Riding with friends has made conditioning so much more enjoyable. I still think it is important to be able to ride out alone and it really has boosted Gem's confidence out on trail, but we both enjoy being with someone else so much better.
I needed another long ride in on Gem and have grown a little tired of the Clemson trails since we go there every single weekend. S was game to show me around her old favorite stomping ground: Sumter National Forest which is only 40 minutes or so from her place. Sunday morning I woke up at 0545 (ick) and headed out to the barn to grab Gem and then meet up at S's house. The hubby had hooked the trailer up Saturday afternoon and I opted to drive his car to the barn to leave him with the minivan in case he took W and the dogs out while I was gone. I remembered to grab my new pack and the Garmin and headed out on time.
10 minutes later I realized I had left my wallet behind (never a good thing) and turned around to go get it putting me back at the barn 10 minutes behind schedule. Thankfully Gemmie walked right up to me in the pasture (although she was none too pleased when I didn't have breakfast ready for her) which saved a bunch of time. Unfortunately, the hubby had taken the truck keys home without telling me and so I was stuck at the barn with Gem and a locked truck. Crap. It is a 40 minute round trip back home which I didn't have time for, so I did what any good wife does: called and woke up the hubby :) He arrived with a tired W and handed me the keys.
30 minutes or so later I arrived at S's. She has a nice 3 horse slant load trailer which is great for her mare, Ria, since she refuses to back off a trailer. Since my center divider swings open S asked if I would mind just plopping Ria in beside Gem and driving to the trail head. Sure!! It would save me from the annoying task of unloading Gem just to immediately reload her onto a different trailer since that turns into a 30 minute battle. This way we could avoid that on both ends. Off we went!!
On the way I found out there are 3 loops to ride on with really no other options so getting lost is pretty much impossible (HA!!) with a 10 mile, 12 mile and 16 mile option. S said she wanted to do the 10 mile and so we chose blue and tacked up and headed off.
There had been a big storm two nights prior and some areas were pretty deep slick clay, but the majority of the trail was still easily doable at a decent pace. My Garmin died 1.5 miles in (apparently you actually have to charge it from time to time for it to function, go figure!) but I wasn't too bummed about it since I knew we were doing a 10 mile ride with minimal chance of getting off track. By the end we were wishing we had that gps :)
We headed off down the trail with Ria in front. She likes to lead and Gem likes to follow so the partnership works out great. Unfortunately, the bugs were out in full force and with Ria up front she was getting the brunt of them. Gem did plow up ahead a few times to give her a break and even then the bugs stayed more on Ria. She just must be a sweeter mare than my Gemmiecakes.
Not too far in we were re routed onto a new trail S had never been on. There had been some changes in the year since she had been out on those trails with logging being done in some places and old, eroded trails given time to recover. We followed along the new trail chit chatting away and continued on the loop.
At one point about half way through the ride I decided it was prudent to check my helmet out for functionality :) There was a large branch at perfect head height spanning the trail. S ducked and continued on. I ducked too early and then S asked me a question and so I looked up thinking I was past it and instead hit it really hard at a trot smack on the head. Thank goodness I was wearing a helmet or I probably would have been knocked off Gem and knocked out. But since I always wear a helmet, I was fine and just continued on as if nothing happened.
Eventually we made it to a creek crossing that was awful. There was a small waterfall to the right, a rock ledge to the left creating a dam with a very deep pool of water behind it and these horrid man made netting sheets on the trail leading up to and away from the water. You had a small alley to go down as you went across. S decided to get off and hand walk Ria across, but I knew Gem would be ok if I stayed on. Once S reached the netting she said it was a no go. The netting was slick, hard and pointy and she was worried the horses would get hurt. There was a trail that went off to the left just before the creek and so we decided to try that out and see if it didn't lead to a better crossing.
We went. And went. And went. We started to get a little concerned when we passed the 4 mile marker again. I'm still unclear how the trails are. We had gone on and off the blue trail several times, picked up an orange trail (which she didn't know was even there) and then onto a red trail all while we were supposedly keeping on one of three separate and distinct loops with no interconnection or off shoots. This last year has seen a lot of changes up there with the addition of multiple new trails which for some reason they decided to not mark.
