Experience the ENDURANCE of Foundation Breeding
RUINED FOREVER
Also known as "Rocket's Test"
You have to appreciate the irony of trying to get someone into this sport of endurance and ruining their image of riding ... oh my. Actually, it all began with an innocent visit to Pennsylvania.
Let me introduce you to my friend Judy. Several years ago, I received an email from a nice lady who was inquiring about horses I had for sale. The first round of emails gave me the impression of a woman who had researched her needs thoroughly, knew what she was looking for and was ready to get going in the horses. She told me she was an older woman (late 50's) ready to get started and did express concerns about her age.
Of course, I assured her that age has nothing to do with getting started in horses!
She made an appointment and drove up from Maryland to meet with me. While she visited, and I showed off my stupendous herd of Appaloosa horses (chuckle) she told me that she's been watching my website for a long time.
Well!
I'm glad she didn't tell me that before she came made the appointment, I might have though she was stalking me. Turns out that she was leasing a mare from a close neighbor of mine that was bred to River. They had turned her on to my webpage to see River and she got caught up in the whole NPF thing we got going on with the ride stories.
Yes - I saw the opportunity to make another endurance convert. (My bad!)
She ended up buying Cindy from me and getting hooked on learning about the sport so has become the most amazing crew member I've had. She also ended up buying the mare she was leasing and having two more foals out of that mare. The first foal, Winter I now have in my barn. The second foal, Blarney, she has brought to me for training.
Now, having her filly in my barn for training lends an interesting twist to our friendship as now I can hold her horse hostage to my demands (grin). In the interest of thorough training, I insist that owners attend at least once a week sessions with their horse so they are learning the same thing the horse is learning. Judy planned a mini-vacation this past weekend to come and see Blarney, do her training session with Sarah (my newest apprentice) and visit with me.
WHOO HOO ... I used Judy's visit as the perfect opportunity to be lazy. And lazy I was! I didn't do a fool thing Saturday afternoon and it was wonderful. I haven't had a "sit and visit" afternoon in ages. It was grand. I even held Blarney hostage and forced poor Judy into coming to my house Saturday evening to eat some high cholesterol, high carbohydrate food. Now, you'd think she would have read my Hysterical-ectomy story and put two and two together to come up with the fact I have high blood pressure is because of my eating habits...and my husband's cooking habits.
Okay, since today is Mother's Day (Happy Mother's Day to all you mothers) and I have very respectful children that leave me the hell alone on this day, I thought it a grand opportunity to have a ride at the lake. I mean a good long, hard ride.
I asked Walt to come. Knowing that he hasn't been on this trail since our SNOW RIDE several months ago, I thought it would be nice for him to do the trail when the weather was good and the footing wasn't going to kill him and Whoopie. Of course, Walt said YES. Good Old Fogie, Walt!
I asked Kyle if he wanted to come. Nope, he did BareBones this weekend.
I asked Cheryl if she wanted to come. Now, she teased me all week with emails and happy thoughts about attending the ride today. She got me all psyched to see her and Renee and do some riding together on MY trails. All I have to say is POO. She emailed me late Saturday night and bailed on me...Something about her son needed a ride to work and she couldn't come.
WAIT A GOSH DARN MINUTE! Isn't today MOTHER'S DAY? Shouldn't that boy be leaving his mother alone so she can have a nice relaxing day doing something she loves and needs as bad as any drug addict? Poo.
Ok, now I have this mad plan. I want to bring Judy with us. I can't tell her or she might not even come up for the weekend. I was just about busting with the whole need to ask. I figured if I promised her Bee-Bee, who is almost as smooth as Numbers and can gait all day long and is a to-die-for trail horse, that she couldn't turn me down. Or she could, but at least I would have tried.
Judy comes up and spends hours with Blarney and Cheyanne (she bought Cheyanne but don't tell her husband, he doesn't know about this yet.) I had the Kid Peace Kid's for their Friday afternoon session and one of the girls was frightened so she got off and I offered Amelia to Judy to finish out the session. SHE DID! She got right on and came down to the ring with the girls and had a grand time.
Okay - that went well. I got her on a strange horse.
So, Saturday when she came up to the barn, she looked like she survived the Amelia ride and I invited her to come along on a conditioning ride at the lake with me and Walt and Cheryl. She HAD her new saddle with her, I have to assume she wanted to use it. (It's a VERY nice Tucker, by the way, I really liked it....and so did Bee-Bee)
She agreed. YEA! She's crewed for me for so long I thought this would be a good adventure for her to see the other side of it. And I know she's been working Cindy in the hopes to do a clinic with her so this would be a good learning experience. I promised her that Bee-Bee would take very good care of her. I also promise her I wouldn't give her a hell ride. I'm pretty sure I made good on both promises. (So, Judy? Did i make good on my promises not to kill you out there at the lake?)
