try taping DC’s front boots
on. In the morning, I did just that, not expecting them to stay on through even
a casual ride. But, it was worth a try.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt4oVTJMCh9VfjsB2H7N0i9GpkJztR7L1NuHonHl9BzBnIGEwQ_X5LY-kTqy_WaO__oNyJo2cJJGf81PLEFVmCfuYB2HeYwVZ54GDtIjhSYrl4E9VPd4zcWhEs44IwqpZpZk_hCmeIEnn1/s1600/20180827_091156.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt4oVTJMCh9VfjsB2H7N0i9GpkJztR7L1NuHonHl9BzBnIGEwQ_X5LY-kTqy_WaO__oNyJo2cJJGf81PLEFVmCfuYB2HeYwVZ54GDtIjhSYrl4E9VPd4zcWhEs44IwqpZpZk_hCmeIEnn1/s320/20180827_091156.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">DC and Sarah</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We followed the route the Duck described, and had some nice
long trot sessions. Those boots stayed put. I still didn’t think they’d stay on
for anything more strenuous, and figured in terms of sanctioned distances, her
ride week was over.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sarah and I decided to walk over to Steve Bradley’s trailer
to look at her pictures from the previous day. He got three very nice shots of
them, and Sarah bought them all. At this point she was not expecting to ride
more than an intro ride, and said as much. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After we were done with Steve, we headed back to camp to
find Dave Rabe with a handful of hoof boots. He had dug around and come up with
a pair of glue ons and a Glove in DC’s size. Now, really, she’s a 00.5 on the
front. Most days she can even wear a 00 on the front. She’s been going in 0s
and when I talked to Dave that was the number I’d mentioned. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We broke out all the equipment, wrestled the taped on boots
off, and started gluing new boots on. At one point I allowed as she could
really wear a 00.5, and Dave asked why I hadn’t said so. I allowed as I figured
he probably wouldn’t have that size. He went back to his trailer and came back
with a 00.5. I said that shows what I get for thinking.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The glue took extra time setting up due to the humidity
here, but the boots went on well. Sarah and I went and put in our cards for the
third day, she for a 25, and me for another intro ride. We vetted the horses in
and attended the ride meeting. The 25s would not start until 9am, making for a
rather leisurely morning.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We took our time getting everyone ready in the morning, and
I sent Sarah and DC off at the appointed time. DC looked quiet and willing at
the start. I understand she became insistent and fast in short order. They had
a very nice ride, for the most part, and I was glad I’d warned Sarah about DC’s
terror of cattle. A calf wandered into the vet check while they were there, and
DC was quite convinced it was going to eat her. One of the previous riders
leaving the vet check chased it out, which was just as well as Sarah might have
had a time trying to get DC past it.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In the meantime, I saddled Hoss up and we headed out for a
leisurely 10-mile ride, going out along the power line until we had gone 5
miles and turning back. It turned out we were on the return path for the
sanctioned rides, and two riders caught up to use moving at a good clip. This
of course blew Hoss’s mind, and we spent the last mile or so having a fight
about trying to race the other horses.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_0FrR8jbaGhYteqmLEQpPDaz7_NQHjh88GP26GBVlLaslm9rngYIMgelJPpZ0O4jfVijoJD-_9Frz9s0-VW0lDMimD4rG-BmHXhvi8ql8OHD_g4PRg54_JMVcdhqa0c3lA6B6gl4U3qo8/s1600/20180828_114237.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_0FrR8jbaGhYteqmLEQpPDaz7_NQHjh88GP26GBVlLaslm9rngYIMgelJPpZ0O4jfVijoJD-_9Frz9s0-VW0lDMimD4rG-BmHXhvi8ql8OHD_g4PRg54_JMVcdhqa0c3lA6B6gl4U3qo8/s320/20180828_114237.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We had just gotten our tack off and I’d put Hoss back on his
stake line when Sarah and DC returned from their ride. DC looked like she
hadn’t left camp that morning. She’d lost the last of the boots I’d glued on
before leaving and Sarah had managed to get the size 0 Glove to stay on that
hind foot. DC made her displeasure over the gaiter known anytime they stopped,
kicking that hind foot. At the end Sarah simply removed it rather than have a
fight about the kicking. They completed the 25 in just less than 3.5 hours.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sarah had to leave for California that night, so I made sure
she got her completion awards before she left. DC watched her packing up, and I
swear that horse was trying to figure out how to fold herself up and hide in
the trunk of Sarah’s car.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxaYjEtvTQw8vLayC82nGsOSYZh2_aYy_v1b7z9oeUuTVbYKPO4VEM5E-bzatgvkQIN2NzJCjlVCvhcTiCsJBtwTaN_L_UqiD5MjrTqMCVOVyD1h85g49mbp5KDSWAV-PKy5E0-1yp2gDh/s1600/20180827_072416.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxaYjEtvTQw8vLayC82nGsOSYZh2_aYy_v1b7z9oeUuTVbYKPO4VEM5E-bzatgvkQIN2NzJCjlVCvhcTiCsJBtwTaN_L_UqiD5MjrTqMCVOVyD1h85g49mbp5KDSWAV-PKy5E0-1yp2gDh/s320/20180827_072416.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
Wednesday was the rest, and thus makes for an excellent
break point for a blog.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />hammerithothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04872885874133892537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8253443694650355321.post-17888567758037735082018-09-10T16:24:00.002-07:002018-09-10T16:37:56.232-07:00Montana de Oro 50, June 2, 2018<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Nothing quite like the last minute to get my thoughts
written out. Here I am, sitting in camp for the Grand Canyon ride, and I
realized I hadn’t done the blog for Montana de Oro. And if I didn’t get it
done, the next 6 days of riding would very likely push a lot out of my mind
before I got around to it. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, here I am.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I decided to take Demon to Montana de Oro due to the
cancellation of our local Descanso ride. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Coming up on surgery scheduled for
June 27<sup>th</sup>, I wanted to squeeze in as many miles as I possibly could
before going under the knife.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We managed to leave by about 8am on Friday. It was only
about 350 miles, so seven hours drive time.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Except no.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Because of the area we had to drive through, there was delay
after delay. Halfway there I seriously considered turning around and going
home. By the time we got to ride camp I had decided this would be the first and
last time I did this ride.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The camp is very tight and most horses stay in camp corrals.
