The ride continues

The wonderful trail was soon to end. We arrived at the highway 94 crossing...crossed over and found a big tank of water. I hopped off in to the mud and quickly sponged both horses.

Shana worried because Red refused to drink...soon we went up the trail again. Here it turned Rocky and steep in places. The footing of Rocks intermixed with sand made for some treacherous footing for our "un-padded" horses feet.

Falcon took the word "ROCKS" to the extreme and would slow to a walk everytime I said it...which was frequent, but I wanted our horses to come out of this ride UNINJURED!

There were more water stops...still Red would not drink, while Falcon slurped every chance that he got.

Soon we topped the ridge and were able to trot and canter again. Prior to 94 we had made very good time, but now I was worried...But we made it into the vet check around 1120. We were a little confused as to where the vet check was and we wasted some time figuring out what to do at that point.

But Shana had me grab our bag from the side of the road and we yanked the horses saddles off and walked down to P & R. Falcon was at 60....yeahhhhhhh!

So then I went to vet him in. He did not want to trot out and he did NOT want the vet to listen to his gut sounds. He kept charging around and being a BAD BOY!
They told me that he was earning a trailer ride back to base camp.

I almost cried! They felt sorry for me I guess, gave him a C and told me to come back 10 min before our 40 min hold time was up. This time he trotted out better and a nice person fed him horsey snacks while they finally gave him an A- for gut sounds.

Usually I can tack up in no time flat. Now, after 14 miles, my arms felt like lead as I hoisted the saddle up on Falcon then helped Shana with hers while she held the horses.

I crawled up on Falcons back and wished that the PB & J sandwhich and fresh cold gatorade would give me some energy.

Out of camp we went at a walk. The horses thought that they were done for the day and just plodded along. In several places we werent sure whether we were going the right way or not, but decided to follow the numerous horse tracks.

It was difficult to motivate the horses to move on down the trail. It seemed like the hills were longer and more frequent and when we arrived at the base of the "mile long hill" both of the horses STOPPED dead in their tracks along with another gal and her horse.

It was redicules, none of them wanted to budge, but finally Falcon took on the hill and the other two horses followed. That was the longest hill in my mind of the day.

Wonderful water tanks were at the top and Falcon slurped...I don't know if Red did or not. I was too tired to care. After that hill remained more ups and downs and ups and downs and when we reached the narrow switchback trail, I was encouraged that we were close to home...but still worried that we wouldnt make it back in time.

I stopped at the creek to let Falcon slurp again, but then urged him onward. We then heard voices, 2 55 milers were blowing down the trail and took off at a canter past us on the jeep road.

Red pulled out and took off behind them leaving billows of dust....Falcon picked up the pace and we zoomed after them. I yelled at Shana to slow down, but only because I couldnt see or breath from all of the dust...but we cantered most of the way until I suggested that we walk. the FINISH line was in sight! YEAHHHHHHHHHH

I choked up again, not from the dust, but with the emotion of it all. We had made it!

Well not really, we had 20 min left to vet in the horses and have a pules of 60. We walked the horses to the trailer and ripped off their saddles, then walked back to the P&R.

Red the "wild card, no good pony clubber, non gaiting Missouri Fox Trotter" went straight through P&R with a pulse of like 48 or something crazy like that and vetted right through.

Falcon on the other hand was 86 and all excited with the commotion of the 55 milers racing in, diesal trucks and golf carts motoring about. P&R checked him again and said NO WAY he is 74. Then he told me to keep his head up, sponge him and not let him eat....This time he gave him a pulse of 60 with ONE MINUTE to spare....sheesh that was CLOSE!

Then to the vets, Trot Out, then pulse again, 64. Then cripes, they pulled US AGAIN for the second time that day for the CRI....trot out again, pulse at 60....YEAHHHHH! and THANK YOU FALCON for standing STILL for the GUT SOUNDS....I LOVE YOU HORSEY!

WE FINISHED-if there had been a turtle award, we would have won it for sure!

Suddenly I felt hungry....

RIDE DAY! YEAHHHHHHH!!!!

6 a.m.! FINALLY the night was OVER! Time for another long walk to the porta-potty...
The horses had consumed a good bit of hay in the night and Shana had gotten them fresh water, lugging it from the water tank a good bit away, I think, not realizing that I had a 25 gallon tank and hose in the tack room on the trailer.

