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This year was almost a non-endurance ride year, but last weekend Patch and I finally went to ride a 50 miler in the Oregon high desert.
I had a nice drive over to the ride, about 5 1/2 hrs driving time, 3 mountain passes, the highest 5277 ft and the others not much lower, pretty scenery, with a herd of about 50-60 antelope lounging in an alfalfa field between Burns and Brothers. We arrived at ride camp about 3 pm. A couple of my teammates pointed out a place where my rig would fit, and I set up camp, got Patch settled with food and water, went to the ride office (a table next to a camp trailer) to do the paperwork, and visited along the way with folks whom I hadn't seen for a year. We stood in the vet line for about 30 minutes and finally reached the front. Patch vetted in with flying colors, we went back to the trailer and I finally was able to sit down and visit with my nearest neighbors. We watched the sunset, talked about old rides and friends who aren't with us anymore, and then it was time for the ride info meeting.
The ride manager is a surgical nurse, and she is so funny, she really keeps everyone's attention. When she was describing one of the loops somebody asked if it was a clockwise or counter clockwise loop. She replied that she was a very visual person and has to face the direction the trail is going in, so she turned her back and made a few motions with her hand in the air, said counter clockwise while making a clockwise motion with her hand. Somebody asked which hospital? That was the best laugh.
The Lord honored my request for good weather. The days had been hot and the nights cold, but Friday night was very mild, and Saturday morning was about 50! Sweatshirt weather, but after about a half hour on the trail, even the sweatshirt was too much! Thankfully I always dress in layers. The day was mostly cloudy, with temperatures in the upper 60's with a few short sunbreaks. There was a nice breeze all day. Perfect weather for a ride! Thank You Lord!
The first 15 miles were good. We rode most of it with a man who rides a big Tennessee Walker. Just before coming into the vet check out on the trail at 17 miles, my left hip started to hurt. I felt like my body was a bit twisted, and my left leg was visually behind the right one, whether I was sitting at a walk, or standing or posting a trot. Whatever I tried, it only helped for a couple of minutes.
After the vet check and a short hold, I started for camp, and that's when the ride turned from fun to work. When I got to camp I stopped at my trailer to take ibuprophen before continuing on to the timer to be officially there. Some things just have to take priority. My trailer was 20 ft from the trail, so it was a very short detour. A friend who was camped next to me and not riding, asked if he could help me vet the horse, yes, can you trot him for me? Yes.
So we walked past the timer, who recorded our time on my card and on a master time sheet, then to the pulse area, Patch's pulse was down to 56, ( it has to be 60 beats per minute or below to proceed to the vet), and we got into the vet line. Friend led Patch at a trot for evaluation and all was well. The vet gave him all A's on several hydration factors and gut sounds, as well as impulsion, soundness and overall impression. We had a 45 minute hold, so went back to the trailer. Patch had a panfull of soaked beet pulp and grain, plus hay and water, I sat in my comfy canvas chair and ate a sandwich, then refilled the water bottles I carry on the saddle, and too soon it was time to check out with the timer and go.
I started out on loop 2, 12.5 miles, following a group of 4 riders at a nice 8-9mph trot. We did well on the uphill and level sections, but when it came to the downhills, my hip was complaining loudly and sending signals to my knee and down into my toes, as well as the siatic nerve. I had to slow down and let them go. The problem was compounded by Patch, he wanted to go with them and wasn't about to give me a flat footed walk. He jigged, he tossed his head, he ducked his head and pulled me off balance repeatedly, and every step hurt. We made it back to camp and my friend was waiting. He could tell my my expression that I wasn't having a good ride, came with me to the vet check and took Patch through while I sat in a chair. I had taken more ibuprophen since 800mg wasn't touching it, and was feeling kinda sick, so somebody gave me some Tums. That helped my stomach.
The hold was short and the vet line was long, so we used up all the time in the line, and then it was time to go do the last 12.5 miles. Friend smiled and said Patch passed with all A's again, I grimiced and remarked that meant I had to go out for the last loop. Gotta have some humor occasionally!