Because Demon is a stallion, he had to stay tied to the trailer, which is not a
problem. Really, I prefer to keep my horses super close to me rather than in a
corral. The biggest issue was finding a place to park my rig where he could
stand tied to the trailer. We had arrived fairly late by the time all was said
and done, so there was little parking available. I did manage to back it in
next to the restroom, with the tack room door just accessible, and removing
both Demon and his hay from the horse box before finishing.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzE1V18P2y1KYiuMMb0J2YsjJl0iNFqpXFN1XkuYO3p1pfWKBbUMnU3alS_WeyX7G9q6iMlAj9m58_KH05nqHJQJrOUuL-ON95Ge8eTdHlScbe6LMXLCEX9MSpbhamn6GoQ4Q8cBChyphenhyphenm3H/s1600/20180601_195804.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzE1V18P2y1KYiuMMb0J2YsjJl0iNFqpXFN1XkuYO3p1pfWKBbUMnU3alS_WeyX7G9q6iMlAj9m58_KH05nqHJQJrOUuL-ON95Ge8eTdHlScbe6LMXLCEX9MSpbhamn6GoQ4Q8cBChyphenhyphenm3H/s320/20180601_195804.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In our little parking spot, standing in his feed pan</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In the morning, I wrestled Demon’s tack out of the tack
room, and got him groomed and tacked and his boots put on. This was his first
ride with his new Scoot Boots on his front feet. We’d done perhaps 12.5 miles
in them up until this point. We did test them at all gaits and I was feeling
quite confident in them.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
While waiting at the start, Demon was tense but well
behaved. Rather than walk around, we stood carefully to the side while other
horses pranced and walked around. At one point, a gray mare swung her tail
right under Demon’s nose. He did not so much as prick his ears. Truly, he’s a
great horse.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVcHwQ97IFNm_0ik568VEE-jpKujIcR1RRPpubLDqjEfCCSa5cwvrkRuKzrRzcji-iahPyCp-oCDjnVKeCm1OR5lx-QJvujUUv2vpwkMIZ9RI7_NeQ86-xlZBAwkO95twntmK4Gb5CetPf/s1600/20180602_072740.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVcHwQ97IFNm_0ik568VEE-jpKujIcR1RRPpubLDqjEfCCSa5cwvrkRuKzrRzcji-iahPyCp-oCDjnVKeCm1OR5lx-QJvujUUv2vpwkMIZ9RI7_NeQ86-xlZBAwkO95twntmK4Gb5CetPf/s320/20180602_072740.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After we got chugging down the trail, Demon really wanted to
run and keep up with everyone. I knew he wasn’t as fit as I would want him to
be for how challenging this ride was, so I held him back quite a bit.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The single track helped keep Demon’s pace settled, but he
wasn’t really in the groove when we got to the vet check at about 12 miles. So,
as I led him in, he wanted to yell and call and be silly the whole way. He
pulsed down within a few minutes, but it was longer than I’m used to seeing
with him. However, considering he has mostly done 1 vet check rides and gone
much further before a vet check, I wasn’t particularly concerned. He did not
eat as well as I’m used to seeing, but again, he hadn’t gone very far per his
own experience, so I wasn’t alarmed.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXCu3WhT8gQtNt_l5Q-bS91fi_yOUa7KLrCgesRW0SS-2RfT27pPfLIGjJD4LdsdoEwbL2UcVEjnu-SHG3NI7ORJs5WUQYW5tSXSsMAbvT0rFyYxaOu4AxuNbUj6SOAUZOyily_kAMUVhW/s1600/20180602_074831.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXCu3WhT8gQtNt_l5Q-bS91fi_yOUa7KLrCgesRW0SS-2RfT27pPfLIGjJD4LdsdoEwbL2UcVEjnu-SHG3NI7ORJs5WUQYW5tSXSsMAbvT0rFyYxaOu4AxuNbUj6SOAUZOyily_kAMUVhW/s320/20180602_074831.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the first vet check, wanting to watch everyone else</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We left the vet check at a better pace than we’d come in.
Sometimes these rides with 3 vet checks are good for separating horse groups
and getting any given horse to chill. I let him take much longer getting back
to camp for the second vet check than we’d taken getting to the first, making
up for how quickly we’d done those first miles. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We were chugging up a steep climb when I started hearing a
strange clinking sound. Eventually I was able to identify it. The center ring
in his girth had ripped loose, and it was swinging on the end of his breast
collar. When we got to the top of the hill, I pulled him off to the side and
got off. As other horses continued on down the trail, I removed the ring,
turned the girth around, and reattached his breast collar. I found a rock of
sufficient height and got back on.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
At the second vet check, Demon pulsed down much more quickly
than at the first. He ate and drank well at the trailer and was raring to go by
the time I hopped back on.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As we were preparing to leave camp, I realized I didn’t have
my helmet. So I hopped off to lead back and retrieve it. One of the volunteers
very kindly offered to hold Demon while I went back to the camper. I handed him
off and got my helmet. When I got back, I discovered Demon had been feasting on
carrots while the volunteer told him how handsome he was. I daresay that was
his favorite part of the ride.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The start of the 2<sup>nd</sup> loop involves heading out
for about two miles and passing right back by camp. While we were out, I
realized I didn’t have my trail map or vet card. I must have left them in my
camper.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLUlDSaBSxSkVvVIMjajcB4wE6MG8vRaoyGYsDW9RyH0eClioTL7NNKRIZaX-qaw5gXvde6ZaoNFGkvh00rLqyRzckKm6XzNFNC3dQP4eTA7qQvBoqWA83cMtEIE6ALRVWbJLncQwNloIi/s1600/20180602_084217.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLUlDSaBSxSkVvVIMjajcB4wE6MG8vRaoyGYsDW9RyH0eClioTL7NNKRIZaX-qaw5gXvde6ZaoNFGkvh00rLqyRzckKm6XzNFNC3dQP4eTA7qQvBoqWA83cMtEIE6ALRVWbJLncQwNloIi/s320/20180602_084217.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We caught up with another pair of horses, one of whom was
getting very unhappy about the stallion behind her. We passed them and trucked
back to camp as quickly as we could to retrieve our map and card.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We trotted into camp and I got off and found the map and
card. I got back on, and just as we were preparing to leave, our camp neighbor
stopped us, saying something didn’t look right. I hopped back off and she was
right.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The front left billet was gone from his saddle.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I stood there staring at this and realized quickly it was
far too risky to continue with only 3 billets. The chances of saddle slippage
or another billet failing were just too great to take.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
While I was thinking this, our neighbor was rummaging
through her trailer. Out she comes with a strap which I was able to rig up to
reasonably work in place of the proper billet. I thanked her profusely and off
we went to hit the beach.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When we got to the trail to the beach, Demon became tense.
Evidently, despite living for a couple of years merely a mile from the beach,
he’s never been there. Ultimately I had to lead him down to the beach proper so
we could finish our ride. He wanted nothing to do with that funny-smelling
water. Well, we both feel the same about the beach, so I can’t complain too
much, but we did have to get through it. At least we didn’t have to go *in* the
water, just by it.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXK9CmMhrQQR5dQNN1QOOyh0FjSh6qCzxUicUsJE6UEkBZbtycGvUyPxo5bBWulFHqm0sOwsyukyq5UsR_6qzTZju4iFmxSDl0Si0C2hNm-5lVAiPl4YBcmCHeB2NQeHhe2vH6WyNggU2w/s1600/20180602_133226.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXK9CmMhrQQR5dQNN1QOOyh0FjSh6qCzxUicUsJE6UEkBZbtycGvUyPxo5bBWulFHqm0sOwsyukyq5UsR_6qzTZju4iFmxSDl0Si0C2hNm-5lVAiPl4YBcmCHeB2NQeHhe2vH6WyNggU2w/s320/20180602_133226.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Quite dubious about the funny smelling water</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
While we were on the beach, another rider caught up to us
and we ended up spending the rest of the ride with Phyllis and George. We were
both doing about the same pace and the horses got along so it worked out.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrGduTVRhzDaq0bsA_kUZfHGQ5_FtvmC2qXRkoyOZqvl3AD6WrlV_wAEVQi0beEkBikMq1toTGAhu5FebFUfbz7V7PH56Gq9GZX3vmKEbNlrMr2nGWO-WU7o0LMoHRd7VRdHowySiuAE0u/s1600/20180602_133757.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrGduTVRhzDaq0bsA_kUZfHGQ5_FtvmC2qXRkoyOZqvl3AD6WrlV_wAEVQi0beEkBikMq1toTGAhu5FebFUfbz7V7PH56Gq9GZX3vmKEbNlrMr2nGWO-WU7o0LMoHRd7VRdHowySiuAE0u/s320/20180602_133757.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the beach, not even thinking about sticking a toe in that weird water</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
At the third vet check, Demon again pulsed down quickly and
tucked into his hay and water, while George took a little time. This was okay
with me. I didn’t mind spending extra time in the vet check, and neither did
Demon.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Back on the trail, we kept our pace up as much as possible.
Toward the end, we had to really start speeding up as we were pushing the cut
off. We once again caught up to the little mare who was so upset by Demon, so
we slowed down in order to let her get away from us a bit. While I know I am
not responsible for the behavior of other horses, I appreciate the difficulty
of dealing with a horse who’s having a problem. If I can help ease someone
else’s difficulty, I’ll do my best to do so.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIkGPdAvw7ni94mK73yJxcZcAzYO4xbQ2P8yzc5aKITqmSY1ISMkTmbx_jr_3c8zlXY9xJ3O68F2-P4jqwqjl4fWVczX4AhODhyphenhyphenGQ-O1IPIYUmX8eDkCRV4d8-1t0ARTGD-aOdy2ncabpN/s1600/20180602_171947.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIkGPdAvw7ni94mK73yJxcZcAzYO4xbQ2P8yzc5aKITqmSY1ISMkTmbx_jr_3c8zlXY9xJ3O68F2-P4jqwqjl4fWVczX4AhODhyphenhyphenGQ-O1IPIYUmX8eDkCRV4d8-1t0ARTGD-aOdy2ncabpN/s320/20180602_171947.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We crossed the finish line with 15 or 20 minutes to spare.
