My first LD ride - a FANTASTIC experience!

[Auventera Two]

Well, I just got home from my first LD ride with my 2 horses, and wow, what an experience! I have to say that I have never met such fantastic people in my whole life. Everywhere we turned, someone was offering help, water, a blanket, anything. The trail was gorgeous (and challenging!), and who doesn't love to sleep in their horse trailer once in a while? :lol:

Both horses passed all 3 checks with flying colors. We did it slow, and finished somewhere around 5 1/2 hours, including the 45 minute hold, but hey, we're learning. LOL. Better slow and steady than fast with an accident.

RR, if you're out there - sorry I was short with you at the vet hold. My mare is in a rip roaring heat, and I didn't trust her not to kick out. She was pinning her ears at every horse that got within 20 feet of her hiney. It was great to see you there, and I wish we could have talked more, but you were blazin' a trail girl! :lol: :winkgrin: We were busy growing moss so we pretty much got out of the way and let everybody whizz by.

Aside from a few antics the first time riders passed us, my baby was very good. Considering the heat thing, and all. The buckskin has 1,000 miles already, so I expected her to do great. (those miles aren't with me). The Arab has never seen strange horses before, never stayed overnight anywhere, and never did anything like this before, so I'm just beaming with how great she did!

I tell you what, if you guys have never done a LD or endurance ride, you have to! It was the best competition experience I've ever had on a horse. People were constantly checking up on us on the trail, asking if we need help (we must have looked pathetic! :eek: ), and even though people were out there to compete, they never let that get in the way of being kind and supportive to fellow competitors. Well, okay, we weren't exactly competition for anybody but the snails and turtles, but you know.....

[ChocoMare]

Wow! What a woman! Way to go girl!!!! :D

[goeslikestink]

glad you had a good time -- please do not tie your horse directly to the trailer if something was to freighten them ands they needed to escape or your needed to untie them quickly you wouldnt and they wouldsnt be able toyou need a bit of baling twine -- as a ring tie -- and you need to know how to learn to do a quick release knot--- wrapping the lead rope around the trailer as you have done is not correct --- and if in danger the ponies could break there necks ----

[marta]

a valid concern but a lot of people do that using a tie with quick release so that you can quickly unsnap it and if enough pressure is put on it, it opens itself.

i use one on 1 day rides, too.

[Romantic Rider]

Way to go A2!! :) I am so glad you had a good time. My mare wasn't acting so great either, she was in heat too. And we had a stallion right next to us all night!!! Anyways..... at least you finished. I know we were ripping up the trail. You saw how great my mare was feeling. Even coming into the second vet check after 25 miles she was still full of herself. I was thinking, wow this is going to be easier than I thought. Okay... so at vet check Wes (the head vet) says her guts are a little quiet and I need to bring her back before she goes out. That's okay. Everything else was looking great, and I figured she'd eat, and we'd be on our way.

Well she didn't eat as much as I'd hoped, but I figured it was enough. Then, just before we were going to go back out, she suddenly started shaking all over, even though we had a blanket on her. So we took her back to the vet, and they realized that something was wrong. (All three vets were over examining her, it was quite intimidating.) So the rides over for us at 25 miles,:cry: huge bummer. But then Pasha was obviously not doing well. They decided I guess that she had an elecrolyte imbalance, (but that doesn't make sense, especially considered the immense amounts of elecrolytes I pumped into that horse:( ), and was calcium deficient (huh??:confused: :confused: ). So they pumped some IV's into her, and an hour later she was doing good enough to take her home.

So... that was my experience for my first fifty mile ride. Pretty discouraging huh? The thing is, I did'nt see it coming. She was doing awesome. I mean, sure she was nervous and not eating great. But she felt so good on the trail, and was in super shape. I guess it was just some freak occurrence. Certainly not my fault. You would not believe how we baby those horses. Our next ride is in two weeks. I'm sure she'll finish then.