We had a healthy breakfast of cereal with blueberries, strawberries and banana's.
Truthfully, I was not hungry, but knew I HAD to eat. Suddenly it seemed like it was 7 and time to start tacking up.

I grabbed icy bottles of water and gatorade and stuffed them in to my saddle packs...one last nervous trip to the port-a-potty and it was time to mount up.

MAN that time went way too fast. Falcon was feeling frisky and did not want to wait for Shana to mount Red. He was difficult to control as he started backing or getting light on his front feet...no way buddy....WALK~!

We walked the horses down to the Trot Out, but they werent ready for us to go. I could feel Falcon getting nervous under me and he refused to stand still. I asked Shana to move on and get out of the gathering crowd of horses.

So we walked the horses toward the base camp check in. When we turned around, I peered over the trucks and cars and saw helmets bobbing up the trail and knew that the trail was open.

I approached the Trot Out and called out my letters. ALL of the other horses were GONE! The vet motioned me on and said that the trail was open! YEAHHHHHHH!

Shana and Red were close behind and I let them pass us at some point. They took off at a very fast trot and the emotion welled up within me. WE HAD STARTED! WE HAD STARTED OUR VERY FIRST RIDE!

We were close behind a pair of other riders, trotting and cantering along the cool shady jeep trail above the New River. Soon one of the riders moved on ahead, while the other pulled off and let us pass.

Oh what a RIDE! and fairly fast. Soon we crossed a creek and headed up up up a narrow trail with sharp switchbacks. But the horses charged up that while we tried to avoid having our knees whacked.

The trail turned into double track again and flew by. We came to a meadow and paused for a breather and to let the horses munch on some grass. Then we were off again, cantering, cantering....oh what a wonderful ride.

Virginia Highlands, our first LD

Aug 22nd, 1030 a.m. found me impatiently waiting for my neice to arrive so that we could load the horses and GO!

I felt like I had the trailer all packed and ready...nothing else to do but wait...

It turns out that I could have done a few more things to organize myself, but oh well, lessons learned.

Shana arrived and we went to the barn so that she could meet "Red". I was in a hurry to get going and so I grabbed Falcon and we all tromped up the hill to the trailer.

The horses loaded nicely and we were on our way lickety split. I opted to take the country roads to avoid crossing the Masanutten Mountain and also to avoid all of the truck traffic on 81.

The 4.5 hour drive went quickly for me. I was in good company and good thoughts about the ride. I think we pulled in to Ride Camp around 4:30 or 5. We had been told that someone would park us, but "someone" was no where to be found.

We followed a sign to overflow parking and Shana hopped out and walked almost 2/10 of a mile to see if there was a space for us. Yeahhh, way at the end, nice and quiet.

We unloaded the horses and Shana held them, while I finished parking. I felt disorganized and distracted and didnt know what to do first, wasting time before I decided that I better get the portable corral set up.

This went fairly quickly and Shana suggested that we use the truck and trailer as a wall to make the corral bigger, thus both horses could hang out in it. We used a goat halter/leash compination, bungee cords and a lead rope to attach it all to the trailer and truck.

Then we tromped almost .38 mile to the ride camp desk. The nice ladies there found our packets...there wasnt much to look through, we were almost the last ones to check in. UGggggggggh, They then said that they needed our AERC cards. OH BOTHER!

Tromp tromp back to the truck, get our cards, tromp tromp, back to the table....tromp tromp, back for the horses, tromp tromp to Vet in the horses and tromp tromp back to the trailer....good grief...we were getting some exercise!

I was exhausted by then, all of that driving and then all of that walking and setting up camp, and then ALAS I couldnt find the "STUFF" for my new porta-potty that neutralizes odors.

Also, I decided, that since it was getting dark by now and the horses corral was attached to the truck, that the Truck Tent would not work out and Shana HAD volunteered to sleep IN the back seat of the truck, so I blew up a mattress for the tack room of the trailer and made my bed there.

I had my tack room PACKED with STUFF and we had to haul ALL of it out, including the spare tire, so that the mattress would fit. Our camp looked like a JUNK YARD!