Sunday morning, Walt and Judy were at the barn same time I was. The chores went SO FAST! Holy crap! Horses turned out, fed and watered all in under half an hour. Amazing. I was thrilled. We loaded the truck, then loaded the trailer and were out of the driveway ten minutes early. THAT NEVER HAPPENS.
AND, after several days of heat and humidity, it was cool and bright and no humidity this morning. I was in heaven. Two of my favorite people in the truck, Rocket in the trailer and we're off to ride at the lake. I love the lake. It's the best conditioning ride ... hills, ravines, flat cranking trail. You get a little bit of everything, especially on the loop I had planned for today.
Sorry gang, no "getting to the trail head adventure" this time. The trip was uneventful. We yacked and the 30 minutes flew by.
We pull in at the trail head and Walt remarked that there were no trailers there. Yep - we have the whole place to ourselves. Good, I didn't need Rocket getting all wound up (like THAT'S gonna happen.)
We get them out, clean them up, throw on the tack and we're ready. I confused Judy a bit with the thin wool pad and I can't even remember if I explained to her why we use this wool pads. If not, here it is. A thin wool pad will whisk the sweat away, keeping their back cooler and it also doesn't scald their back like synthetic pads can. If the saddle fits correctly, you do not need a think pad to cushion the saddle. If the rider rides properly, you also don't need a thick pad to cushion the horse from the bounce of the rider. Bee-Bee prefers the thin pad as she has a sensitive back.
I know I explained to Judy why we wear our girths loose and we don't snug them up until the horse's eyes bulge out of their head. Less rubbing, no galling and less opportunity for a girth sore to form. In fact, at one point at the halfway point, I believe I showed her how I could put my whole arm through Rocket's girth. No worries, saddle stayed perfectly balanced.
Did I tell you this was a perfect day? High was 66. Sun was shining, no clouds and the sky was that perfect cobalt blue that only a beautiful spring day can bring. It was breezy and that meant the horses would stay nice and cool. I was way psyched. I haven't been on a "long ride" since before my Dad died and I needed to test out Rocket to see how his conditioning with Jamie was coming along before I start taking him to rides.
We intended to do the 18 mile ride, but due to my lack of bearings, we most likely did about 19 miles (sheesh) I always do this lollipop in one direction and I decided to do it backwards then we would hit the three creek crossings at the end of the ride. This was so we could cool them off before bringing them home.
Well!
First I turned left instead of right and we went about 1/2 mile out of our way.
Then I turned up the wrong trail and it dead ended at a road and a stop sign.
Finally, I got the molasses out of my brain and put us on the right trail. Whew. I'm sure that Walt and Judy will never trust me to negotiate a trail again. Not like I ever get lost (actually) we just did some sight seeing until I decided the horses were warmed up enough to get working. Yeah, that's the ticket.
And, once I was on the trail, they knew that I knew exactly where I was and could have left them at any point to fend for themselves, so they didn't mock me. Very smart of them.
Rocket led the ride for several miles. I was tickled pink that he headed out first and was boogying along without a guide. Very bold for a five year old that's never been off the farm.
Unfortunately, he's five years old and never been off the farm (grin) and he got nosey. Started to get curious and look at everything along the way. His boogey gait got slower and slower as he found more and more interesting things to go and investigate. He was slowing us down.
Not that we were going very fast...I promised Judy! Finally, I put Whoopie out front and had Walt keep Whoopie in a good 5 mile per hour jog, mostly because that's the pace the Rocket holds his running walk very well. Faster than that he starts racking, and while it's comfortable, it's not as nice as that running walk.
I also didn't want to scare Judy off the trail by going our normal pell-mell pace of 8-10 miles per hour. Although Bee-Bee would have taken care of her, I was hoping to maintain some semblance of calm and relaxed going. I even walked the horses down the hills so as not to make Judy start believing all those rumors and urban legends about endurance riders being insane.
So, Rocket came to his first water crossing. This creek is over the stirrups so it was most likely a pretty intense crossing for him. He wasn't sure about it. Not fearful, just looking like, Yeah, right!"
Walt took Whoopie across and still he wasn't interested in getting his beautiful white tail wet. Then Judy took Bee-Bee across and I swear he shrugged as if to say, "Ugh". He went right on in. Once he was in, he was great. He even stopped and took a sip or two of the water.
GOOD BOY!
The next two water crossings he went right in behind Whoopie and on the fourth crossing, he was lead horse and he went in all by himself with no urging from me.
EXCELLENT BOY!