So, did you like endurance riding enough to do it again?? I hope so. It's alot of work, but somehow it's worth it. And I just love competing and riding long distances. I want to win eventually. The people at this ride were very helpful and nice, and I loved the trails. I hope I'll see you again sometime. Sorry to ramble on.

[Auventera Two]

Oh no, RR, I'm so sorry to hear about your mare!! :( Darn it, that sucks. Is she doing well now? Do you know that after we got back on the trail, my friend riding my buckskin said "Did you see that chestnut mare shaking?" I did not see it, but she said that your mare's muscles were trembling. And that was at the 12.5 mark. :confused: Of course by then it was too late to say something, as you were long gone. Gosh, that just bites. I wish she had said something when we were there!

Did the vets notice anything at the 12.5 stop? Did you notice her trembling there?

I told my friend she was probably just nervous. My other friend has a mare that trembles when she is nervous or gets worked up, so maybe that's all it was??

Yes, I definitely loved it enough to be totally hooked!

[Trakehners2000]

Auventera Two,,
Sorry we missed you! We where there too & it was a great ride!
RR,
Glad to hear your mare is doing okay. She is beautiful. Sorry if he (our stallion) made your mare nervous, I *thought* he was well behaved. He does neigh at other horses when he is being hand walked.
~Christina Hyke & Karino's Fire :cool:
*~He really is a sweet guy~*
http://pic16.picturetrail.com/VOL673/3013403/11473555/166193833.jpg

[Romantic Rider]

Trekehners, I didn't mean to say anything negative about your stalliong. He was absolutely gorgeous and well behaved. Pasha was just something of a nervous nut the whole ride. I don't really know what her problem was. She's doing just fine now. No, I know I had a blanket on her most of the 12.5 mile vet check and she was fine. If she started shaking when I got back on her either she was probably just nervous, or cold because she wasn't moving again yet. Because she got straight A's on everything at that vet check. Oh well. I'm believing this won't happen again. She is a proven endurance horse and has never had a metabolic break down before. Next time will be better. I will be looking for you guys at future rides. :)

[Trakehners2000]

She really is a beautiful mare. Glad to hear she's doing well.
They did announce that she was doing much better.

[matryoshka]

Congratulations A2! We're going to try again over Memorial Day weekend (it'll be a 30 miler) if I ever get my application in. I was trying to decide whether to order new boots. I trimmed Butch yesterday, and his feet are just as wide as usual, so I've got to do major boot modifications on anything I buy.

RR, sorry to hear your mare had troubles! Let us know if you figure out what was wrong or if is happens again. I didn't get to complete my first LD because my junior rider got sick and I had to escort her back to the base camp. That was a major bummer for me, because I had worked hard to get Butch fit, had all of my equipment and planned everything out pretty well. The next ride is much farther from home, so I'm hoping that the dry run at Fair Hill was a good test of my planning. I still don't know whether my boy can handle even LD yet! I was hoping to find that out while we were close to home.

Thanks for telling us how your rides went. I couldn't remember what the date was.

[marta]

which one are you aiming to do over memorial day? micheaux? i heard that's a great ride.
good luck!

[Auventera Two]

Matry -

So sorry to hear you didn't get to complete either! Geeze. What rotten luck for both you and RR. :( I hope your next ride goes much better.

This definitely was a lesson for me on what to bring, and what to do the next time. All went great, but there are a few things I would do differently. The most notable is making a paddock for the girls. They did great tied to the trailer, never made a peep all night, but I'd prefer them to be more able to move around.

I didn't have blankets for the midway point, but someone gave us 2 to use. So nice!! I didn't think it would be that cold and windy. It seemed so warm going through the woods.

I talked to another ride manager who does a ride in the Southern unit, and she said that DRAW I ride is pretty difficult because of the rocks and hills. She said most rides aren't that challenging in our area. Her ride is pretty flat and sandy. So I guess we picked a real doozy for our first time out! :eek:

[Romantic Rider]

She really is a beautiful mare. Glad to hear she's doing well.
They did announce that she was doing much better.

