In retrospect, what we went through is fairly typical of many 'young' horses at their first endurance rides. Just that Storm is usually so good, and not young in age, that I forget sometimes that he is really still a greenie! It was just so frustrating at the time, that I got a tad bit carried away at the time. So to start... Chamberlain Creek is a 'close' ride to us...at just over 3 hours away, it's nice to not have far to go for a ride. A lot of local e-riders go there, and a lot of their local riders ride our rides, so it's almost like a local club ride....everyone knows each other and it's a great big family outing, helped along by excellent management. It's not an easy ride, despite being within 20 or so miles of the coast. We have some pretty significant coastal mountains in California, thanks to the wonderful plate tectonics around here. They are not 10,000 ft tall or anything, but they are UP, DOWN, UP, DOWN without relent. So I chose to do an LD on Storm here, as it would be a fairly tough one. Often, the weather also gets really warm, despite the fall months and nearness to the ocean (ocean only helps in sending humidity to add to the heat). Last year it was close to 100, with added humidity. But it is also a really fun ride, with good ppl (though after recent logging operations, the trails are not as nice as they used to be...lots more gravel :(...oh well).
Storm and Oli enjoying some breakfast together, while we do last minute packing of the trailer.We got out early Friday and took off for the ride. We were going to meet up with some friends, Linda and Slim, who were also bringing along two gaited horses for the LD there. Terri was of course going for the 50 with Oliver. When we got there, hardly anyone was there yet, so we got to pick a great camp and save a spot for Slim and Linda as well. This camp is small and in the forest, so it can get VERY tight (ppl literally backing between two trees, that may be 6" on either side of the trailer, is common) and it helps to get there early, and have as small a rig setup as possible. We were able to get in one of our more liked areas, backed up to the small bluff over the creek. This lets you spread out in the 'back' and still not be in anyone's way.
Storm's camp corral setup with highline to the trailer and Oli in his corral behind him.We set up some corrals between trees, and a highline for Storm's night time tie, and got the horses and everything else set up for the next day (the downside of Friday arrivals...I like arriving Thurs, and then having all day Friday to do stuff as well as relax...arriving on a Friday makes it all a bit more hectic. Linda and Slim arrived sometime while we were organizing, and set up next to us with their ponies on hie-ties. Then we all got to bullshit a while and catch up on what we'd been up to.
We soon signed in, vetted through, and then went to dinner and the ride meeting.
Storm with all his goodies...three kinds of hay, mush, and water. All set up on the highline too.Nothing new from last year, and the weather was supposed to be fairly warm, but not super hot. Goody! I didn't eat too much, as I was feeling a bit off...not real sick, but not right either. Good thing too, as that night whatever I had (felt flu-like...chills and just BLAH and bad digestion) had escalated. Basically, I was up all night with only fitful periods of sleep, and wore out by the time morning hit. But, I was feeling somewhat better... not a ton, but enough to climb my way up onto my horse and sit tight for 6hrs and Git 'er Done....
I was hoping to ride with Slim and Linda, but they sometimes like to go a bit faster than I do, esp for Storm's current conditioning on the level of trail we were going to be on. But we at least were going to start together. The start is across the creek and up a steep, slippery, but short hill, on a logging road. Better than in camp, as otherwise it can be a free for all with horses not crossing the creek, bucking up the hill, slipping and falling down, etc. We were going out with some other LDs, and S+L's horses were getting a bit cranked up, with Storm feeding off that. So we all waited until everyone got up ahead, then headed to the start. Storm drank first thing, right in the creek, and S+L's horses got a tad out of sight up the hill..so he got a tad excited and wanted to hunch up up the hill...oh oh...guess I should ride him a bit before a ride, rather than get fat and sassy resting at home! LOL... once on top, I hopped off and decided we were NOT going to behave like that, and I was going to lead him til he settled down. That was fine, except now S+L were really getting out of sight, which made him more antsy. FINE...we'll just hand walk slowly, til they are gone, and ride alone...They were already starting to gait off, which was faster than I wanted to go right off the bat anyway. I figured there was plenty of time to catch up later, if I wanted to, and maybe a few ppl behind us as well.
Well, that plan backfired...big time. Maybe it was my own lack of energy, or whatever, but Storm basically quit on me. All was ok up until the first vet check...he was a bit pokey, but with the hills and no one to motivate him (turns out there was no one at all behind us), that wasn't too big a deal. But he just wasn't wanting to go much...least he WAS going, albeit at just the minimum 5mph...We even missed the photographer, who left thinking everyone had passed him. Once in the vetcheck, all was well..pulsed right down, vetted through with great scores (I was a tad concerned before, as he was dragging his heels so much), tucked right into his food and all.
We left the VC and headed for the second vetcheck...this is where we started to fall apart...I had to use my crop (wish I had worn the spurs, but he was so good at the last ride, I didn't bother...oops) to get him to even leave the check. I think he figured he hadn't seen ANY horses all day, and now that he had 'found them' (the 50's shared the check, so even though I was last in the LD, there were 50's coming through on their second loop), he wasn't about to leave them all again.