Anyway....we ended up back on the blue loop somehow without having crossed the creek again. And we safely arrived at the trailer again in one piece after a nice ride. Since my watch died we have no clue as to the exact distance travelled, but we went out and back the 4 mile stretch so that was 8 miles. Then we did the larger part of the blue loop which S knows is roughly 6 miles, so we are thinking we did about 14 or 15 total miles. A great conditioning ride!!
Afterward Gemmie looked awesome. Granted we walked quite a bit of it due to the poor footing and not knowing exactly where we were, but she wasn't even sweaty except under her saddle. And given the time it took us to do it, I could easily maintain that same pace and finish a 25 mile ride in the allotted 6 hours. We might be dead last but we could easily do it.
We loaded up and headed back to S's place. Half way back I realized something: Ria won't back off a trailer. When we had gotten to the trail head we unloaded Gem and then swung the divider open so she could turn around and walk off. This wouldn't be possible without unloading Gem. Crap :( So once back to S's I unloaded Gem to get Ria off. Gem of course then refused to get back on the trailer and I had to have words with her. S was laughing. Not at the annoyance of having to argue with Gem, but at the fact that Gem was just doing it to be a snot. S mentioned how once she realized I wasn't caving she just glared at me and walked on all ho hum. Stupid mare!!
Back home I unloaded her and she trotted off happily to meet her herd mates looking as if she hadn't done anything all day. That mare is fit and ready for an LD!
May 30, 2014
May 29, 2014
I'm Beginning To Feel Like An Endurance Rider
Well...not really. But I am beginning to acquire more endurance-y things which makes me feel closer to belonging, so that counts, right?
We used a cantle bag that S had (in red too which was awesome!) to carry water and such during the RnT. I have not used a pack on Gem before for many reasons and so this was a little new for both of us. She didn't mind it one bit. But I wasn't so keen on it. In theory I have always not liked packs. They are just one more thing to rub on my horse and potentially cause a problem. Plus I just don't like the idea of making Gem lug around my water for me. Logically it doesn't make a bit of difference if the water is on her or me since the overall weight she is carrying is the same, but I am more than capable of wearing a pack as well and she already has a metal bit in her mouth, the bridle, the pad, the saddle, etc... Why should I get to have on my comfy shirt and favorite riding tights and be all light weight and free while she is loaded down with crap?
The bag sat ok on her and didn't cause rubs but it bounced around a ton and I really don't think it would work at all for 50 miles. I know I would be sore if I had a pack banging the small of my back for that long. The other issue was access to the water. Since the pack was behind me, I would have to twist around, unzip and pull out the water bottle and then repeat to replace. How many times do you think I did this from the saddle? None. I drank when I was on the ground preparing to mount back up and that was it.
I had toyed with the idea of using my running water belt, but it just didn't seem like it would be all that comfy while in the saddle.
Enter a camelbak. The perfect solution to easy water access that I could wear myself. The tube provides instant access to water with the use of only one hand while still looking forward to prevent getting lost (ha!!) and no zippers are required. The problem? I didn't have one.
But as happens in life, the stars aligned and REI had a big sale two weeks ago for members. I dragged the hubby and W over and tried on every single camelbak type pack they had to offer. Which amounted to probably 12-15 different packs in 3 different brands.
I had 3 things I was looking for:
1) 2 L minimum bladder
2) Waist belt, preferably wide
3) Extra storage areas so I can carry things myself without loading packs onto Gemmie
After trying on several I finally found the perfect pack that met all my requirements and then some. It is Camelbak brand in black and pink and is meant for cycling. It has a 2 L bladder which is located in the lumbar region leaving the entire top portion open for storage. The waist belt is wide and padded and with the water bladder being located at the waist, it is very comfortable and secure. The arm straps have some pretty wimpy padding, but are felt lined to help prevent chafing of the neck (a common complaint I have run across). Since it is meant for cycling, it also has a hook on it for a helmet. While I won't use this feature while riding (I like my helmet firmly on my head, thank you) it could be neat to hook it on at a vet check or while running. The big bonus is the addition of two zip pockets along the waist band.
These will come in very handy because while the pack allows me to shove quite a lot of crap into it for use, the actual use part is pretty limited since it will require me removing the entire pack to get to anything unless I somehow manage to grow gorilla arms before my next ride. This pack has two decent sized pockets to hold essentials such as my cell phone, granola bar, e-lyets etc...that may be needed at the spur of the moment while riding. I can then fill the back up with things I could need in an emergency (ex: vet wrap) or at a check (Gemmie treats, rider card etc..).