I started to pack my saddle bag for the next day, but then got distracted doing something else, Oh, we had to mark our own Horses because there didn't seem to be anyone around doing THAT after the vet check. So Shana, dutifully took on that difficult task.

Then Shana said "I don't see ANYONE, it is too quiet, EVERYONE MUST be at the ride meeting! Oh good grief, I still had a TON of stuff to do. So we tromped off 30 min early to the meeting, but everyone was just eating.

I was SOOOO tired and remembered our chairs AFTER we had walked all the way to base camp again. So Shana, being SO much younger than I volunteered to go back and get the chairs and managed to hitch a ride back in a truck with a friendly lady.

After the ride meeting we went to the "newbies" meeting with Stagg Newman. It was good, but mostly repetitive info for me. Then we trudged back to camp.

I was so tired that I told Shana good night and crashed onto my bed. My sleep was short lived. Red kept chasing Falcon around in the corral, so I got up and gave them big piles of hay to munch on and more water.

This allowed me some sleep, but then I was awakened again by the noisy horses and the need to go visit the porta potty....man I wished I had found my STUFF for mine.

The night seemed to never end and my body craved rest.

Time to Go

Friday-the truck and trailer are packed to the hilt. I think I have overpacked.

Oh well, better to have more than less! Now I just have to put the cooler, the horses and myself in the vehicle and go.

I have to pick up Alison from volleyball practice at 10, Shana is scheduled to arrive between 10 & 11...and then down the road we goooooo..

yikes! my chest is tight! I better go make myself busy to distract the jutters!

Trot Outs

I was happily surprised today, when Red quickly took off at a trot when I asked.

It was short lived....As we reached the gate out of the barn lot, he veered to the left at full speed and then immediately put his head down and started ripping up some lovely green grass and clover....

Ok now, NONE OF THAT! I yanked on his lead and put him back on the path to the goat pasture. That completed, we turned with him attempting to yank at more grass, but he then came along very willing and at a steady fast trot to the barn. YEAHHH!

Falcon was next and at first he balked and lifted his head high, but with in a few steps he was trotting nicely to the gate, turn and back to the barn at a steady slow trot. YEAHHHHHHH!

With three more days of practice under their cinches, both boys should be in good shape for their "trot outs" on Friday.

Bling-a-ling

Wow, too much time to relax! The kids are at work or at their papa's house and I am enjoying a wonderful peace and quiet.

Feeling a little creative, I decided to add some BLING to the bridles. I hope that I don't regret it.

I also put my blue helmet cover on the helmet, but you will have to wait for ride photos to see that I suppose, since I am too lazy to tromp out to my horse trailer with the camera!



The picture is not really accurate. I am concerned that all of the beads will start unraveling off of their little string. Any ideas?

Gettin' Ready!

The days are disappearing quickly! Only 6 more days until my first Limited Distance ride in the Virginia Highlands.

I have slight anxiety. Not really for myself or Falcon, but more for Red. He is just such a wild card...

Red is not very comfortable in the woods, but one thing is for sure, that if he makes it through the initial Vet Check and then also through the Vet stop, he will take off for "home" at a LOVELY pace. I am hoping that I will be pleasantly surprised with both Red and Falcon.

Falcon's longest distance was a grueling 12 miles to Kennedy's peak. He finished bright eyed and ears perked...That has been months ago now and I feel like he is in better condition both mentally and physically now.

Oh so anyway....gettin ready!

The last of the WATER BOTTLES are in the dishwasher...

The saddle pads are washed and on their 3rd rinse cycle....

Red carried his saddle and both bridles and breast collars and two helmets up to the horse trailer for me, and patiently waited while I punched some extra holes in his latigo.....

Still a lot left to do, but will have to wait until Wed. night and Thurs.

The weather is so lovely...but it is rest time now, conserve our energy. I am plagued at present with inflammed hip, elbow and knee joints for some reason....hhhhmmmmm must be all of the ice cream or tomatoes I have been eating.

I plan on deleting both items from my menu for the next few days to see if there is any improvement.

The plan is to practice trot outs with Falcon and Red every day this week. Both did fairly well on their second try, but Red can WALK faster then I can RUN!

I expect to see marked improvement by Friday a.m.