Demon again pulsed down easily and I took him to the trailer to untack quickly.
Unfortunately when we left, George started getting upset and Phyllis’ husband
came over to ask me to bring Demon back. I grabbed a handful of hay and brought
Demon back over to hang out with George. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After George pulsed down, we vetted both horses through and
took them back to their respective trailers. I was super happy with how Demon
finished. He did well, even though he was more tired at the end than he usually
is. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Before the ride meeting, the ride manager came up to me and
told me someone had told her we hadn’t gone to the beach. Well, of course we
had, and I had 10 pounds of beach in my boot to prove it, plus the “between the
ears” pictures I’d taken. That was more than enough to satisfy the ride
manager, indeed, just insisting we had was enough.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I can only assume someone who knew we’d been ahead of them
when we passed camp didn’t realize they’d passed us while we were fixing tack
and thought we must have cut trail.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
After all of this, I found myself thinking, the next time we
do this ride, we’re leaving Thursday before the ride!<br />
<br />
I did, eventually, figure out what must have happened to that billet which went missing. It was put together in a manner which would allow it to come undone, especially if it were being interfered with by stirrup fenders. Being on a western saddle, it was quite easy. Now, I put them on the saddle the same way they came to me from the manufacturer. However, I do feel it was an assembly error rather than a design flaw. I still use the same sort of billets, put together the other way around, and don't fear the same issue reoccurring.<br />
<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxFXxeztPPiWbH9WqfZs7QhAplIjY_dOAvEBSnE1jm5unzD9LMLXVk_-UDGsG6gS2wxBN1PLS47_4tbQotalQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />hammerithothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04872885874133892537noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8253443694650355321.post-27976416032488482242018-04-06T18:44:00.000-07:002018-04-06T18:44:24.286-07:00Eastern Mojave ScenicBefore we left, I brought DC up and glued a set of boots on her. She has been without shoes all around since some time in January. I'd taken her hinds off with the intention of resetting them, only to find I was out of the nails for her shoes. Oops. And by the time this ride came around, I hadn't acquired more. But, at Death Valley, Dave Rabe had given me a full set of size 00 EasyBoot glue-ons. I already had a pair of 0s for her fronts. So I went ahead and did a full set of glue ons for this ride.<br />
<br />
We had an uneventful drive to camp and found a decent place to park where I could put Hoss out on his stake. It was even still daylight when we arrived. It seems no matter how early I leave for a ride, I cannot seem to get there until the last minute. I even miss ride meetings for driving late. So it's extra nice when I can manage to arrive at a reasonable hour.<br />
<br />
With DC having had trouble in the past with rides, I decided I'd ride Hoss the first day so she could settle in. She does fine by herself in camp, other than not eating anything other than hay, and I hoped by leaving her she would have time to recover and rehydrate from the drive.<br />
<br />
<i>Day 1</i><br />
<br />
In the morning I got Hoss saddled up and we got out on trail. It was a nice day, not cold and not hot. While it was chilly, I was able to leave my jacket at camp rather than have to deal with it during the day.<br />
<br />
Hoss was extra happy to hit the trail and behaved pretty well. It shouldn't be surprising after 4,000+ miles. I suppose ultimately it doesn't matter how many miles a horse has done, one can never be sure what horse they've brought until they're on the trail.<br />
<br />
We chugged along on our own for the first several miles, then hooked up with Cathy Bartusek and her new horse. So we spent the rest of the day with them.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqDMMYgT0tzKbRY1iDlJEbPvkZrkW7nwE0Dpy0mtgdmnJnOg6S2ZL_PcDCMmiBPtHOqOz4JWZ8s4tq6fKJNs93mZ6QcIpY7MAsZjiMGivaJg05PFILen0fRvShaFBLBPet4F93euUhihsF/s1600/20180208_125752.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqDMMYgT0tzKbRY1iDlJEbPvkZrkW7nwE0Dpy0mtgdmnJnOg6S2ZL_PcDCMmiBPtHOqOz4JWZ8s4tq6fKJNs93mZ6QcIpY7MAsZjiMGivaJg05PFILen0fRvShaFBLBPet4F93euUhihsF/s320/20180208_125752.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Hoss was happy to have company, although we went slower than we would normally on our own. Cathy was doing her second 50 on this new horse, and wanted to take it slower than she would with an experienced horse. Since Hoss likes to have company, I was OK with taking things slower than usual.<br />
<br />
After a lovely day, we pulled in to camp as the sun set. I was starting to feel pretty worn out, and was contemplating not entering the next day. Indeed, I fully intended to leave my name out of the box when I went to the ride meeting.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
So imagine my surprise when I put a card in. I figured, what the hell, I might feel better in the morning, and putting in the card wasn't a commitment. I'd still have to put my "morning card" in to complete my entry.<br />
<br />
After the ride meeting, I staggered back to the camper, finished dinner, checked on the horses, and fell into bed by 8pm. Normally I set up my saddle with water bottles and such the night before, but I was just too done in. I figured if I went, I'd have plenty of time to get it done in the morning.<br />
<br />
<i>Day 2</i><br />
<br />
I elected to do an LD with DC. Her last two 50s did not go super well, one ending in a tie up and the other with a punctured hoof. As a result she hasn't had the conditioning she really ought to have. Besides, she really wants to be a top ten horse, and if that's what she wants to do, she's going to need to do some top tens at shorter distances before she does it in 50s. She's already top tenned a couple of 50s, even has a 1st, but I don't feel like I've prepared her adequately for the job. Not to mention, I'm not ready to be riding 50s in the top ten!<br />
<br />
Surprisingly, I felt fairly good in the morning. There was a bit of pep talking to get out of bed. I was only riding the LD. I'd have plenty of time to nap after we got back. We weren't doing much. I can do this!<br />
<br />
Coffee helped.<br />
<br />
DC still needed to be vetted in, so had to hustle to get everything together and hit the trail without being too far behind. And I needed to get her to the vet before the vet crew left for the morning.<br />
<br />
I got out of the camper and fed horses first, before starting my breakfast and getting dressed for the day. Although I'd gotten up with enough time, I still had gotten up later than I usually would. So I went for efficiency in preparations. I got the coffee on and fed. Started breakfast and got dressed. Filled my water bottles. Made sure I had the right map and rider card.<br />
<br />
I had plenty of time when I got DC and brought her around to saddle up. DC has always been a nervy sort, and this morning was no different. She trembled while I got her ready, flinching at any sudden movement. She wanted to run off at any opportunity. Still, she was able to contain herself enough to get her saddle on and cinched up.<br />
<br />
When we arrived at the vet to check in, DC was trembling so badly the vet couldn't get an accurate heart rate on her. Couldn't hear her heart at all. I hadn't been able to get a pulse because of the trembling. The vet and I both felt fairly confident she was fine, in spite of the excitement, and we headed off to the start.<br />
<br />
Possibly the most bizarre feature with DC is this super excited trembling business. As soon as I pulled her up alongside the mounting block, she quit. She put her head down and got to work. The trembling absolutely vanished. Now, this is not to say she went forward at exactly the speed I asked, or that she never tried to get her way. No, of course she wanted to bolt from time to time, and being the competitive soul she is, she wanted very much to run until she was way out in front of everyone ever. Despite that, she was controllable, and she put a great deal of energy into keeping herself in check.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVRjBPovzw_A9Z2fJhSSBqbIukZnag2eeiV1Gv4Ypf2BNsvVWQ9CHxNNrTOR9SSFgY7CD4v0YxYncHci_Vq9EBIYdjudinJlZi3BW5p7NGcNVXvAfUpRv9VS8GMHyjcqHdSD5ZUvkIt4tP/s1600/20180209_094413.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVRjBPovzw_A9Z2fJhSSBqbIukZnag2eeiV1Gv4Ypf2BNsvVWQ9CHxNNrTOR9SSFgY7CD4v0YxYncHci_Vq9EBIYdjudinJlZi3BW5p7NGcNVXvAfUpRv9VS8GMHyjcqHdSD5ZUvkIt4tP/s320/20180209_094413.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Look at those ears, checking to see if anyone is catching up.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The first several miles of the ride went fairly well. Other than wanting to charge ahead whenever she saw horses gaining on her, she was consistent and did a good job. Well, she still hasn't quite gotten the hang of following trail. A single track seems to derail her ability to figure out where she's supposed to go. I had to keep a good direct rein on her on single track lest we trot off into the desert.<br />