I have some pictures, but they are crappy so I am avoiding posting them.
I did get to test it out on a nice conditioning ride this past weekend, so review #1 is up next!
We used a cantle bag that S had (in red too which was awesome!) to carry water and such during the RnT. I have not used a pack on Gem before for many reasons and so this was a little new for both of us. She didn't mind it one bit. But I wasn't so keen on it. In theory I have always not liked packs. They are just one more thing to rub on my horse and potentially cause a problem. Plus I just don't like the idea of making Gem lug around my water for me. Logically it doesn't make a bit of difference if the water is on her or me since the overall weight she is carrying is the same, but I am more than capable of wearing a pack as well and she already has a metal bit in her mouth, the bridle, the pad, the saddle, etc... Why should I get to have on my comfy shirt and favorite riding tights and be all light weight and free while she is loaded down with crap?
The bag sat ok on her and didn't cause rubs but it bounced around a ton and I really don't think it would work at all for 50 miles. I know I would be sore if I had a pack banging the small of my back for that long. The other issue was access to the water. Since the pack was behind me, I would have to twist around, unzip and pull out the water bottle and then repeat to replace. How many times do you think I did this from the saddle? None. I drank when I was on the ground preparing to mount back up and that was it.
I had toyed with the idea of using my running water belt, but it just didn't seem like it would be all that comfy while in the saddle.
Enter a camelbak. The perfect solution to easy water access that I could wear myself. The tube provides instant access to water with the use of only one hand while still looking forward to prevent getting lost (ha!!) and no zippers are required. The problem? I didn't have one.
But as happens in life, the stars aligned and REI had a big sale two weeks ago for members. I dragged the hubby and W over and tried on every single camelbak type pack they had to offer. Which amounted to probably 12-15 different packs in 3 different brands.
I had 3 things I was looking for:
1) 2 L minimum bladder
2) Waist belt, preferably wide
3) Extra storage areas so I can carry things myself without loading packs onto Gemmie
After trying on several I finally found the perfect pack that met all my requirements and then some. It is Camelbak brand in black and pink and is meant for cycling. It has a 2 L bladder which is located in the lumbar region leaving the entire top portion open for storage. The waist belt is wide and padded and with the water bladder being located at the waist, it is very comfortable and secure. The arm straps have some pretty wimpy padding, but are felt lined to help prevent chafing of the neck (a common complaint I have run across). Since it is meant for cycling, it also has a hook on it for a helmet. While I won't use this feature while riding (I like my helmet firmly on my head, thank you) it could be neat to hook it on at a vet check or while running. The big bonus is the addition of two zip pockets along the waist band.
These will come in very handy because while the pack allows me to shove quite a lot of crap into it for use, the actual use part is pretty limited since it will require me removing the entire pack to get to anything unless I somehow manage to grow gorilla arms before my next ride. This pack has two decent sized pockets to hold essentials such as my cell phone, granola bar, e-lyets etc...that may be needed at the spur of the moment while riding. I can then fill the back up with things I could need in an emergency (ex: vet wrap) or at a check (Gemmie treats, rider card etc..).
I have some pictures, but they are crappy so I am avoiding posting them.
I did get to test it out on a nice conditioning ride this past weekend, so review #1 is up next!
May 28, 2014
I'm Running Again
And it feels great!!
Well...not great, but really nice to be out running again. If you remember, I had done 4 half marathons prior to W being born and then once he was here I had limited free time and chose to ditch running and keep riding. Well, life has settled down a little and while time isn't something I have in excess there are always ways to make things work. Doing the RnT really made me realize how much I miss running and the way it makes my body feel.
Two weeks ago I took Gemmie out for a jog along the barn trails. They are really nice and mostly double wide so I am not so concerned about her stepping on me. I think the BO thought I had finally lost it fully when I went jogging passed their house in running clothes with an untacked up Gemmiw trotting along beside me on her rope.