For those of you not familiar with this 18 mile lollipop, let me tell you how it goes. The stick of the lollipop runs off the lake and is very scenic. Nice walking and hiking trails. It's five miles of fields and some minor woods, nothing steep or scary, good footing, three creek crossings. It's a nice way to warm them up, you can get a good 8-10 mile an hour trot going and hold it the entire five miles except for one place you have to slow down to do a switch back. You can't see the lake from the stick until the last half mile. When I see the lake I know we're almost to the candy.
Ah, the candy! Here, we cross the road and are now on the west side of the little finger off the north end of the lake. When they built the lake, all the dirt and debris they dug out was dumped here. This is five miles of technical awesomeness (some riders refer to it as HELL and never come back to ride with me again). Straight up, straight down, twist, turn, curve, fall off the cliff, roll down the bank, get stuck in the mug bog, left foot in, right foot out, YEE HAW. This candy of the lollipop is the 8 mile ride Walt and I did in the snow that left us both with smiles on our faces (and minor wetness in the pants.) I truly love this section of Blue Marsh, it's the most excellent training ground because the horse gets everything.
We cross over the finger of the lake and are now on the east side. Here we have three miles of nice flat trail along side the lake. This side gets interesting in the spring when we get a lot of rain. It floods out and it can take almost an hour to negotiate as you spend a lot of time swimming. Really! Connie and I have done this after we had a hurricane come through and it was most awesome!
During dry weather, we can really crank this 3 miles because it's totally flat. Nice wide trails, and it's fun because it weaves along the edge of the lake in some thin woods so it's not boring. There is one section we crawl through (literally) there are these bushes planted on both sides of the trail that have formed a canopy. In the winter when the leaves are off, you can sit upright on your horse, but in the summer when the bushes are heavily laden with foliage, you have to ride flat on your horse's wither to get through it. Very cool stuff.
Then, you travel 1/4 mile down that road you crossed 8 miles ago and you're back on the five mile stick, which is great to cool down the horses. Easy trail into a 4-5 mile jog they can hold with little effort.
I didn't tell this loop to Judy before we started. Walt has been on the 8 mile candy several times but hasn't done the 18 mile lollipop. I don't believe I've had him on the 12 mile loop (which includes the stick of the lollipop) so I knew this would be a grand ride for him, too. New trail.
On the five mile Candy From Hell Ride, I pointed out to Judy all the places in the story (Ride in the Snow) so she could visualize what we I was writing about in the story. (of course, at the time of our adventure, it was covered in a foot of snow with two inches of ice underneath, but she got the picture.) When we came to the part where Walt and Whoopie almost went body skiing down hill, she was very quiet until we passed through. It's not scary in the summer (I didn't think) but she was quiet. Okay, later as I reflected upon it...it might be discerning to a non-insane-non-endurance rider person. The main trail collapsed and the replacement trail that bikers and riders have beat into the side of the cliff COULD appear like you're dropping off into nowhere. It's straight down a narrow trail then straight back up a narrow trail which brings you to the main trail. I think that's a fun little piece of action.
Rocket negotiated it very well and I was pleased he didn't drop me off the cliff. I was remembering riding Angel down that dogleg when I first started working with her. She couldn't walk the middle of a trail to save her life, always walked the edge, and usually the edge on the drop off cliff side. She almost dropped me over the edge (not once, but twice) and scared me to pieces. If she would have lost her footing a third time, I would have probably peed my pants in fright.
Judy didn't ask "Are we there yet" until we negotiated that dogleg ... now, that might have been coincidence (chuckle) I'm not sure. Actually, at this point we reached the peak of the candy and were headed back - only 8 more miles to the trailer.
To keep her in tune, I started giving her mileage at about five miles out. It was interesting to listen to her talking about the ride and the trails and what she's been doing with Cindy. It's been a long time since I started a rider in person (I do a lot on the email, but Connie was my last in-person mentoring I did.) I forget how this kind of riding appears to people that don't do it all the time. 3 hours with me, and 3 hours with a gang of pleasure riders it two totally different rides. And also don't forget that Judy is 59 this year and is just trying out the insane-ness of distance work. She handled it like a trooper and I was very impressed!
She was game! Never complained, asked good questions when we'd stop for a munchie break. She made comments about how different we treat our horses from what she's been taught. You know, like letting them drink when they're hot, eat when they're blowing, etc. Very smart lady, that Judy, to recognize that myth-busting can be fun.
(Oh, I keep forgetting to tell you about Rocket. He did so well...grazed when we stopped for minchie breaks, didn't care that Whoopie and Bee-Bee were grazing right along side of him. He peed on trail twice. He drank at every water crossing. He got over the sponging really quickly and stood quiet on a loose rein while I sponged him off. He was truly a trail horse today! I was absolutely thrilled with his performance. We passed strange horses, strange bikes, more strange horses and he never flinched, hollered or did any kind of stallion nonsense. I'm not sure if I'm relieved or bothered by that, but that's okay. He is awesome.)