Thanks Trekehners. I think she's a looker too. Oh my, they announced she was doing much better?? Did I make that big of a splash? That's kind of embarrassing....


Believe me, I totally understand, Matry. I mean, we made it 25 miles. And I had thought about just doing an L.D with Pasha since it was my first ride with her. But she was without a doubt fit enough to go 50. We worked so hard conditioning her and her buddy. We did so much hill work that, believe it or not A2, those hills didn't really even slow her down. It was really rocky though. And having rocks on some of those steep hills was quite challenging. Somebody gave us a blanket too, because we only had one at the 12.5 vet check. We are still learning what to bring to these rides. It was our first out of camp vet check too, alot of rides have all the vet checks in camp, which makes everything much easier.

A2, you probably know this already, but it is one thing I have definitely learned, you can't try to do what everyone tells you. Especially in endurance riding, everyone is their own expert. If you ask ten different people a question, say on how to condition, what to feed your horse, etc... you will get ten different answers, some of which may be completely opposite. We have gotten so much confusing 'advice', and have tried alot of different methods. But you just have to find one that works for you. So far it's definitely been a trial and error process. But I'm hoping we're getting over that.

[Auventera Two]

Boy you hit the nail on the head, RR, regarding advice! I've been told so many different things regarding electrolytes, feed, hay, conditioning, shoeing, etc. it's not even funny.

I liked the vet check out of camp, because I would be afraid my horse would just shut down once they get back in camp, get to their own trailer, etc. To me, that's kind of like going home from work on your lunch break. You go home, sit on your own couch, prop your feet up, and then who wants to go back to work, you know???

We have no hills here - only railroad beds. Well, I'm sure we "do" have hills, but I just don't know where they are. So with the exception of 18 miles on that same trail 2 weeks ago, neither of my girls have any conditioning on hills at all. That's excellent that you have hills to condition on at home!

Hey - was that big tall black, an Akhal Teke? It sure looked like it to me. I'm not sure of the horse or rider's name, but he was really tall, and solid black. Very lanky and lean, and sure looked like a Teke to me.

[GE]

Congrats on your first ride! I am contemplating a 25-mile CTR or LD ride on my rangebred Quarter Pony. I had hoped to do the 25 CTR in Green Lane, PA in June but I just don't have enough time to train.

Just out of curiousity - what kind of tack did you use? I bought a used Boz endurance saddle from endurance.net and it is the most comfortable saddle I have ever ridden in. I am upgrading bridles and halters to biothane too.

[Auventera Two]

GE -

Both my girls have an Abetta endurance saddle, and black nylon bridles with nylon reins. I saw a lot of fancy schmancy saddles at the ride, but I did see a couple of Abettas also. I think it's a great, cheap beginner type saddle.

[matryoshka]

Yeah, I'm going to try the Micheaux Madness. I was thinking of doing two 30 milers with a rest day in between, but I'd need backup boots for that, and my hubby isn't happy that I'd be gone all weekend. I might try the Sunday 30, since that will likely be less crowded. I haven't sent in my entry yet, so they could already be filled. I'm a procrastinator, so it is a wonder I got my horse fit enough for Fair Hill!!

Also, I was going to order Bares (instead of Epics) for my horse, but they said to remeasure his feet. His feet are now 5.5" wide and 5.25" long, so the boots are even less of a match than before! I sure wish they'd make a wide verson of the Easyboot! Butch's feet took two years to go from super flat, super thin walls with underrun heels to a more upright foot with the correct breakover. They are continuing to remodel, which is why they are now shorter than when I got the Epics. So I'm on the fence about what boots to use--again! I'm tempted to order custom horse boots from www.horsesneakers.com (http://www.horsesneakers.com).