<br />
I was keeping DC back as much as possible, shooting for a 6mph average and not to get into racing. DC, of course, wanted to race. We had quite a discussion coming out of the Ord Corral and going up the hill, her wishing to run as fast as she could and me telling her she needed to walk. I had finally gotten a few real walk steps out of her just as we came to the photographer. So I asked for a trot.<br />
<br />
What I got was a dead runaway.<br />
<br />
I had two choices. Fight like hell and get her back to a walk, or ride it out. I chose ride it out. It's always best to pick one's battles, and I decided this was not the hill I wanted to die on. Later when I told the photographer I'd been riding a runaway, he was surprised. From his perspective she appeared to be well under control. Looks can really be deceiving!<br />
<br />
We arrived at the vet check in good time. Rather than go to pulse in right away (there was a line of riders preparing to vet and leave, and only Dave there to do both jobs) I took her into the corral for a drink. I dropped her bit and led her down to the water.<br />
<br />
While she was having a drink, I gave her a quick look over. She had blood covering her right shoulder. Not long before, while trotting on single track, we had disagreed about which side of a small Joshua tree to go around, and she ended up running into it. The result was a bloody mess. I rinsed it as best I could, realizing for all the blood it was superficial. Then we pulsed in and had our rest time.<br />
<br />
On the way back to camp, DC was less enthusiastic. Watching other horses leave without her seemed to take some of the stuffing out of her. So we alternated trotting and walking, and made our way back to camp at a decent pace. We managed to hit a 6mph average.<br />
<br />
On our way back to vet out at camp, we snuck past Hoss, who appeared to be having a nap sprawled out on his side in the dirt. I learned later he'd heard us and tried to leap up, only to catch himself on his line and get stuck. Debra Freiberg very kindly helped him, only to have him thank her by whacking her with his head trying to find DC. Yup. Hoss is just like that sometimes.<br />
<br />
After vetting out and stripping DC and getting both horses fed, I retreated to the camper for a well earned nap. This LD thing could spoil me. Getting back to camp with so much daylight left and time to relax is really nice.<br />
<br />
<i>Day 3</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
After the ride meeting the prior evening, Cheri Briscoe asked if I was riding Hoss, and allowed as she'd like to buddy up with us for the day. I allowed as Hoss and I would not mind doing so. So in the morning, as I finished saddling and was getting on, Cheri and her younger stallion, Elendil ("L") arrived to join us on the way out of camp.<br />
<br />
Not only does Hoss like having company, he is a very calming and steady presence for other horses on trail. Cheri was happy to have Hoss alongside L for the day.<br />
<br />
L turns out to have a bigger trot than Echo did, or Hoss does. Usually, when paired with a horse who's faster than him, Hoss will continue to chug along at his regular rate, confident he'll catch up when the other guy slows down. Today he was not having it. He was absolutely going to keep up with L. So while we'd usually be going at about 7mph, he's pulling along at 9mph. It was a good trot, though, reasonably smooth - as smooth as Hoss gets, anyway - and it didn't feel like he was particularly overworking. In the end I just had to let him keep it up. I knew with Cheri's riding style we'd still end up averaging about 5mph, so ultimately it would amount to the same as usual.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1cBgBNSwaw_x3kcWl5NwY7bt498tzFCOgC65VZC4ai4zGW2HuVKOl2Kj_01_yJ2cO9qKWP-eAQGlO7x_efH7dAXMvHX3c0zWD1qqfggXZvtPq2_Az9medfiMqTkUwJj2WlGu3rHs2GwmR/s1600/20180210_130332.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1cBgBNSwaw_x3kcWl5NwY7bt498tzFCOgC65VZC4ai4zGW2HuVKOl2Kj_01_yJ2cO9qKWP-eAQGlO7x_efH7dAXMvHX3c0zWD1qqfggXZvtPq2_Az9medfiMqTkUwJj2WlGu3rHs2GwmR/s320/20180210_130332.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hanging out at the vet check</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
At the vet check, we had a nice lunch and good rest. The horses were fine together. Of course, the other guy's food always looks better.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga2oIlAWvNm734KEhwdT-uU1o4xR9OJ-rZlCvk0TEXyV5sjRbHz3wf8GRh_tVnOi1wyBEIUK0anWm7FVlaEJBFBaIrDbX1BAgB8-tB3feo72gk19Bbu49XFontwENfdSJyh1O9FWQAs9ZR/s1600/20180210_144059.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga2oIlAWvNm734KEhwdT-uU1o4xR9OJ-rZlCvk0TEXyV5sjRbHz3wf8GRh_tVnOi1wyBEIUK0anWm7FVlaEJBFBaIrDbX1BAgB8-tB3feo72gk19Bbu49XFontwENfdSJyh1O9FWQAs9ZR/s320/20180210_144059.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hole in the Rock</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We set out after lunch to finish the second half of the ride. Most of the trek back is fairly level, with a final climb to Halloran Summit, and a gradual 7 mile decline back to camp. We finished nicely, with a just under 10 hour 50.<br />
<br />
<i>Day 4</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
DC was up again, so as Hoss and I came in from Day 3, we picked her up and took her to vet in while Hoss vetted out. It certainly was easier than trying to take her by herself.<br />
<br />
In the morning, she was once again fidgety and anxious and trembling. Got her saddled and ready and we made our way to the trail.<br />
<br />
DC was a little less difficult to handle this day. It may partly have been due to a smaller entry in the ride, giving her fewer other horses to worry about. I set out to have a faster day, aiming for a 6.25mph average.<br />
<br />
We headed out of camp and kept a nice clip going. DC was happy to get out and feel like she was essentially alone on the trail. She's odd in that she generally prefers to be by herself, but once she feels like she knows another horse she'll happily go along in company as well.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG1mpBczxqGTNo9ykncS6vBEcHbu9TWUdNFLdTCeN3_N1fBeCkphOD_feddrTwp6Olt9zmKkXlBtdoUWsQfMNwqxS1zjhpw3rUh92TyGpuhgeq1VAyZH-VgVJ7ieUnR8U1gYWhBdT4A6ou/s1600/20180211_093324.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG1mpBczxqGTNo9ykncS6vBEcHbu9TWUdNFLdTCeN3_N1fBeCkphOD_feddrTwp6Olt9zmKkXlBtdoUWsQfMNwqxS1zjhpw3rUh92TyGpuhgeq1VAyZH-VgVJ7ieUnR8U1gYWhBdT4A6ou/s320/20180211_093324.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the mine camps</td></tr>
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I knew we were getting close to the vet check when we started going through the old mine camps, so I started pulling her back some. Our average was also a little high on the GPS, so I just waned to cool her heels a bit. Unfortunately right about then another rider started catching us, and she just wasn't having it. Once she even broke into a gallop to try to leave them behind.<br />
<br />
Approaching the vet check, we had to pass through a wash with some gnarly rocks. It was tough to navigate, as the trail is really recut every year, so I was relying on ribbons. With DC worried about another horse catching up, I had to be quick.<br />
<br />
We got to the bottom a rock slough, and I could see a ribbon at the top. I was sitting there thinking that couldn't possibly be the way we were meant to go, when DC decided it must be, or I wouldn't be looking up that way!<br />
<br />
We got about halfway up before DC got stuck and started to fall. While she was scrambling, I tried to bail off to get out of her way. At some point my knee got bashed into a rock. Before I could get off, DC got her feet back under her, picked me up, and backed out of the slough. We stood there shaking for a minute, and she thought she'd give it another go. I managed to stop her and, having now found the marked route, got her going the direction we were supposed to go.<br />