We did the two miles of trails and I was nice to get to see Gem trotting along nicely beside and sometimes in front of me. It is a great way to condition both of us and it lets me work her from the ground. I have two main rules she is never allowed to break when jogging:
1) Never, ever step on me. Gem knows perfectly well where her feet are at all times. When she steps on me it is either her begin nasty or she is s mentally zoned out that she stops paying attention. Neither are allowed and so when we jog along, if she starts to spook or be brain dead, she gets an elbow in the ribs to remind her that I am there and to pay attention. It works really well to get her to remember to focus on me and not the world at large. I have toyed with the idea of bringing a crop along with my on runs, but I don't own one so I never do and my elbow works just fine. In line with this is that she also is not allowed to crowd my space. She can run beside me but is not allowed to push me off the trail.
2) No pulling on the rope. She can run beside me (preferred), behind me ( annoying but allowed) or slight in front of me (better than behind me) but is never allowed to pull on the rope. That means that I choose the pace and she gets to go along with it. If she lags behind and decides to try to walk while I shuffle along the trail and the rope becomes taut she gets kicked right up. If she plows ahead and starts pulling me along, she gets circles and made to go back the way we came and then turned around again.
I love jogging with her. I did decide that running on the trails was pretty hard work and that I should probably build up a little on the road first so that we can move down the trail at a decent pace for her. So I started running in the evenings around my neighborhood which is 1 mile, so I do it twice. The big problem with this is that running time means no riding time. I can't do both in the evening and every evening isn't mine. The hubs needs some evenings to run as well and we also need to cook, clean, etc...
So...my new plan which will go into effect this week is to run in the morning before work. I don't typically get up until 6:30 which gives me just enough time to shower, dress, and help get W around for the day. When we move closer to work here I will have even more time in the morning, but for now we need to leave the house by 7 am to get W to daycare and us both to work on time. If I get up at 5:45 (when the hubs does) or even 6, I should have plenty of time to get a quick 2 miles in and still get everything done I need to. It also has the bonus of being nice and cool out in the morning versus hot and sticky in the evening.
Thursday will be my first attempt at this so we will see if I drag my butt out of bed or not.
Well...not great, but really nice to be out running again. If you remember, I had done 4 half marathons prior to W being born and then once he was here I had limited free time and chose to ditch running and keep riding. Well, life has settled down a little and while time isn't something I have in excess there are always ways to make things work. Doing the RnT really made me realize how much I miss running and the way it makes my body feel.
Two weeks ago I took Gemmie out for a jog along the barn trails. They are really nice and mostly double wide so I am not so concerned about her stepping on me. I think the BO thought I had finally lost it fully when I went jogging passed their house in running clothes with an untacked up Gemmiw trotting along beside me on her rope.
We did the two miles of trails and I was nice to get to see Gem trotting along nicely beside and sometimes in front of me. It is a great way to condition both of us and it lets me work her from the ground. I have two main rules she is never allowed to break when jogging:
1) Never, ever step on me. Gem knows perfectly well where her feet are at all times. When she steps on me it is either her begin nasty or she is s mentally zoned out that she stops paying attention. Neither are allowed and so when we jog along, if she starts to spook or be brain dead, she gets an elbow in the ribs to remind her that I am there and to pay attention. It works really well to get her to remember to focus on me and not the world at large. I have toyed with the idea of bringing a crop along with my on runs, but I don't own one so I never do and my elbow works just fine. In line with this is that she also is not allowed to crowd my space. She can run beside me but is not allowed to push me off the trail.
2) No pulling on the rope. She can run beside me (preferred), behind me ( annoying but allowed) or slight in front of me (better than behind me) but is never allowed to pull on the rope. That means that I choose the pace and she gets to go along with it. If she lags behind and decides to try to walk while I shuffle along the trail and the rope becomes taut she gets kicked right up. If she plows ahead and starts pulling me along, she gets circles and made to go back the way we came and then turned around again.
I love jogging with her. I did decide that running on the trails was pretty hard work and that I should probably build up a little on the road first so that we can move down the trail at a decent pace for her. So I started running in the evenings around my neighborhood which is 1 mile, so I do it twice. The big problem with this is that running time means no riding time. I can't do both in the evening and every evening isn't mine. The hubs needs some evenings to run as well and we also need to cook, clean, etc...