GE, I also have an Abetta saddle and biothane tack. I love both! The Abetta endurance saddle is on a western tree, which I need for my bad hip. The biothane tack doesn't rub, is light weight, and cleans up easily. We are completely rain resistant so I don't mind riding in foul weather. They do recommend quarter sheets in case it is cold and rainy the day of the ride. I bought the "bun warmer" from the Easycare web site. I didn't need to use it, but I was prepared anyway!

For holds away from base camp, most rides will let you put a bundle of stuff together that they will cart to the hold site for you. I think the AERC website has some good suggestions for what to pack in the crew bag. I had an advantage in that I did competetive trail 25 years ago, so I knew what my horse would need. I also knew he'd be a lot stronger out on the trail than he was in training--I just hadn't prepared for how fast a fit OTTB can run in an open field when he wants to pass other horses! I have no desire to go that fast ever again, especially without brakes!

For my next ride, whenever it may be, I'm probably going to start out in a mechanical hackamore so Butch won't be able to run away with me. When he's settled down and listening, I'll pull that off and use the French mouth eggbutt snaffle. When he's downright tired, I can take the bit off and use the jumping hackamore that came as part of my bridle. I'm hoping to save his mouth this way, since I don't like hauling on the reins to stop an out-of-control horse! I think that he may someday do dressage, based on the fact that he is able to canter at a walking pace, run sideways down and up hills, and accomplish various airs above the ground to avoid doing what I want him to. The trick will be getting him to do it when I ask! :lol: :lol:

[GE]

My QH gelding can do that canter at a walking pace too. Sure makes for an interesting ride!

Thanks for the info on the saddles. I have an older Western Abetta that is pretty comfy but the Boz I bought is even more comfortable for me. I took a chance buying it sight unseen and having it shipped from California.

Here's my Quarter Pony Hershey with it after a short trail ride in the woods:
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y188/gelton/Green%20Lane%20Park%2004-22-07/Hershey-204-22-07.jpg

It sure is handy being waterproof especially if your horse is like mine and REALLY likes being in the reservoir.

Good luck at Micheaux.

[Romantic Rider]

Boy you hit the nail on the head, RR, regarding advice! I've been told so many different things regarding electrolytes, feed, hay, conditioning, shoeing, etc. it's not even funny.

I liked the vet check out of camp, because I would be afraid my horse would just shut down once they get back in camp, get to their own trailer, etc. To me, that's kind of like going home from work on your lunch break. You go home, sit on your own couch, prop your feet up, and then who wants to go back to work, you know???

We have no hills here - only railroad beds. Well, I'm sure we "do" have hills, but I just don't know where they are. So with the exception of 18 miles on that same trail 2 weeks ago, neither of my girls have any conditioning on hills at all. That's excellent that you have hills to condition on at home!

Hey - was that big tall black, an Akhal Teke? It sure looked like it to me. I'm not sure of the horse or rider's name, but he was really tall, and solid black. Very lanky and lean, and sure looked like a Teke to me.


I'm not quite sure which horse your talking about. One of the lead riders was on a black horse, but I'm pretty sure he just rides Arabians. I love black horses, but you really don't see many of them doing endurance. Once, when we lived in KY, we were thinking about getting into endurance, and we went to look at a horse for my Mom. He was a 15.2 hand, black, straight Egyptian stallion. Wow, was he gorgeous, super stretchy and athletic too. Sometimes I wish we had bought him. But he was also untrained and looked to have a streak of wickedness.

Well, we don't normally have hills at home. In the spring, before the hay starts growing, we ride in our neighbors 800 acres of fields. He has the only hills in the entire area. Unfortunately they are pretty much off limits by now. My horses must have a different mind set. I'd rather them relax at a camp vet check. At the out of camp vet check Pasha just knew she was going back out on the trail and she wouldn't settle down. We're already riding those two again. I dont' even think Pasha wanted two days off. She nickered at me everytime she saw me this morning trying to get me to take her out of the pasture. Then when I finally did my little Arab, Sugar, got super jealous cause she wanted to go too. I love horses that like to go. :)

[Auventera Two]

Great point on the brakes, Matry. My Arab goes in a Myler comfort snaffle, D ring for normal riding, but when we were out on that trail with other horses flying by.......um........yeah. There is absolutely nothing about a 4 year old, fit Arabian that wants to go slow while everybody else is cantering or galloping!