<br />
Once we were up on solid ground, I hopped off to have a look. DC had several small scrapes, and one big wound over her left hind fetlock. She was bleeding but not super profusely. I led her down to the hold, sure she was going to be lame by the time we were done.<br />
<br />
It was quite windy, and although I had very carefully taken my crew bag to restock, I'd forgotten to put the horse cooler in it. So all I had to cover DC with was my jacket. I tossed it over her hips to help keep her at least a little warm. She was OK, not really shivering, but still a little amped up after the spill. Her heart rate recovered quickly and we settled in to wait. A crew person who's rider had already been through kindly loaned us a cooler, allowing me to have my jacket back.<br />
<br />
While we were resting, I realized my knee had been gouged open on whatever rock I struck it against. It was bleeding quite profusely. Remarkably, my tights had not been damaged. There were no bandages in the trailer, so I had to hope the wound wouldn't bleed enough to fill my boot.<br />
<br />
After we'd been in for 20 minutes, I took DC to the vet, sure she'd be lame by this time. Imagine my - and the vet's! - surprise when she trotted sound!<br />
<br />
I could have waited for a ride back to camp, rather than continue on. On another day I might have. We had about 10 miles to go to camp. It was cold and windy. DC was trotting sound. I knew the wound on her fetlock was going to give her trouble sooner or later. It was going to be hours waiting in the vet check until we could hitch a ride to camp. I felt it was better for her to go on. We'd just slow way down.<br />
<br />
We left the vet check and alternated walking a trotting our way down toward camp. DC preferred to trot than walk, so I allowed her some trotting.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvnehgAvbmKZXTP4sVheNILh7OXNllY2w-qW-_lyQytlHGcnnv9an1kdpqz0plYvc3-GZvVNkdrlcudZJGje_vUC28UVpRXCRLzlNWwP5UtoB4eZvGtiiA4uGE3asdcd8WWmjN9lL3FoZb/s1600/20180211_101719.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvnehgAvbmKZXTP4sVheNILh7OXNllY2w-qW-_lyQytlHGcnnv9an1kdpqz0plYvc3-GZvVNkdrlcudZJGje_vUC28UVpRXCRLzlNWwP5UtoB4eZvGtiiA4uGE3asdcd8WWmjN9lL3FoZb/s320/20180211_101719.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Out of the vet check back toward camp</td></tr>
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The rider who'd nearly caught us up before the vet check did finally catch us, and we ended up riding on in together. Our horses seemed to make friends and got along. DC was significantly faster than the other horse, so when we trotted we'd leave them behind. One advantage was DC would slow down if she left the other horse too far behind, allowing me to keep her to a slower rate.<br />
<br />
We walked a good deal of the way, until we were passed up by another horse. DC did not take kindly to this, and it was very tough to keep her to a walk. In fact, it was far more likely to to her harm if I didn't let her move out. So, for a couple of miles, we did just that. We slowed back down when we got close to camp, but DC still couldn't do less than a jig. At least she was able to jig without also having me hauling back on the reins. She couldn't quite walk, but I had a loose rein anyway.<br />
<br />
When we got back to camp, I stopped at the trailer to strip DC's saddle and grabbed Hoss. There was really little to be gained by leaving him there, yelling about DC while I tried to get her vetted out. By the time we trotted for the vet, DC was indeed very mildly off. We got our completion, and I took her back to the trailer to doctor her up as best I could.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijTvGrOZ3uNctWoj2BUpmlBBRDO_naqGSHD882PNOJKYLhLHN8fWHLVLeMeXX5PXiBjGTdygIUXzsFYAVesHu2_56cXsNCH8vDuh1x9ksY25Q4mESgTw98BsaXJGt4RGO1VL0-SWYZFQp0/s1600/20180211_131859.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijTvGrOZ3uNctWoj2BUpmlBBRDO_naqGSHD882PNOJKYLhLHN8fWHLVLeMeXX5PXiBjGTdygIUXzsFYAVesHu2_56cXsNCH8vDuh1x9ksY25Q4mESgTw98BsaXJGt4RGO1VL0-SWYZFQp0/s320/20180211_131859.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />DC's banged up leg</td></tr>
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We left for home in the morning. By then DC was once again fairly sound, although the wound was painful to the touch and bled any time she moved. We were home not long after noon and the horses were able to relax in their pens.<br />
<br />
The glue-ons I put on DC worked extremely well. They stayed on for the entire ride and it took me some time to pry them off a couple days later.<br />
hammerithothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04872885874133892537noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8253443694650355321.post-45797324407591106832018-01-29T15:32:00.000-08:002018-01-29T15:32:41.551-08:00SeriouslyEvery once in a while, I hear from some friend who's taken up distance riding with a non-Arab horse they've been told, "If you want to be serious about endurance, you have to get an Arab."<br />
<br />
Now, my first thought is always, what, exactly, does the person making this statement mean by "serious?"<br />
<br />
As a rider whose first endurance horse is a mustang, who has now logged over 4,000 miles, I think I take endurance pretty seriously.<br />
<br />
Maybe those who make this statement mean a "serious" endurance rider aims for a lot of top ten finishes, or first place, or best condition awards. I can't know. No one has ever made this statement in my presence for me to ask. I suppose it would take quite a bit of courage to suggest to me Hoss and I are not "serious" about endurance.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisdKGLPOfX-6tjlYTphgR_FdNLFJ0ky6XZgpu-vypMPsy6myJ4iXPmawq7eP57QFMJ-bn0IJEhY-XT6OZUMRVNsMnAQcnpt4c1m3dY6UqAKNWsq-j-kGlJWNnSvaqEM__r3qFLpXGoDL2v/s1600/26220239_863997247105314_8670771107738014840_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisdKGLPOfX-6tjlYTphgR_FdNLFJ0ky6XZgpu-vypMPsy6myJ4iXPmawq7eP57QFMJ-bn0IJEhY-XT6OZUMRVNsMnAQcnpt4c1m3dY6UqAKNWsq-j-kGlJWNnSvaqEM__r3qFLpXGoDL2v/s320/26220239_863997247105314_8670771107738014840_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hoss, being super serious about endurance. Photo credit Steve Bradley</td></tr>
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When one looks at the horses who are consistently finishing and getting firsts, top tens, and BCs, that population is very definitely majority Arabians and half-Arabians. The problem is, that's really not how to look at it when deciding if your particular non-Arabian horse has a decent chance of "making it" as an endurance horse.<br />
<br />
If one were to look at the percentages, one will find the vast majority are Arabians. The next most common group is half-Arabians and grade Arabians. It drops off significantly from there. So of course, the highest percentage of wins, BCs, and top tens, go to Arabians. Even the highest percentage of finishes go to Arabians.<br />
<br />
For a true sense of how the non-Arabian horse one has chosen is statistically likely to do well in endurance, one must look solely at other horses of the same or similar breeding and how they do in terms of percentages of completions, top tens, first place, and BCs.<br />
<br />
But when we get right down to brass tacks, what it means to be a "serious" distance rider is very personal. There are so many different ways to succeed in this sport, to say one can only be "serious" with an Arabian for a partner is ridiculous on its face.<br />
<br />
Just completing a few rides is enough to consider oneself "serious."<br />
<br />
It's a very personal question. What are your goals as an endurance rider? If you're serious about those goals, congratulations. You're a serious endurance rider.hammerithothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04872885874133892537noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8253443694650355321.post-64963753379002799252018-01-29T14:36:00.000-08:002018-01-29T14:36:29.498-08:00Fire Mountain, Day 2, 50 milesCome Sunday morning, both Demon and I were still feeling our first day's ride. So I went ahead and saddled up and got Demon moving, lunging in both directions to get his blood flowing and verify his soundness to start. I had some misgivings about going, to which I probably should have listened. My left hip was giving me fits and I could barely walk fast enough to keep up with Demon without limping.<br />
<br />
Rather than use the previous day's vetting out as the start vetting for horses doing both days, we had to present to the vets for a trot-out before being confirmed to start. I waited until fairly late to do this, as I wanted to get it done and hit the trail without hanging around for an extended period.<br />