So...my new plan which will go into effect this week is to run in the morning before work. I don't typically get up until 6:30 which gives me just enough time to shower, dress, and help get W around for the day. When we move closer to work here I will have even more time in the morning, but for now we need to leave the house by 7 am to get W to daycare and us both to work on time. If I get up at 5:45 (when the hubs does) or even 6, I should have plenty of time to get a quick 2 miles in and still get everything done I need to. It also has the bonus of being nice and cool out in the morning versus hot and sticky in the evening.
Thursday will be my first attempt at this so we will see if I drag my butt out of bed or not.
May 27, 2014
VC Blog Hop: Bit it Up
Well, I am late to the party as always and can't get the link to work properly, but here is my attempt to join a blog hop. Apparently, you should be able to link up with all the other blogs joining in and everyone writes a post on the same topic. This increases awareness of your blog but also provides a way for someone to read lots of different opinions about the same topic.
This one is about bits.
I have only used two different bits on Gem.
The first was a plain old French link D ring snaffle. Very mild. She went as well as Gem goes in it. She never complained about it and with her being as opinionated as she is, she would have quickly and loudly if she didn't approve.
I switched out of it because she was hard to bend and I wanted something with a little more help. So I picked up our current bit which is a full cheek French link snaffle with a copper lozenge. It was hard to find. There are a ton of full cheek snaffles out there, but most that I found had only a single joint and I am not a big fan of a single jointed bit. I think they are a bit too harsh for my tastes and what we do and so I hunted around until I found one I liked. She has been in this bit now for 3 years.
I don't think she actually turns any better in it. In fact I notice really no difference from the D ring to the full cheek. But I like the bit and so I am keeping it. I do like the bit keepers as it holds the bit nicely in her mouth without her needing to fuss at all. Unfortunately my endurance bridle doesn't work with the bit hangers.
I have a s hackamore on my wish list. I just barely ever use the bit at all out on the trail and see very little reason to have the metal in her mouth at this time. A friend was kind enough to lend me hers to try out and I am hoping to do that tonight. If Gem behaves in it, I just may move it up on my wish list. I need a new bridle for her anyway and would like to order it to match if I do get one.
So that's it. Nothing spectacular bit wise. I tend to try to be a minimal as possible with my bit choice, but then again we aren't trying for special dressage moves or anything. She carries herself well with just a plain snaffle and doesn't go running off on me (much anyway) so thts where we willstay for the time being.
This one is about bits.
I have only used two different bits on Gem.
The first was a plain old French link D ring snaffle. Very mild. She went as well as Gem goes in it. She never complained about it and with her being as opinionated as she is, she would have quickly and loudly if she didn't approve.
I switched out of it because she was hard to bend and I wanted something with a little more help. So I picked up our current bit which is a full cheek French link snaffle with a copper lozenge. It was hard to find. There are a ton of full cheek snaffles out there, but most that I found had only a single joint and I am not a big fan of a single jointed bit. I think they are a bit too harsh for my tastes and what we do and so I hunted around until I found one I liked. She has been in this bit now for 3 years.
I don't think she actually turns any better in it. In fact I notice really no difference from the D ring to the full cheek. But I like the bit and so I am keeping it. I do like the bit keepers as it holds the bit nicely in her mouth without her needing to fuss at all. Unfortunately my endurance bridle doesn't work with the bit hangers.
I have a s hackamore on my wish list. I just barely ever use the bit at all out on the trail and see very little reason to have the metal in her mouth at this time. A friend was kind enough to lend me hers to try out and I am hoping to do that tonight. If Gem behaves in it, I just may move it up on my wish list. I need a new bridle for her anyway and would like to order it to match if I do get one.
So that's it. Nothing spectacular bit wise. I tend to try to be a minimal as possible with my bit choice, but then again we aren't trying for special dressage moves or anything. She carries herself well with just a plain snaffle and doesn't go running off on me (much anyway) so thts where we willstay for the time being.
May 14, 2014
RnT Wrap Up
I have fallen in love with the sport. I have been thinking about it for a few days and I think I finally figured out why. Bare with me a bit through this.
I love riding in the woods and going fast(ish) is much better than walking the whole thing. I get bored in an arena in about 4 minutes although truth be told that is more a function of not knowing really what to do in an arena besides go around it. I would bet that if I took some real lessons and had homework to work on, the arena would be a lot more interesting. But never as interesting as a nice trail. Which is why I gravitated towards things like hunter pace and endurance.
