islandhorse
Oct. 19, 2007, 12:38 PM
After successfully completing my first 50+ ride at the Biltmore Mountin' Hope ride on Sept 22nd in Asheville, NC (see previous thread), I decided to ride the momentum and do another 50 three weeks laster in central GA. The terrain would be much easier, my horse was fit, no problem!
Short Version: Rider did NOT follow the "Ride your Own Ride" Dictum. Did a Rider-Option Pull. BUT, a LOT of lessons learned.
Long Version:
Lots of lessons learned this weekend on my attempt at my 2nd 50 at the Red Barn Run in Chester GA:
I learned that:
* I CAN drive 6 hrs straight all by myself. I can drive a horse trailer, navigate, and NOT fall asleep for 6 hrs.
* I CAN set up/break down camp and set up/breakdown the horse area ALSO without help.
* You can have a ride plan, but the goal is actually to FOLLOW IT! After 2 seasons, I still have to get this into my head. Issues to work on: Follow MY game plan, NOT others, even if they are more "experienced". I have to listed to my gut!
* Ice likes to have company in camp and in the trailer. If he doesn't his eating habits suffer.
*What is easiest for the rider is not alwasy best for the horse.
* It doesn't matter what other people's expectation of you are and what their goals are, it is what is best for you and your horse and what makes you happy.
Ok, here's the story:
I planned on doing the 15 miles loops in 2 1/2 hours and the 10 miles loops in 1 hr 45 mins. (The course was 15 mi, 10 mi, 15 mi, 10 mi.) INSTEAD, I was so worried about riding alone that when I saw good acquaintances Susan and her junior daughter Erika, I asked if I could tag along with them. They had signed up for the 25 but switched to the 50. They said they would be going slower. My plan broke down very quickly - I wanted to started after every one else so Ice wouldn't get hyped up. Susan and Erika and I were the last ones out but we were right on everyone else tails (there were only 16 other 50 milers), so we are going fast out of camp (fast trot). A mile out I told Susan I was going faster than I planned, but she said she wanted to get as many miles out of the way before it got warm. So errors continued on my part as I continue to NOT ride MY own ride. We made it to camp on that first 15 miles loop in 1 hrs and 45 mins. On the second loop, I told Susan and Ericka that I was going to take it slower (ok, here is my first attempt to "ride my own ride" and get back on track). On the second loop, we go out on our own, at a nice easy trot. About a mile into it a rider comes flying past me. Crap, Ice starts drafting after this horse. My arms and shoulders are hurting as we are trotting quite fast and cantering too. Quite soon, this rider and I are now riding "together" and start talking. Turns out she is quite an "experienced" rider but for this ride she is riding a green horse. Gosh and I thought I was bad at pacing. When she was in front (a lot of the trail were quite narrow), she would alternate between walking and hauling ass. When I was in front, I tried to maintain a medium trot. But it was hard to control Ice when she was in front and took off. So, my goal to do the 10 mile in 1 hr 45 minutes tuned into 1 hr 25 mins. Aughhhh! Next time I will get off my horse and hand-walk him if necessary if I can't hold him back.
What is easiest for the rider is not always best for the horse. Ok, this one I consider a rookie mistake because I have not been in this particular situation before.. Because I was by myself and had no crew, I decided that I would bring Ice back to my trailer at the holds instead of waiting it out in the crew area. I guess Ice was unhappy being away from all the action and the horses, but he refused to eat. I had 4 different types of hays, apples, carrots, beet pulp, 3 different types of grain. Nothing would go past those lips. So I spent my entire hold running around desperately trying to find different concoctions for him to eat. I barely managed to get some liquids and food in my own mouth. Ice was perky, but not eating. His head was up and ears perked forward, looking around (looking for other horses?). Just NOT eating. Ok, hold two. Ice gets a B for gut sounds again and Dr Schmitt says he has to eat. Ok, same deal as first loop. Crap!!! At the end of hold, I tack Ice up but in my mind, *I* have already said I'm done (mentally, physically). I take Ice to the vet area and talk to Dr Nelson and explain the situation. He does a thorough check - all the parameters, CRI, listens to the gut sounds for a long time. There are NO gut sounds in any of the four quadrants. Ok, now I'm in tears. God, can I get through an endurance ride without crying?!? Dr Nelson said if it was his horse he would pull. He said when his stallion has zero gut sounds and was not eating, it turned out that he had a fractured something- or-other bone. The not eating was the first indicator. But Dr. Schmitt comes over and says, see that hay and grain over there, go have him eat that. I take him to the crew area and park in front of some other people's hay and grain. He loved it. A lady wandered over and we started talking. She was sooo nice. She took Ice and I to her trailer and made up a huge pan of beet pulp and Purina Fast Track (I think that's the name of the grain - I think it has probiotics in it) with carrots and apples. He ate all of it plus her hay. I got a bottle of