<br />
The trails for day 2 are the same as day 1, just ridden in the opposite direction. Demon has never been a super fan of repeat trail, but he's learned to appreciate it at least a little bit. Doing it the other direction is nice, as it still feels like new trail even though you've already seen it.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Once more over the rise, from a slightly different angle</td></tr>
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We headed out and had a good calm start. It took us longer to finish the first loop the second day than the first. I just had to keep slowing him down because of that stupid hip.<br />
<br />
We came into the first vet check about 10am. Once again he vetted with flying colors. I gave him plenty to eat and made sure he drank well during the hold before we headed back out for the second loop.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tucked in, dunking his hay for combination eating and drinking.</td></tr>
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Given the previous day's poor gut sounds, I allowed Demon to eat more at the water stops this time. And we were going even slower than we had on the first loop. That hip is really not my friend these days. We ended up coming in for the second vet check about 1:30pm, an hour later than the day before.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coming up the rise before dropping back to camp on Loop 2</td></tr>
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This is where that FEI thing starts to bug me.<br />
<br />
On day one, as I was waiting to vet, another AERC rider was going around and around with the vets about getting a pulse and going to the trailer before vetting in later. It took some doing and she eventually got her way.<br />
<br />
In light of the previous day's gut sounds issue, I wanted to pulse in and take Demon to the trailer and vet in after he'd had a chance to eat for half an hour or so. So I walked him in to the pulse box and announced my intention.<br />
<br />
And it got circular.<br />
<br />
The vet told me, well, vets are taking pulses, so we'll just vet you at the same time. Here, let me help you with your saddle.<br />
<br />
I said no, I want to go to my trailer and vet later. AERC rules allow that.<br />
<br />
Once again, vets are taking pulses, so we'll vet you at the same time.<br />
<br />
I don't want to do that.<br />
<br />
This goes on for several minutes before I stalk back out with Demon to unsaddle him, having the vet shouting they'll help with the saddle. My husband was outside the arena. I'd rather have him help, thanks.<br />
<br />
So I come back in and go through the process. Since I'd been letting him eat Demon had good gut sounds. The vet then said he was a little off, and I swear I heard left front. I was told to bring him back, tack off, about 10 minutes before our hold time was over. So as I led him off, I got him trotting beside me enough to see how he was, and he was sound. I didn't bother to look at his hind. I felt good about his soundness.<br />
<br />
At the appointed time, I brought him back, and the vet declared his lameness was worse. I was flabbergasted. I'd been watching him and because I heard left front, was only paying attention to his front end.<br />
<br />
Turned out either there had been a misstatement earlier, or it had been his left hind all along.<br />
<br />
Someone else trotted him for me, and the vet proceeded to explain how to see hind end lameness. I had to cut the vet off. I've been shoeing horses for 20 years, I can spot a lameness at a distance in 3 steps, I know what I'm looking at, and after the earlier incident with the pulsing thing I was already short tempered.<br />
<br />
So we were pulled. At which point the vet proceeded to throw a pity party. I really did not need the "gee that sucks!" statements and just walked away at this point.<br />
<br />
The worst part is, this vet is a person I really like. I admire and respect this person. To feel I was being manipulated by this person was really, really unpleasant. And the pity party bit was downright insulting.<br />
<br />
It was still early enough in the day to get home at a reasonable hour, so we decided to pack it up and go home. Demon had plenty of time to eat and drink before we were ready to load him up. He was obviously lame at this point but bearing weight fine while standing and walking so I felt fine about taking him home. Besides, I knew he'd rest better in his pen next to his buddy than tied to the trailer for another night.<br />
<br />
We arrived home about 10pm, got Demon in his pen and gave him a bran mash with bute which he did not eat. I took him out Monday morning expecting to figure out exactly why he was lame only to have him trot alongside the golf cart perfectly sound. No heat, no swelling, nothing to give an indication of why he was so off on Sunday. I pulled his shoes since he's done competing until I recover from hip replacement surgery in March. Not so much as a nick to suggest he had been footsore. I am doomed to never know exactly why Demon was lame that day. At least he shook it off quickly. I'm sure whatever it was, my hip not cooperating set it up.<br />
<br />hammerithothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04872885874133892537noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8253443694650355321.post-1532395910515308512018-01-29T13:23:00.001-08:002018-01-29T13:23:38.834-08:00Fire Mountain, Day 1, 50 MilesI harbor a certain degree of nostalgia for the Fire Mountain ride.<br />
<br />
Way back in 2004, it was the very first ride I attended. My daughter and I conditioned up our horses. With my husband, we packed up a tent and camping gear, the horses, and ourselves in my shoeing pickup and a two horse straight load trailer and off we went. It was so cold, we ended up dragging in every extra horse blanket we could find. None of us slept well.<br />
<br />
And we had a really excellent time.<br />
<br />
So I like to head back when my schedule allows. I made it in 2016, and it was Demon's first 50.<br />
<br />
When it became clear I would be able to attend this year, I decided I'd take Demon and get a few more miles on him.<br />
<br />
I'm trying very hard to get 50s on all three horses before I have my hip replacement in mid-March. It's going 1/3 well. Demon has finished 200 miles, within 6 weeks. He was burning it up. But Hoss came down sick at Death Valley, and DC had punctured a foot at Git R Done and just was not quite ready to do a ride yet. So Demon has endurance miles, Hoss and DC are still hoping to get theirs in.<br />
<br />
Fire Mountain this year was a co-sanctioned FEI event. Git R Done in October was one as well. Every time I attend a ride co-sanctioned with FEI, I remember why I generally dislike them. They tend to be highly regimented and it behooves even AERC only riders to operate more by FEI rules than by AERC rules.<br />
<br />
Taking Demon this year felt good. I like the trails and the people are pretty nice. Camp is very nice, too, with plenty of water easy to get to. It's what I like to call a local ride - defined as any ride within the state of California and less than 300 miles from home.<br />
<br />
We arrived in camp fairly late on Friday, although we still had enough daylight to set up camp, pick up my packet, and get vetted in. It's quite amusing watching the volunteers numbering horses realize there is no color of Magic Marker which will show up effectively on a black horse. Demon is not super accustomed to this practice, having accomplished much of his endurance career so far at Duck rides where numbering just isn't done, but he handled it well. He does very much love feeling like the center of attention.<br />
<br />
In the morning, I took my time about saddling up. I wanted to let the hot-shoes leave and be well gone before Demon and I headed out. With FEI riders there as well, I knew there would be a larger than usual population of riders who were going fast. I wanted Demon to have a relatively slow day and not to get hung up with the leaders.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Watching the other horses leaving, wondering why he can't go with them!</td></tr>
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We finally headed out. Demon was very good and solid for me, despite announcing his presence<br />