Endurance to me (or at least to this point in my experience with it) is not really all that physically challenging. Yes, I hurt like the dickens after it and I won't even try to claim that I ride as well towards the end as I do in the beginning, but I'm also not elevating my heart rate at all or pushing my muscles past the point of normal limits. To me endurance is a massive mental and psychological challenge that is rewarding in and of itself.
It is all about my preparation for the event: nutrition, hoof health, hydration, do I need to electrolyte or not, tack fit, Gem's mental preparation etc....
Crossing that finish line has less to do with my physical state than all the little details of horse management. It is the best way I know of to become a great horseperson and not just a rider.
But I got much better physical/emotional high off of crossing the finish line of a half marathon because it was all on me. It was under my own power that I went 13.1 miles in x amount of time. Nobody was dragging me along. Nobody was compensating for my weaknesses.
Enter RnT. The perfect combination of mental challenge, horsemanship and physical exertion.
It gives me that sense of accomplishment that other horse endeavors have not been able to fulfill. In fact, I think it is an even greater challenge because you have two partners out there with you to not let down. If I decide to wimp out and start to crawl my way through the event, then my partner will end up having to work even harder to make up for me. She will pass me quicker, have to tie sooner and then be on her feet way longer all because I am a snail. So I force my legs to move because they can. I also have to continue to be able to manage my horse well. I have to watch for ribbons, make sure Gem is handling the pace ok and monitor her breathing and footing. All while trying to catch up to my partner to continue making good forward progress.
Not everyone can ride a horse and not everyone can do endurance, but the vast majority of people given the properly behaved and well trained horse can actually fudge their way through a LD. A lot of horses can to. But I would bet that there are far fewer people who can ride a horse at the pace required, jump off and tie said horse to a tree and then happily take off on foot away from that horse hoping that their partner will catch up and pass them before their legs fall off. It is a high that I have not matched as of yet in any other sport.
I've been scouring the RnT calendar and unfortunately there aren't many events in this area. The next one I can get to (meaning less than 5 hours away) is at the end of August in VA. You bet I will be there. The shortest distance is 15 miles, so I better up my running game a bit. I think I've conned S into doing it with me. I'm not sure of all the details yet. There is an endurance ride coinciding with it and she had already planned to do the LD there. It is awfully close to the Biltmore 50, so I think we may go and use her other mare for it on Saturday and she is going to ride her endurance mare on Friday in the LD. I am toying with the idea of doing the LD Friday as well, but need to see where Gem is at. The 15 mile ride Saturday may be nice for her as a last long ride (with lots of breaks) before the 50 in September. Either way I will be there!!!
I love riding in the woods and going fast(ish) is much better than walking the whole thing. I get bored in an arena in about 4 minutes although truth be told that is more a function of not knowing really what to do in an arena besides go around it. I would bet that if I took some real lessons and had homework to work on, the arena would be a lot more interesting. But never as interesting as a nice trail. Which is why I gravitated towards things like hunter pace and endurance.
Endurance to me (or at least to this point in my experience with it) is not really all that physically challenging. Yes, I hurt like the dickens after it and I won't even try to claim that I ride as well towards the end as I do in the beginning, but I'm also not elevating my heart rate at all or pushing my muscles past the point of normal limits. To me endurance is a massive mental and psychological challenge that is rewarding in and of itself.
It is all about my preparation for the event: nutrition, hoof health, hydration, do I need to electrolyte or not, tack fit, Gem's mental preparation etc....
Crossing that finish line has less to do with my physical state than all the little details of horse management. It is the best way I know of to become a great horseperson and not just a rider.
But I got much better physical/emotional high off of crossing the finish line of a half marathon because it was all on me. It was under my own power that I went 13.1 miles in x amount of time. Nobody was dragging me along. Nobody was compensating for my weaknesses.
Enter RnT. The perfect combination of mental challenge, horsemanship and physical exertion.
It gives me that sense of accomplishment that other horse endeavors have not been able to fulfill. In fact, I think it is an even greater challenge because you have two partners out there with you to not let down. If I decide to wimp out and start to crawl my way through the event, then my partner will end up having to work even harder to make up for me. She will pass me quicker, have to tie sooner and then be on her feet way longer all because I am a snail. So I force my legs to move because they can. I also have to continue to be able to manage my horse well. I have to watch for ribbons, make sure Gem is handling the pace ok and monitor her breathing and footing. All while trying to catch up to my partner to continue making good forward progress.