This is something that I have been told is a 'green horse' issue. I was lucky, and my first endurance horse was a been-there-done-that horse, that knew his job already. My mare, though she hadn't done endurance, was such a well broke and been-everywhere horses, that even though she wasn't excited on her own, she plodded right along when I told her to. Storm on the other hand, did what other greenies do, and decided he was quitting. From the lunch vet to the next vet, I could barely get him out of a walk. We made it to the next check, and again his scores were fine (except 'attitude and gait' of course...couldn't hardly get him to do a gait-out, so he wasn't stellar there), but I had an even harder time getting him to leave THAT check. Some other riders had left 10 minutes before, so I was hoping he'd catch them and could draft off them (while he was dragging along, I kept thinking it was 'attitude', but of course my paranoid mommy side was trying to come out and say something was wrong with him, and that was why he was dragging, and maybe we should quit...uggg...that emotional roller coaster...mad, worried, mad, worried, etc...was not making me happy...). But ten minutes is a long time, in endurance and they didn't come into sight for some miles yet.
At this point, I was seriously worried we'd go overtime, as we were barely moving along. I knew where the last check (really just a water stop with spotters that have some goodies for ppl and horses) was, and how far from there to the finish. I knew we were close. But every time I'd kick him up to a gait, he'd drop right out after a few yards, or just ignore me totally, or even stop if I stopped. Sighh... And I just had no energy to deal with it, after being sick all night.
We almost caught a few ppl near the last water stop, but they took off around the corner, as I was turning toward the water. Storm drank, ate some hay, and off I went again, hoping he'd perk up if we caught them. And we did....and he did! But....they were walking along slowly (50's with plenty of time left to finish) and I was REALLY close to time...so I had to get Storm by them...he REALLy did not want to pass and leave them...sighhh...
I was getting more frazzled and at this point was literally having to take the rommel on my reins and smack him every few minutes... I was at the point, where I was so mad, I was ready to get off, tie him to a tree, and walk back to camp without him. I just felt soooo let down! It was totally unreasonable, but lack of sleep will do that to you, LOL. As we beat our way down the trail that way, constantly checking the clock (I had less than a 1/2 hr left, and was not totally sure where I was vis a vis the finish), I FINALLY realized where I was...bout 2 miles from the finish I guessed.. and not much time left! Ride management puts out signs starting about...ohhh...I would guess a mile or so from the finish? They are a series and say things like "Almost".... "There"... "Just"..."A bit"...."Further"...etc I knew if I saw those signs, I would be within grasping distance of the finish... The clock was ticking and no signs..and ticking... FINALLY! With not ten minutes left, I saw the signs... I was nearly in tears at that point, for real! Those that know me, know that is rare for me. But I was just SO relieved to see the signs, and so done physically and emotionally... But I still had to make it OVER the line, and pulse down in TIME! So I kept kicking and wacking and finally saw the turn in the trail, that meant I was right about there. Checked the clock...2 or 3 minutes left! ACK!
We crossed the line, gave the vet card to the timer, I hopped off, loosened Storm's girth and took him to the water. After all that, I hoped to whatever powers may be, that he would just pulse down and we'd get our completion.... Pulser came by as I was tossing a little water on his neck, and started counting...I am waching the clock... DOWN!! And yes, with less than 30 seconds on the clock we had MADE IT! I about collapsed right there. Storm seemed fine (and happy again, as a few 50's walked in as I was standing around the water) and we headed back to camp (camp is down a mile or so of trail and across the hwy...). I just hand walked, as I had to vet in once back in camp (this is a ride that having only 1/2hr to vet after finishing at the finish line, is dumb...sighhh....no time to do anything but walk back, dump tack at the trailer, and walk to the vet line) and just didn't have any 'ride' left in me at that point anyway. Storm happily was pulling on me, trying to catch up to the other 2 horses (who were being led faster than I could muster at that point) and oblivious to whatever issues I was having...typical male. :)
Back in camp and tack dropped, we went to vet in, and despite my still nagging mommy-brain still thinking something just HAD to be wrong with him, he vetted through with flying colors as always. I took him back to the trailer and set him up with his post ride goodies, and just flopped in a chair and vegged. Thank heavens THAT was done. I sure hoped he learned that he could do a ride alone, and not die...cause he darn near killed me! UGGG... Greenies are not easy I guess! Up til then, we'd either done a ride with another horse, or always found horses around us. This was our first 'alone' ride, and it was enlightening. I had all sorts of doubts in my head after, but was willing to set them aside for a few more rides, and see if we had just fluked at this one.. With a trip to Europe to visit family imminent, the next ride wouldn't be til the end of October. I'd see how he did then.
Turns out the October rides didn't work out, but we went to the Desert Gold 3-day over Thanksgiving and had some more interesting things to learn...but more to that in the next post!
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