Now, at about 8 miles, Bee-Bee started warming up to the job. Judy even commented on that. "Gee, I thought by now she'd be getting tired." HA. Most my horses don't even wake up on the trail until about 8 miles. Then they get to work. I don't know how other people's horses are, but that's how mine are. Maybe that's because I don't wake up until about 8 miles. Who knows.
Bee-Bee is truly tracking it out in her beautiful running walk. I love to watch that mare working. She's a marvel to watch in her gait. Judy looked very relaxed and was riding on her fine so I quit worrying about her.
We hit eleven miles out (seven miles back), we have a long wooden bridge to cross and we HAVE to do the wooden bridge because it goes over a finger of the lake. There is no way to wade through that. Rocket was NOT interested in walking over that bridge. The boards are about an inch apart and he could see right down to the water lapping against the banks. I could see his mind working ("Nope, she can't make me...she can't make me...she can't make me.")
I sent Whoopie ahead and he watched her go all the way over like, "Right! Are you nuts?"
Bee-Bee was pushing him from behind so he stepped up on the bridge (and almost whipped me off it trying to spin around.) I kept him straight and he tip-toed all the way over. It was very funny. BUT! I didn't have to get off and walk him, he did it on his own free will. He is definitely going to do this sport well.
At this point in the ride, Rocket had been chugging along. When we came off that five mile west side technical section, he became very lethargic. I thought he was done. After that bridge at the eleven mile marker, he started dragging and was wimping out on me. I was crushed. I knew he'd been a pasture potato his whole 5 years before I got him, but we've been riding him really regular and I thought he'd have more stamina. I have to say, even though he was dragging ass, he was still game. Alert and looking around with curiosity, ears forward...just dragging in his gait and even breaking his rack to trot.
Bummer.
Judy also was whooped after that five mile candy ride. I could tell it in her questions and how she was sitting her saddle, but she was still game, too. Never complained, never whined and she's an excellent riding partner to have - she keeps a good conversation going.
After we finished the three miles of flat perfect trail, both Rocket and Judy perked up. In fact, when we hit that five mile stick on the way back, Rocket (he's so smart) knew exactly where he was and got rocking. He was motoring so much I was finding myself having to hold him back so I wasn't pushing the ride too fast. He got a second wind and kept it all the way back to the trailer.
Whew.
Maybe he was just worn out from all that hill work, and then he recovered. I'm anxious to try that again and see how he does on round two.
We cranked right into the trail head where we parked. The only spook I got out of him the entire ride was at the trailer! There was an old guy sitting in a chair on the other side of a truck. Rocket was all focused in on his black trailer and the guy waved. Rocket must have caught this out of the corner of his eye and he spun and jumped sideways at the same time. Needless to say, I'm glad my surgery is healed because that REALLY pulled at my stomach muscles to keep in the saddle. We made him go on out and look at that guy. He wasn't into it, but I made him.
So, I quick untacked him and got the stethoscope on him to see what his pulse was. We didn't walk in to the trail head, and we cranked out that five miles back, so this was a good way for me to see what his heart was doing (I forgot my monitor so couldn't watch him during the ride.)
50 ... I did it again to be sure and it was 48. DAMN! Respiratory was 12. DAMN! He's got the right stuff!
Judy survived. Rocket survived. Walt and I were both grinning for hours. It was a grand ride and a beautiful day for a ride. We did the 18 (19?) miles in three and a half hours. Meaning we averaged 6 miles an hour and I was stopping about every 4 miles for a 5-10 minute munchie break. Not really fast, but excellent conditioning time.
The only comment Judy made to me was that she had a whole new appreciation for crewing (and sitting and reading a good book while waiting on riders). OH NO! I ruined her! Well, I guess that means I will always have a crew person.
UPDATE: Judy wrote me this morning to tell me that she wasn't sore or beat up. In fact, she felt so good, she was riding Cindy today. Maybe, just maybe, I can convince her that this kind of riding is the ONLY way to ride. She survived with no pain. How awesome is that? Cheryl wrote me that she and Renee went out in the afternoon up her way and had a great ride. I'm telling you, you couldn't have asked for better weather yesterday. Way cool! Rocket is not sore or lethargic this morning, he was ready to roll when I got up there to feed. I am most impressed with him. I can't wait to get him on his first ride.
Instructor/Manager: Dodie Sable
Located in New Smithville PA at 37 Fenstermacher Road, 3 miles north of Kutztown University
Call us at 610.756.3836 or email us at dodie@newpromisefarms.com