Not everyone can ride a horse and not everyone can do endurance, but the vast majority of people given the properly behaved and well trained horse can actually fudge their way through a LD. A lot of horses can to. But I would bet that there are far fewer people who can ride a horse at the pace required, jump off and tie said horse to a tree and then happily take off on foot away from that horse hoping that their partner will catch up and pass them before their legs fall off. It is a high that I have not matched as of yet in any other sport.
I've been scouring the RnT calendar and unfortunately there aren't many events in this area. The next one I can get to (meaning less than 5 hours away) is at the end of August in VA. You bet I will be there. The shortest distance is 15 miles, so I better up my running game a bit. I think I've conned S into doing it with me. I'm not sure of all the details yet. There is an endurance ride coinciding with it and she had already planned to do the LD there. It is awfully close to the Biltmore 50, so I think we may go and use her other mare for it on Saturday and she is going to ride her endurance mare on Friday in the LD. I am toying with the idea of doing the LD Friday as well, but need to see where Gem is at. The 15 mile ride Saturday may be nice for her as a last long ride (with lots of breaks) before the 50 in September. Either way I will be there!!!
May 13, 2014
Clemson RnT Lessons Learned
To start with it was an absolute blast and really is a great blend of two fantastic sports. Gem seems suited for the job as well. She not only enjoyed going down the trail, but very quickly got used to being tied and left alone. I even caught her dozing off once! The nice thing about being last is not having to worry about others going past her and this allowed 8+ miles of being tied and left as training before adding in the other horses. Hopefully next time we will be more in the thick of things.
I learned a lot in just one outing and I think there were some things that went great and some others that could use some changing up.
The Start Line:
After talking with S about it, I think we should have had me on the ground to begin with. I was the faster runner and having me on the ground first would have kept us closer to the gang in the beginning. Gem is a good horse and S is a great rider so it would have been just fine having her up on Gem to begin with.
I'm not so sure about timing for the first tie. I went 5 minutes and was the first person to tie off. After that we never saw another horse, so I think it was really too soon. I think next time I would try a set distance of say 1/2 mile to begin with and then tie. After that go back to the 3 minute rule.
Ties:
I royally stunk at this. It seemed so easy and common sense, but in reality I took way too long to do it. It was good that I went 5 minutes or else S would have caught me stumbling around trying to figure it out that first time. I did really like the rope though with the clips. Would change the clip on the halter to a locking one and make the rope 2 ft longer. That way we could more comfortably ride with it and still use it to tie without it being too long. I didn't see anyone else's horse tied the entire time to see what they were using. If we wanted to use reins, I would need to come up with a way to attach them to the saddle to allow us to leave them be but not slip over her head. Also, my fear of running past Gem was idiotic. If you can't see a big brown horse fully tacked up then a small strip of bright orange on the rope isn't going to help you. But it was fun to have it.
Running:
I wore my old shoes to avoid ruining my good ones on the sloppy trails. I shouldn't have. Good shoes are a must. The shorter distances were nice to allow you to push yourself harder. The whole key is to push yourself hard when you run and then push the horse hard when you ride. But man is that hard to do when you don't ever train! The time worked mentally for me. When S would pass me I knew that she would stop in x minutes. If I went faster then the distance between me and the sweet release from running would be shorter. So it caused me to push myself harder which is great.
Riding:
Gem was a rock star. She went well for a stranger and stood at the ties resting like a champ.
Gear:
This is the most important part of it all. Sharing a helmet was awesome because it was 95% humidity and 80 degrees out.. But I forgot to leave it behind a time or two and that makes me a bad partner. I would still share when able. It clipped easily to the saddle and that worked well.
See above regarding the reins/tie rope.
Saddle. If I am going to do more RnT (which I sincerely hope I do), I will be ordering a full sheepskin cover to include the stirrup leathers. That way I could ride in shorts with running socks that go up to the knee and be comfortable both running and riding. The people who did that looked so comfortable.
The water bottles in the cantle bag were a great addition. I was very thirsty out there. But in general I really like the least amount of stuff touching Gem as possible. I think next time I will be using a Camelback that I can drink from while on the horse and while running. It may slosh a bit on me, but I'd rather it slosh on me than on her loins.