More hills on that loop, and what goes up must come back down since we were riding in a circle. A lady named Patty was going out at the same time, so we rode together. I explained that I was going to have to travel at varied speeds to try to get through it, and she said ok, she would stick with me as long as her horse could handle it. When they are trained to go at a consistant speed, the fast-slow-fast-slow drives them nuts. Level ground and uphills were bearable, downhills were killers. Patch would not do a flat footed walk even on a steep downhill!
Patty hung in with me until the last 2 or 3 miles, where we got onto a good dirt road that lead into camp, and I told her "I'm sorry, I just need to go get this done", and put Patch into a canter, which made him very happy and me more comfortable. We cantered most the rest of the way alone, covering more ground faster with less impact strides than at a trot. A quarter mile from camp I slowed Patch to a trot, then a walk. Finally I got a flat footed walk out of him for the last 1/8 mile! We crossed the finish line, I handed my vet card to the timer and got my finish time recorded, then rode to my trailer. My friend was waiting again, helped me unsaddle Patch, and walked him, while I hobbled slowly, to the vet area. Patch passed the final check with flying colors. I sat and watched, again, then hobbled back to the trailer. Friend helped me get Patch settled with a lightweight wool cooler on to keep him from chilling in the wind while his muscles cooled slowly, and I went inside to stretch out on the bed. When I took off my riding pants I discoverd blisters on the insides of both knees. I hadn't felt them.
I put pillows under my knee, and it took a while for the muscles to relax, and then I slept for 2 hours! I am not a person who naps easily. I woke up at 7pm, got up, made a trip to the outhouse on the way to the ride office, where I picked up my completion award early since I thought I might leave at daylight and didn't want to wait for the awards to be given out at something after 8am on a freezing morning. Patch got another bucket of water and a new bag of hay. My friend had put a heavy blanket on him already while I was asleep, since the temperature was getting quite chilly and the wind hadn't stopped. I ate something and went back to bed at 7:45. It was alreay dark.
Daylight arrived about 6:15 and I had only been awake a few minutes. I never sleep like that! On a good night I get maybe 6 or 7 hours. Pain really takes it outa ya!
There was a good layer of ice on my windshield. I scraped at it with a long handled ice scraper, but wasn't making much progress, then decided, since there was room, to just turn the whole rig around to face the sun, and let the Lord defrost it for me. I packed up, took Patch for a walk, and agreed to follow a friend to Burns, about 90 miles east on the way home. We had breakfast there, unloaded and walked our horses in a big dirt parking lot behind a motel, went our separate ways from that point, and I arrived home about 4:30. There were more antelope in view just a few miles from home. I always feel blessed to see them.
Breezy heard the truck coming, and my first view of our place from 1/4 mile away included him running up the fence along the driveway with his tail in the air. Hubby said he knew I was in sight when he heard Breezy whinny and saw him take off running.
I'll make an appointment to get my crooked pelvis straightened out, again!
Next year I hope to be riding more.
God's Warrior
I know this is not funny but when I was reading this, the song, "The old grey mare ain't what she used to be" popped in my mind. Of course, since the horse is male, that only leaves the rider for that to be a reference to. Just kidding my friend. I hope you get get your crooked pelvis straightened out again and your pain situation solved. I am so glad that Patch was in good shape this year. It would be nice if both the horse and the rider could be in good shape at the same time however. It's good to have you back home.
CajuninKy
Those endurance rides of yours sound like such fun events. I'd love to try one some time. But I know there is a whole lot of prep that goes into such a ride not only for rider but for the horse as well. There is no way I could accomplish any riding at all on a WTC horse anymore. I have to have an easy gaited horse to be able to ride at all. I can sympathize with the pain from a tilted pelvis. It's no fun. You might look into a big easy gaited horse. They cover the miles effortlessly and feel like sitting in a rocking chair. Especially the ones that are long in the barrell but they are harder keepers than a short coupled horse. It's a tradeoff I'm willing to make. LOL