My Arab cantered at the walk pace too. It's almost a total canter in place with a huff and puff every stride and snot flying. Yeeehaaaaw! Lets see how many times we can almost die in the course of 5.5 hours!

:lol: Okay, so she did great and we didn't almost die, but she was very very "UP" and ready to go.

[matryoshka]

GE, that saddle looks interesting. Do you have a web site for it? Cute horse, BTW. He looks pretty happy! Butch likes to paw at the water and splash his belly and me. He goes to the deepest spot he can find. I know he's agitated or excited when he doesn't take the time to splash the water and drink. I get a kick out of it, because he used to be a fancy race horse. It took a long time for me to convince him to step into water, and now he likes to be up to his elbows in it! :lol:

So, perhaps they should have some dressage judging at these rides. That would be fun, and we could showcase our "too fit for polite company" horses.

It seems like there are a lot of newbies to the sport of endurance on COTH this year. It's fun talking to some other first-timers and seeing what your experiences are like.

[Trakehners2000]

I used a Myler combo bit on our stallion for the ride. I had been to hear one of the Myler gang talk at a seminar & really liked the bit. It is great for starting horses, though also was great for Shadrach down the trail. You may want to look into them. They have a noseband, that can be adjust to enagage before or after the bit, I have mine adjusted to kick in first, then the bit,- I like it because it gives him the opportunity to say 'yes' to the nose pressure first, though- depending on your horse you could have the nose pressure kick in after the bit pressure. What ever works best for you.
Good luck!

[cheekyhorse]

so are you competing in endurance with your guy? My father in law is huge into endurance, and is a Canadian team rider. (he has arabs, I am trying to convince him he wants to get a Trakehner:D ) He sounds like a nice horse you have!

[citydog]

GE, I *love* that Quarter Pony of yours.

[Trakehners2000]

so are you competing in endurance with your guy? My father in law is huge into endurance, and is a Canadian team rider. (he has arabs, I am trying to convince him he wants to get a Trakehner:D ) He sounds like a nice horse you have!
Hi CH,
We were at the same ride as A2 & RR, & actually camped next to RR, not realizing that we both post on COTH:-) Shadrach & I competed in the 25 LD & for the first time I decided to let him go a quicker pace. We completed the 25 miles, this was only our second LD, we were so happy with him placing 3rd and being awarded BC. It was a great ride...I will remember it forever, he was just eating up the trail, and finished, seeming to say "more please". We didn't compete in '06, had purchased a home in '05, and just had to focus on some other things for awhile, though I did keep conditioning him, and it paid off, as he was really ready for this 25.


He's such a cool horse, glad to see someone else is in love with Trakehners, tell your uncle an Arab Trakehner is the way to go...best of both worlds...someday I'd like to get a foal by him out of an Arabian mare, because Shadrach is 1/2 Arabian already & I think a 3/4 Arabian, 1/4th Trakehner would make an awesome endurance horse...Now if I can just convince my husband.....;)
Here are a few pics from the end of the ride and one at the half way point: http://pic16.picturetrail.com/VOL673/3013403/11473555/251413624.jpg

http://pic16.picturetrail.com/VOL673/3013403/11473555/251413623.jpg

http://pic16.picturetrail.com/VOL673/3013403/11473555/251413621.jpg

And one of him trotting free @ our friends arena~
http://pic16.picturetrail.com/VOL673/3013403/11473555/191331199.jpg

[Trakehners2000]

CH,
I took a look at your stallion, you can certainly see Enrico Caruso coming through in him. He looks like a solid guy, what is his cannon measurement, if you don't mind my asking? He's beautiful, is he a true black? I will keep him in mind, as we have a yearling Trakehner filly by our stallion to breed in a few years, and I am already on the lookout her future hubby:) .