water and cheese stick for me, too. It turns out she was Dr. Nelson's wife, Rebecca. Dr Schmitt's wife Becki comes over and consoles me also. 45 minutes later (and 45 minutes past when my hold ended), Becki, Rebecca, and the vets are saying I'm now ready to go out (Ice has some gut sounds now). I reluctantly go out (remember I said I had already made up my mind that I was done), but I decided to stop feeling sorry for myself and pep up. I had about 6 hours to do 25 miles. Since I was so late leaving the vet hold, I was the last one on the trail. Ice and I would have to to this by ourselves. However, Ice did not want to trot. I'd ask him to trot, and he would ask to walk. Ughh, 25 MORE miles. The first hour, we went 4 miles. Ok, this is NOT going to work. We had both given up. I was pretty sure he had more steam to maintain 5 mph, but was not 100% sure. I think he was unmotivated like me. I cut the 15 mile loop short and headed back early. When I got back to camp I pulled him. Ice trotted out perky for Dr .Schmitt, but he said his rear right was very slightly off. But not lame. (He looked and felt fine to me). I took Ice over to friends Brenda, Kim, and Kay's crew area and he ate a bunch of their food. Brenda did a 25, Kim top 5'd in the 50, and Kay had a rider option-lame pull. They consoled me and told me a did the right thing for pulling him. But I still felt really bad because I set a goal and didn't following it and therefore didn't accomplish it. I think if I did the first 2 loops slower and had set a up a crew area, I could have completed the ride. Also, I'm going to look into feed Ice probiotics to encourage Ice to eat. I actually had some liquid probios, but it was old (smelled strongly like vanilla extract) and didn't think I should use it. I also might feed this before a trailer ride. Looking back, he was always really good about eating beet pulp, apples, and carrots on long trailer rides. Except for the past two times. But the past two times he was by himself. I wonder if this is the reason when he wouldn't eat in the trailer.
I admit this pull and lack of completion hit me hard. It was so disappointing and I felt like a failure. I know I did the right thing for my horse by pulling him. But I'm upset because it was due to me errors. Looking back, I'm chalking it up to "the first pull is always the hardest". And I did learn some valuable lessons.
Short Version: Rider did NOT follow the "Ride your Own Ride" Dictum. Did a Rider-Option Pull. BUT, a LOT of lessons learned.
Long Version:
Lots of lessons learned this weekend on my attempt at my 2nd 50 at the Red Barn Run in Chester GA:
I learned that:
* I CAN drive 6 hrs straight all by myself. I can drive a horse trailer, navigate, and NOT fall asleep for 6 hrs.
* I CAN set up/break down camp and set up/breakdown the horse area ALSO without help.
* You can have a ride plan, but the goal is actually to FOLLOW IT! After 2 seasons, I still have to get this into my head. Issues to work on: Follow MY game plan, NOT others, even if they are more "experienced". I have to listed to my gut!
* Ice likes to have company in camp and in the trailer. If he doesn't his eating habits suffer.
*What is easiest for the rider is not alwasy best for the horse.
* It doesn't matter what other people's expectation of you are and what their goals are, it is what is best for you and your horse and what makes you happy.
Ok, here's the story:
I planned on doing the 15 miles loops in 2 1/2 hours and the 10 miles loops in 1 hr 45 mins. (The course was 15 mi, 10 mi, 15 mi, 10 mi.) INSTEAD, I was so worried about riding alone that when I saw good acquaintances Susan and her junior daughter Erika, I asked if I could tag along with them. They had signed up for the 25 but switched to the 50. They said they would be going slower. My plan broke down very quickly - I wanted to started after every one else so Ice wouldn't get hyped up. Susan and Erika and I were the last ones out but we were right on everyone else tails (there were only 16 other 50 milers), so we are going fast out of camp (fast trot). A mile out I told Susan I was going faster than I planned, but she said she wanted to get as many miles out of the way before it got warm. So errors continued on my part as I continue to NOT ride MY own ride. We made it to camp on that first 15 miles loop in 1 hrs and 45 mins. On the second loop, I told Susan and Ericka that I was going to take it slower (ok, here is my first attempt to "ride my own ride" and get back on track). On the second loop, we go out on our own, at a nice easy trot. About a mile into it a rider comes flying past me. Crap, Ice starts drafting after this horse. My arms and shoulders are hurting as we are trotting quite fast and cantering too. Quite soon, this rider and I are now riding "together" and start talking. Turns out she is quite an "experienced" rider but for this ride she is riding a green horse. Gosh and I thought I was bad at pacing. When she was in front (a lot of the trail were quite narrow), she would alternate between walking and hauling ass. When I was in front, I tried to maintain a medium trot. But it was hard to control Ice when she was in front and took off. So, my goal to do the 10 mile in 1 hr 45 minutes tuned into 1 hr 25 mins. Aughhhh! Next time I will get off my horse and hand-walk him if necessary if I can't hold him back.