every now and again. I did slow him down quite a bit for the deeper sand, as we don't have much of that at home. Still we managed the first loop a little faster than I had hoped for. We got back to camp at right about 9:30am.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg7OdrFYVtTtEphvmr5Wdyuw_FQ4gwyfjdlaHJRPaZ_61dvPiUk280fe3yDo2Qe1VoueJm5rduCI2fU4XYkghcTj-4TFItDpsfVI3BOHLl5lEjqzqeGT_Y2ad29iCbmJS1g3kOZqVO38aK/s1600/20180113_084410.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg7OdrFYVtTtEphvmr5Wdyuw_FQ4gwyfjdlaHJRPaZ_61dvPiUk280fe3yDo2Qe1VoueJm5rduCI2fU4XYkghcTj-4TFItDpsfVI3BOHLl5lEjqzqeGT_Y2ad29iCbmJS1g3kOZqVO38aK/s320/20180113_084410.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coming over the rise headed back toward camp</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Got to the vet area, pulsed and vetted fine, went to the trailer for rest and food. This was a 30 minute hold. I had started a timer on my watch when his pulse was announced so I wouldn't miss my time. I have a habit of doing that.<br />
<br />
When our time was up, I got Demon's bit back in his mouth and we headed back out for loop two.<br />
<br />
I thought I had understood the manager to say the second loop was 20 miles, so imagine my surprise when we were coming back into camp at 12:30. I later realized she'd meant the third loop was 20 miles.<br />
<br />
The hour hold vet check required tack off, so I had my husband meet me before the gate and help me with Demon's saddle. We ride with a very chunky Tucker western saddle, complete with pommel bags and water bottles. It's a PITA to get on and off regularly and I definitely did not want to set it in the dirt if I didn't have to. While we were unsaddling him Demon was hoovering up all the hay within reach.<br />
<br />
The vet who examined Demon commented his gut sounds were low. I have not yet taken Demon to a ride where we vetted before allowing him to rest and eat, so I really couldn't say anyone had said he had low gut sounds in the past. Still, he would have been eating if I hadn't dragged him off the hay, so I was unconcerned about low gut sounds. The vet told me to bring him back just before we left for a recheck and kept our card.<br />
<br />
*Sigh.* Yep, sometimes these FEI vets are a little .... odd. It's hard to imagine many AERC vets doing the same, and had we been doing it our normal way we wouldn't even have vetted at that point anyway.<br />
<br />
So I took Demon to the trailer. My husband had hauled the saddle to the trailer so we didn't have to deal with it.<br />
<br />
At the trailer Demon ate like ... well ... a demon. I gave him a serving of Outlast as a precaution, although I doubt it was necessary. Once we were coming down to the wire on our hold time I put his saddle back on and took him back to the vets, where he was immediately declared to be normal and fit to continue.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHjfUqPgA9KOjg4B78d25nodDOgoHrmf134_qxgrs8jcZW0i8fvX8QLIuyYAoje1BO87BAROHsiqk9BBEqsm9togxCieQVNb_EK1piBIwFVWLN-SdZJmITJhyphenhyphen0wYBrtQyWC7KVfsB996ZK/s1600/20180113_140428.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHjfUqPgA9KOjg4B78d25nodDOgoHrmf134_qxgrs8jcZW0i8fvX8QLIuyYAoje1BO87BAROHsiqk9BBEqsm9togxCieQVNb_EK1piBIwFVWLN-SdZJmITJhyphenhyphen0wYBrtQyWC7KVfsB996ZK/s320/20180113_140428.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Headed up away from camp</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The last 20 mile loop is a long uphill pull before coming back down to camp. Demon wanted to catch up to horses in front of us, but I wanted him to go more carefully so I kept him back until we got to more even ground. We had a couple of good trot and canter sessions, and had a really good time trotting down the hill back toward camp. We finished at just about 4:30pm, with plenty of light to spare. We were both tired and happy.<br />
<br />
hammerithothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04872885874133892537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8253443694650355321.post-39344947010179364012018-01-06T18:47:00.001-08:002018-01-06T18:50:27.193-08:00The Purina Feed Greatness Challenge, Week 4<br />
<br />
Time once again for observations and musings on the Purina Outlast product and what we're seeing in the horses we're feeding it to.<br />
<br />
Since it has been four weeks, I took out the weight tape and measured all 3 of the endurance horses again. I have to say, I was surprised -- floored may be more appropriate -- by the result.<br />
<br />
Hoss has gained right around 20-25 pounds on the tape. I wasn't super surprised by this, as when I girthed him up today, he'd lost yet another notch on his girth. So I was expecting him to show a gain.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEAeE-pvQ38zYA1HXI5GUOVL5wLyJQSnRXNKy06lAx6tBaxa-aKUXYoNbm28Rosdnwd8B08ZctKb9RisiYtSIPRWePHK8dYQ202vnZBwSx0yYJpFWy6MnuzLr4DiTO_odfXEL-M5eEAcba/s1600/20180106_134754.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEAeE-pvQ38zYA1HXI5GUOVL5wLyJQSnRXNKy06lAx6tBaxa-aKUXYoNbm28Rosdnwd8B08ZctKb9RisiYtSIPRWePHK8dYQ202vnZBwSx0yYJpFWy6MnuzLr4DiTO_odfXEL-M5eEAcba/s320/20180106_134754.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yes, Hoss got a much needed clipping, and he's sticking his tongue out at the camera</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Demon has also gained about 20-25 pounds. This really did surprise me. Yesterday, I noticed I could see ribs on him at the right angle. Since he's always lost some weight after an endurance ride, this seemed about normal. So when the weight tape brought him in at 875, I was truly surprised. I did feel along his ribs, and they're not super easy to feel. I don't know why I could see them yesterday.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl1dpUVX1-CsHM-NSEt7yToEi26UBoSUwTgNfPrFFRD7BsZ2Za3_7WLBz-FTo8A-Xu5iJ-CGGiEuyfIEkCpt-yXECoeMY2e2xrCI35JaEKYGWX2Xhw7NDhBLFcfTgnG-GxOBPQ8hvESlsN/s1600/20180106_153646.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl1dpUVX1-CsHM-NSEt7yToEi26UBoSUwTgNfPrFFRD7BsZ2Za3_7WLBz-FTo8A-Xu5iJ-CGGiEuyfIEkCpt-yXECoeMY2e2xrCI35JaEKYGWX2Xhw7NDhBLFcfTgnG-GxOBPQ8hvESlsN/s320/20180106_153646.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Doing his very best to look good for his picture</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
DC gained about 10 pounds. Considering the tape already at her at 850 before, I should hope she hadn't gained much. Being also the smallest, she should have the smallest total gains. Still, I was surprised to see she had changed at all.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbf2x5maKAX_mCy3H-l81PvA631c0nU4EvhFsbXyNnA3xJs6JGunM4Vbwb0880vCJ93_RkcD6KmGH0w4UC-aQPkBdYHsCCWjf0XW_CZBO4JS2zVu2vuefMQXWEkFeFU8Bd6jzpkfGvFv6S/s1600/20180106_155210.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbf2x5maKAX_mCy3H-l81PvA631c0nU4EvhFsbXyNnA3xJs6JGunM4Vbwb0880vCJ93_RkcD6KmGH0w4UC-aQPkBdYHsCCWjf0XW_CZBO4JS2zVu2vuefMQXWEkFeFU8Bd6jzpkfGvFv6S/s320/20180106_155210.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">DC is by Demon. It's astonishing how similar they look</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
It should be noted all the original weights were taken about a week after we started the challenge, so these gains all occurred in 3 weeks. I wouldn't change any of them in terms of where they are on the body condition score. Hoss is a 6, DC is a 6, Demon is a 5.<br />
<br />
I did finally get an email from Purina. Here's the meat of what they ask:<br />
<br />
<div style="background-color: #f8f9fc; color: #657374; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">
<strong>Have you seen these changes in your horse?</strong></div>
<div style="background-color: #f8f9fc; color: #657374; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">
</div>
<div style="background-color: #f8f9fc; color: #657374; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">
</div>
<ul style="background-color: #f8f9fc; color: #657374; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">
<li>Difference in hair coat condition</li>
<li>Boost in overall bloom and health</li>
<li>Continued optimal intake due to palatability</li>
</ul>