[cheekyhorse]

Thanks for the compliment on him.:) I love him to pieces, he is my first stallion, (I've ridden many others, just not owned one) and he is by far the best horse I've had the pleasure of riding. I really love the looks of your guy too.:winkgrin: I'm a sucker for an arab or an arab X. He looks gorgeous!
Pacific is a true black yes, and is homozygous for black. He isn't near finished growing yet, he is very slow. I haven't measured his cannons lately but they look a good size, I'll get the tape out and let you know! LOL! And yes, he is a solid compact horse, typical Enrico Caruso, which is the reason I bought him. All my horses have been built like that.

[Auventera Two]

How in the world did you guys find out placings, awards, etc. at the Kettle Morraine ride??? We were just totally clueless, and I have no idea where we finished. We didn't get any awards for completion or anything. The vet just told us we could leave about 1 hour after the conclusion of the race. So that's what we did. :confused:

That would be my only complaint about endurancce riding is the total lack of information available about the rides. I had to make about 5 phone calls prior to the ride to find out where to go, when to get there, what to do, etc. And I still only gathered half the info I need!

I have been trying to get info on a ride this weekend too, and basically from the ride manager I got "Go to Palmyra. You can't miss it." Ugh.....I've read all the new rider info on aerc.org but of course that doesn't tell you any specific info about individual rides.

I want to know what's the footing, what are the challenges on the trail (bridges, rivers, hills, how much roadwork, etc.) where are the vet stops, when is the awards ceremony, what time is the pre ride meeting, where do I park, directions to get there, etc. but it seems that ride flyers just tell you a town name and a phone number to call. I hate bothering the ride managers asking dumb questions.

[BEARCAT]

A T, I've had the same experience at Endurance rides - no info, not knowing what to do as a newbie, no awards afterwards.
I am used to Competitive Trail Rides and it's a completly different world! At my first CTR, I was assigned a mentor (someone that had done it for years) and they answered all my questions and gave me directions, from how to set up my camp, how to present my horse to the vet, what to do at night, when awards would be, etc, etc.... It was a very friendly environment, which lacked at the Endurance rides I attended (NOT to say it doesn't exist there, that was just my experience...)

Glad you had fun!!!!

[Auventera Two]

Everyone was extremely friendly and helpful, but I just felt dumb having to ask so many people questions. I had to walk up to somebody's camper at 9 p.m. and ask where the running water was. :lol: She was a doll, and took me right to it, but it was embarassing.

So that would be my only wish is that more info were more readily available. What do you guys do - just ask? Make phone calls, etc.?

I had to ask a LOT of questions of whoever just happened to be standing next to me. Such as - my horse has to vetted before the ride? Where? When? How do I do that?

Hey Bearcat - wasn't it you that showed me the pic of the wheel cover for the trailer? My hubs made one for me and it worked out great!!

[BEARCAT]

Yep, I noticed yours in your pics! Good job!!! :)

[matryoshka]

A2, did you miss the preride brief? The ride at Fair Hill was well organized, and I didn't have trouble figuring out where to go or what to do. I had volunteered at the OD 100 last year, so I was already somewhat familiar with procedure. Following the preride brief they had a first-timers brief for those of us with pressing questions. That was really helpful. We received a schedule upon checking in as well, and award times were listed on the schedule for both the 25 and the 50. There was no BC for the LD ride, not that it mattered to us. :D

[Auventera Two]

Yup, I missed it. Maybe that's my problem. :lol:

But I wish they'd put more info up front though in the ride flyers so you know if its a ride you even have a desire to do or not in the first place.