What is easiest for the rider is not always best for the horse. Ok, this one I consider a rookie mistake because I have not been in this particular situation before.. Because I was by myself and had no crew, I decided that I would bring Ice back to my trailer at the holds instead of waiting it out in the crew area. I guess Ice was unhappy being away from all the action and the horses, but he refused to eat. I had 4 different types of hays, apples, carrots, beet pulp, 3 different types of grain. Nothing would go past those lips. So I spent my entire hold running around desperately trying to find different concoctions for him to eat. I barely managed to get some liquids and food in my own mouth. Ice was perky, but not eating. His head was up and ears perked forward, looking around (looking for other horses?). Just NOT eating. Ok, hold two. Ice gets a B for gut sounds again and Dr Schmitt says he has to eat. Ok, same deal as first loop. Crap!!! At the end of hold, I tack Ice up but in my mind, *I* have already said I'm done (mentally, physically). I take Ice to the vet area and talk to Dr Nelson and explain the situation. He does a thorough check - all the parameters, CRI, listens to the gut sounds for a long time. There are NO gut sounds in any of the four quadrants. Ok, now I'm in tears. God, can I get through an endurance ride without crying?!? Dr Nelson said if it was his horse he would pull. He said when his stallion has zero gut sounds and was not eating, it turned out that he had a fractured something- or-other bone. The not eating was the first indicator. But Dr. Schmitt comes over and says, see that hay and grain over there, go have him eat that. I take him to the crew area and park in front of some other people's hay and grain. He loved it. A lady wandered over and we started talking. She was sooo nice. She took Ice and I to her trailer and made up a huge pan of beet pulp and Purina Fast Track (I think that's the name of the grain - I think it has probiotics in it) with carrots and apples. He ate all of it plus her hay. I got a bottle of water and cheese stick for me, too. It turns out she was Dr. Nelson's wife, Rebecca. Dr Schmitt's wife Becki comes over and consoles me also. 45 minutes later (and 45 minutes past when my hold ended), Becki, Rebecca, and the vets are saying I'm now ready to go out (Ice has some gut sounds now). I reluctantly go out (remember I said I had already made up my mind that I was done), but I decided to stop feeling sorry for myself and pep up. I had about 6 hours to do 25 miles. Since I was so late leaving the vet hold, I was the last one on the trail. Ice and I would have to to this by ourselves. However, Ice did not want to trot. I'd ask him to trot, and he would ask to walk. Ughh, 25 MORE miles. The first hour, we went 4 miles. Ok, this is NOT going to work. We had both given up. I was pretty sure he had more steam to maintain 5 mph, but was not 100% sure. I think he was unmotivated like me. I cut the 15 mile loop short and headed back early. When I got back to camp I pulled him. Ice trotted out perky for Dr .Schmitt, but he said his rear right was very slightly off. But not lame. (He looked and felt fine to me). I took Ice over to friends Brenda, Kim, and Kay's crew area and he ate a bunch of their food. Brenda did a 25, Kim top 5'd in the 50, and Kay had a rider option-lame pull. They consoled me and told me a did the right thing for pulling him. But I still felt really bad because I set a goal and didn't following it and therefore didn't accomplish it. I think if I did the first 2 loops slower and had set a up a crew area, I could have completed the ride. Also, I'm going to look into feed Ice probiotics to encourage Ice to eat. I actually had some liquid probios, but it was old (smelled strongly like vanilla extract) and didn't think I should use it. I also might feed this before a trailer ride. Looking back, he was always really good about eating beet pulp, apples, and carrots on long trailer rides. Except for the past two times. But the past two times he was by himself. I wonder if this is the reason when he wouldn't eat in the trailer.
I admit this pull and lack of completion hit me hard. It was so disappointing and I felt like a failure. I know I did the right thing for my horse by pulling him. But I'm upset because it was due to me errors. Looking back, I'm chalking it up to "the first pull is always the hardest". And I did learn some valuable lessons.