<span style="color: #657374; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">OK, let's take these in order.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">"Difference in hair coat condition"</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">Honestly, not really. They look and feel about the same to me, other than Hoss has started blowing coat. Beth, however, swears they all look better, especially DC. I just don't see it. Besides, with it being shedding season, they're growing new coat so of course it's different. Hard to pin that one on feed.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">"Boost in overall bloom and health"</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">OK, wait, what?</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">What does this even mean?</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">This "change" is so vague as to be meaningless. I don't even know what "bloom" means when speaking of horses. They don't have flowers. As to health, well, they're healthy as ever.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">"Continued optimal intake due to palatability"</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">Honestly, why they included this as a "change" escapes me. Yep, they're eating it. Hasn't changed since day 1. I suspect this is included to round out the magic 3 we humans tend to like so much.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">All of the expected changes are vague and invite subjectivity in observation. How much change in any of these criteria is seen is purely in the eye of the beholder. Witness the difference in how Beth and I perceive the coat conditions of my horses. It puts ideas into one's head, and encourages seeing change even if it isn't really there.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">Amira, the unhandled mare, continues to improve. Now I'm noticing she's level-headed all the time, rather than in the immediate time after a feeding. She's still pretty calm and relaxed in the mornings when it's been over 12 hours since she had a serving of the Outlast. So it's either showing better effects over the long term, or because it allows her to relax she's learning to stay that way in the absence of the product's effects. She's even sort of approaching me, the big meanie who forced her into a trailer and drove her 2,000 miles. Now, the only way we'd know for sure if the Outlast is responsible for these changes would be to take her off it and see what happens. Not likely to happen, especially with a horse who needs so much work and help.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">We're continuing to see changes. At this point, we'll very likely continue to keep Outlast in the barn. It does seem to be helping, even if I find the vagueness of their expected changes frustrating.</span></div>
hammerithothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04872885874133892537noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8253443694650355321.post-9032333897530732272018-01-02T20:03:00.000-08:002018-01-02T20:03:15.147-08:00Death Valley Encounter, Day 4: Nadeau SpringsHoss now doing quite well, I felt it was safe to leave him alone for several hours while Demon and I rode. The vet check was back in camp, and Cheri Briscoe was parked next to us, so I knew he'd be well looked after.<br />
<br />
Since it was New Year's Eve, I had gotten party hats and head bands. I taped a party hat on Demon's crown piece and a head band on my helmet. We were ready to party!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk1HLCmCqoxLe3gaOlwohdy8L7rlZHV8-pGIS3QlwPqRY3Opb8SQ65fu8ht1zyYXwDdIrxMJ78gi5iea-vWQmGXQR18Doft6QJ1CTcL_OfHLgSWT1XDNar4L9LpOb4pViGqcFxpPhxqMbU/s1600/20171231_065419.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk1HLCmCqoxLe3gaOlwohdy8L7rlZHV8-pGIS3QlwPqRY3Opb8SQ65fu8ht1zyYXwDdIrxMJ78gi5iea-vWQmGXQR18Doft6QJ1CTcL_OfHLgSWT1XDNar4L9LpOb4pViGqcFxpPhxqMbU/s320/20171231_065419.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not feeling super amused by the party hat</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
This day is pretty flat through the desert without the extreme climbs and drops of the previous days. It's not as picturesque as previous days, but there are some spectacular views of the valley as the trail rises up away from camp. It's also a little repetitive, as the second loop is the same as the first loop with some bits cut out.<br />
<br />
The first loop went quite well. I had to pull Demon down to a walk for some of the uphill stuff. Between wanting to make sure I had enough horse for the afternoon and my hip starting to burn, I made quite a few gait changes.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWCEGhYGG2bLw4m2-sW3gCMLkUEZALsYGrRIQiv-Nr4frZV2ttgzFGe3byyoUl388UxgzL3RlyTt8Jwu0zahT37VyF4cn6EIRWUxxiGGH5l_Y5-hCp3b2y7gR9Qy4mNzsahvcmlQJ0WsS6/s1600/20171231_074443.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWCEGhYGG2bLw4m2-sW3gCMLkUEZALsYGrRIQiv-Nr4frZV2ttgzFGe3byyoUl388UxgzL3RlyTt8Jwu0zahT37VyF4cn6EIRWUxxiGGH5l_Y5-hCp3b2y7gR9Qy4mNzsahvcmlQJ0WsS6/s320/20171231_074443.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heading up the hill from camp</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The first loop took us close to the Nadeau Spring, where we had to get a question. In this case, "What was the color of Emperor Hirohito's horse?" I have no idea. I didn't even know the guy had a horse. But that's not the point of the question, more that you know it and it proves you didn't cut trail.<br />
<br />
Coming back toward camp goes through a sandy wash. It isn't as deep as some other places, but it was easier to have Demon walk the whole thing than go back and forth between walking and trotting at irregular intervals. It's pretty there, anyway, so going slow and appreciating it is nice.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglz2GTGnmMAMmcY19L6tw8vJTpz092MJQBmCNg1qDK6gfvD_BIt6PzRV8zUDGKKjpThDp040r_diQT1n9QN05l0GNRT_ye-djZvmjvyt5es969OtP1lKvnVgsxE2wZlaWNC7AV1QmEjDMY/s1600/20171231_074926.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglz2GTGnmMAMmcY19L6tw8vJTpz092MJQBmCNg1qDK6gfvD_BIt6PzRV8zUDGKKjpThDp040r_diQT1n9QN05l0GNRT_ye-djZvmjvyt5es969OtP1lKvnVgsxE2wZlaWNC7AV1QmEjDMY/s320/20171231_074926.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking toward Great Falls</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We made it back to the Stockwell Mine Road, which heads back to camp. Except we had to go the other way and loop back a couple of miles on other roads. When we got to the turn, Demon was chugging along so fast I missed the notes on the pie plate. I got him pulled up and took out my GPS to find we were off track. He was mildly annoyed when I made him head the other way, away from camp, but trotted along amiably enough.<br />
<br />
We finished the first loop and had our hour hold. I looked at my watch when we arrived and promptly forgot what time it was, which I didn't realize until I was sitting in my camper, looking at my watch, and contemplating if it was time to leave again or not. Was it 11:15 when we came in, or 11:25? Maybe 11:05? I don't know. Regardless, we didn't leave camp until 12:30, by the time we passed the vet inspection and got back on trail.<br />
<br />
Demon was feeling particularly good. Maybe the extra time in camp did him good. He kept up a good pace, not really wanting to slow down. I did make him walk some of the longer uphill, just on general principles.<br />
<br />
He was going so well, I didn't want to interrupt his groove. So rather than slow him down when my hip started hurting, I took a two point position, grabbed mane, and hung on. We did slow for particularly rocky sections, and when going through the wash the second time around.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCWDJuh6RbZvjPxb0KO9KP0o5akfBCTTm5Rlpg586unQ7mQG3aXIaDMLpK6lZkBxRHoqu3diy39Vu2KNjW8H5UIcMhcrsgn0T5kjOP5Qo9TlANNn2APCUXM2aHg9ryE_wZdMzFjD1YBGmZ/s1600/20171231_101017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCWDJuh6RbZvjPxb0KO9KP0o5akfBCTTm5Rlpg586unQ7mQG3aXIaDMLpK6lZkBxRHoqu3diy39Vu2KNjW8H5UIcMhcrsgn0T5kjOP5Qo9TlANNn2APCUXM2aHg9ryE_wZdMzFjD1YBGmZ/s320/20171231_101017.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heading back toward camp</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The only thing worse than getting super close to camp then turning away is doing so twice. We got back to the Stockwell Mine Road, and Demon was utterly convinced this time we should be going straight back to camp from there. It took some convincing on my part to get him going. It helped two horses were not far ahead of us, so he decided I couldn't be entirely stupid if they were going that way, too. Still, this time he was much more annoyed than the first time around. Once we reached the point of heading generally back toward camp, though, he eagerly picked up the trot, and we finished the second loop in just about 3 hours, not counting our extra time in camp.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwNoeq07RzDSs8-BgXlT8iRAkcTJAQmCbmpb6AEBzL7A3Dko42Km6NWt_Z8RQaa5bBvQOAFPiKsqVvIyL8V3y0y-WCm0eBOFJ3UBamqC2DnqNDpHhiT4-FdvuuqkzbyB0MMlgUR_dHmkBK/s1600/20171231_113040.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwNoeq07RzDSs8-BgXlT8iRAkcTJAQmCbmpb6AEBzL7A3Dko42Km6NWt_Z8RQaa5bBvQOAFPiKsqVvIyL8V3y0y-WCm0eBOFJ3UBamqC2DnqNDpHhiT4-FdvuuqkzbyB0MMlgUR_dHmkBK/s320/20171231_113040.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happy New Year, Ya'll</td></tr>
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<br />hammerithothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04872885874133892537noreply@blogger.com1