[matryoshka]

How did your OM G2's hold up? I remeasured Butch's feet to order new boots, and they are even shorter in length than before. The only boot I see that will fit him are the original Old Macs. I guess it's either try those or shoe him, because if he rips a gaiter off an Epic or Bare mid-ride, unless I have a complete, modified spare, I'm SOL. It's getting expensive. With the mileage I have been riding, shoes would actually be cheaper than boots, especially since I can apply the shoes myself.

[matryoshka]

Will I be thrown out of the barefoot club if I shoe my own horse? :winkgrin: I guess I can carry an Old Mac in case he pulls a shoe during a ride. One of the endurance articles says to carry an extra, already shaped shoe for each hoof in case your horse pulls one during a ride so the farrier can just nail it on. That's fine, unless a lot of hoof comes off with the shoe!

[marta]

with NO problems. that was our first booted ride. i found an om2 on the trail. brought it back. looked like it was a spare someone was carrying on a strap and the strap broke.
i looked at my bares' soles last weekend and i'm still v. impressed. i've had them for 1 year and while the soles (especially the breakover area) show wear, they have plenty of life in them. i'm HAPPY. too bad they don't your horse matryoshka. i think easy care doesn't recommend om2's for endurance. although i've heard people use them on extended trail rides without a problem.

[Romantic Rider]

Hi CH,
We were at the same ride as A2 & RR, & actually camped next to RR, not realizing that we both post on COTH:-) Shadrach & I competed in the 25 LD & for the first time I decided to let him go a quicker pace. We completed the 25 miles, this was only our second LD, we were so happy with him placing 3rd and being awarded BC. It was a great ride...I will remember it forever, he was just eating up the trail, and finished, seeming to say "more please". We didn't compete in '06, had purchased a home in '05, and just had to focus on some other things for awhile, though I did keep conditioning him, and it paid off, as he was really ready for this 25.

]


3rd place and BC?? Wow!! That's awesome!!:) :) And on your first ride? And I know there were some pretty fast riders at this one. Shadrach (love the name BTW :winkgrin: ), must be some kind of horse. I sure hope Pasha will be a top tenner some day in 50's. She has the paces for it. My little Arab mare top tenned six of her seven LD rides last year, with two 3rds. But we never got BC. I love competing, so I know it's nice ot have a horse that can do very well. Are you planning to do many rides this year? Congrats!

A2, I just had to comment on your first post. It reminded me of my very first endurance ride. Mom was on a super, super competitive Paso Fino gelding. It was a nightmare. He would gallop uncontrollaby for a while, then Mom would have to get off and walk him to slow him down. So we would pass everybody up at a dead run, then they would trot by us while we were walking and ask if everything was alright. I dont' know how many times that happened. It was completely embarrassing. Of course, he crashed the last loop and Mom had to walk him at least five miles. Then it took him 29 minutes to pulse down at the end. Needless to say, while he will always be an endurance horse in his heart, that was his first and last ride. And you aren't the only one who has problems getting info out of ride managers. We feel stupid alot of the time we ask so many questions. They can be the hardest people to get a hold of. But don't feel bad about asking.

[matryoshka]

I'm still thinking about ordering the bares. I have to get size 3 boots and order size 2 gaiters and heel straps or he tears the gaiters. Waste of money for gaiters I won't use. I think I'll wait a while, since I'm only planning on doing one competition before fall. If I go with shoes, we'll be eligible to do CTR, which might be good for us. I just hate to drive nails into those healthy walls I've worked so hard to keep that way!

Heck, I should design my own darn boot that will have an adjustable length for hard to fit hooves (could cut it off the back, if I can find a way to secure them firmly). The only boots designed for wide feet are the original Old Macs, and I think they'd probably rub. The Marquis don't say how long they are, so he could overreach and pull those off, too. I can have horsesneakers make custom boots, but it would cost $600 for a set of 4. :eek:

We need better booting solutions for hard-to-fit feet!

Sorry if I sound like I'm whining. I'll stick with the Epics for a while (unless the darn clips bend beyond repair again) until they wear out.

[marta]

check out the hoof boot swap page, you can sometimes find a good deal there.

[GE]

GE, that saddle looks interesting. Do you have a web site for it?

Here's the website for the Boz saddles.
http://www.bozsaddlery.com/

They are EXPENSIVE so be prepared for the sticker shock. I got mine for a fraction of what they would normally cost used and way less than new. I have a swell fork race saddle with a blue tree. It is so comfy. Hershey really seems to like it.

CityDog - thanks for the compliment. It has been a long road for Hershey but he is coming along!

[matryoshka]

Thanks GE. Sticker shock :eek: ! Even with your warning :eek: !

My friend (whom I helped learn to trim and also ride with) recommended that I not make a decision about shoeing until after the Pete Ramey clinic in early June. I'm going with her advice. She thinks I should ask to bring Butch and have them fit him for boots. Don't know about that, because I'll probably fret about my horse the entire clinic and not pay proper attention. I'm a worry wart and can't seem to reform myself, try as I might. :no:

Perhaps I'll drive to meet Irishcas sometime and see if she can help me. She should be at the clinic, so I'll ask her then. I can only make the first two days (will miss Bowker) because the school year got extended and I have nobody to get them ready and off to school for me. It would have been easier if they could just stay with Grandma, but experience has shown that she is not able to herd them to school. That is like herding cats that don't get along, fight when together, are finicky eaters, and space out when they should be focusing on getting ready. Only a parent can put up with all of that!

[Trakehners2000]

3rd place and BC?? Wow!! That's awesome!!:) :) And on your first ride? And I know there were some pretty fast riders at this one. Shadrach (love the name BTW :winkgrin: ), must be some kind of horse. I sure hope Pasha will be a top tenner some day in 50's. She has the paces for it. My little Arab mare top tenned six of her seven LD rides last year, with two 3rds. But we never got BC. I love competing, so I know it's nice ot have a horse that can do very well. Are you planning to do many rides this year? Congrats!


RR,
This was his first LD in nearly two years, though only his second LD total...sorry that wasn't clear. In between that time span from June '05 to now, we kept up with light conditioning, otherwise I would not have let him go like that. In the beginning in '04 we had done a 5 mile Taste ride, which was our start to distance riding & had done two CTR's, then the '05 LD & then this '07 LD. We have been blessed that he has been in the top ten each of the times he has been in a ride, maybe just beginners luck...only time will tell. He has placed first, 8th, 6th, 10th (my mistake) and 3rd w/BC.
I think he is especially exceptional, because I am classified in the HW as a rider, so not only did he do well, he was carrying a HW rider.

Each new ride is a new adventure and new test for both horse and rider, that is part of the draw of the sport....adventure & test. Not too unlike dressage.

In regards to the rides not being published, as Angie pointed out in Endurance News, Distance riding is an invitation only sport, and it is not to be advertised in something like a feed store window or WI horseman's news that there is a ride on X day.... because it would cause chaos for a ton of uneducated riders to haul in and compete without knowledge before hand from a clinic. Distance riding is truly a word of mouth thing, and like the current program with AERC, "Each one bring one". It is preferred that people are educated before they come to a ride, hence all the clinics and novice rides offered. If they advertised the rides all over, can you imagine the chaos of uneducated groups of riders showing up?
All the information about the ride, awards etc seemed pretty straight forward, and if ever in doubt in a ride camp, just ask, everyone there is typically very helpful, hey- they all were new once too, and are mostly very helpful and understanding. We were at the ride meetings/awards ceremonies...so if you don't know....ask. I had never competed for BC and poor Wes had to explain to me more than once what to do and what time to re vet in.....*I* would maybe have been sick of explaining it three times, though Wes just smiled with an understanding "ah, Newbies" grin and said it a little slower and joked with me alittle...Distance riders are about one of the most helpful groups of horse folk out there, you just have to not be afraid to ask;)