Other than that I think the first outing was a success. I'm very glad I took the cell phone and kept it on me. Not only did I get a few pictures, but I also was prevented from running another 8 miles :)
I learned a lot in just one outing and I think there were some things that went great and some others that could use some changing up.
The Start Line:
After talking with S about it, I think we should have had me on the ground to begin with. I was the faster runner and having me on the ground first would have kept us closer to the gang in the beginning. Gem is a good horse and S is a great rider so it would have been just fine having her up on Gem to begin with.
I'm not so sure about timing for the first tie. I went 5 minutes and was the first person to tie off. After that we never saw another horse, so I think it was really too soon. I think next time I would try a set distance of say 1/2 mile to begin with and then tie. After that go back to the 3 minute rule.
Ties:
I royally stunk at this. It seemed so easy and common sense, but in reality I took way too long to do it. It was good that I went 5 minutes or else S would have caught me stumbling around trying to figure it out that first time. I did really like the rope though with the clips. Would change the clip on the halter to a locking one and make the rope 2 ft longer. That way we could more comfortably ride with it and still use it to tie without it being too long. I didn't see anyone else's horse tied the entire time to see what they were using. If we wanted to use reins, I would need to come up with a way to attach them to the saddle to allow us to leave them be but not slip over her head. Also, my fear of running past Gem was idiotic. If you can't see a big brown horse fully tacked up then a small strip of bright orange on the rope isn't going to help you. But it was fun to have it.
Running:
I wore my old shoes to avoid ruining my good ones on the sloppy trails. I shouldn't have. Good shoes are a must. The shorter distances were nice to allow you to push yourself harder. The whole key is to push yourself hard when you run and then push the horse hard when you ride. But man is that hard to do when you don't ever train! The time worked mentally for me. When S would pass me I knew that she would stop in x minutes. If I went faster then the distance between me and the sweet release from running would be shorter. So it caused me to push myself harder which is great.
Riding:
Gem was a rock star. She went well for a stranger and stood at the ties resting like a champ.
Gear:
This is the most important part of it all. Sharing a helmet was awesome because it was 95% humidity and 80 degrees out.. But I forgot to leave it behind a time or two and that makes me a bad partner. I would still share when able. It clipped easily to the saddle and that worked well.
See above regarding the reins/tie rope.
Saddle. If I am going to do more RnT (which I sincerely hope I do), I will be ordering a full sheepskin cover to include the stirrup leathers. That way I could ride in shorts with running socks that go up to the knee and be comfortable both running and riding. The people who did that looked so comfortable.
The water bottles in the cantle bag were a great addition. I was very thirsty out there. But in general I really like the least amount of stuff touching Gem as possible. I think next time I will be using a Camelback that I can drink from while on the horse and while running. It may slosh a bit on me, but I'd rather it slosh on me than on her loins.
Other than that I think the first outing was a success. I'm very glad I took the cell phone and kept it on me. Not only did I get a few pictures, but I also was prevented from running another 8 miles :)
May 12, 2014
Clemson Ride and Tie Story
There are only 2 good reasons to get out of a comfortable bed at 4:30 on a Saturday morning: W needing me and a horseback event. But even so, when the alarm goes off that early you second guess your life choices.
Organization is key in this game. Friday night I had pulled Gemmie into a stall to avoid trying to catch her in the predawn light and even hooked up the trailer and brought it back home with me. All tack was prepared in advance and ready to go. All I had to do was feed Gem her breakfast, load her up and head out. It took 30 minutes total and was well worth the effort Friday night.
I was the first to arrive at the start and unloaded Gem for her to settle in. Others quickly arrived and we all made our way to the overnight camp for the ride meeting. Apparently you have to be a member of the RnT association to ride, so I am now a proud member!! We were told the 8 mile course is closer to 9 miles (most people were saying it was 8.75 miles as they came into camp at the end) and was marked with red and black striped ribbons. Unfortunately, the ride manager wasn't the one who marked the trail and had never been on them so beyond that she couldn't make much comment. All the markers were supposedly on the right, but once on the trail I quickly realized they were hung on both sides. 3 ribbons together meant a turn was coming up.
Gemmie vetted in at 36 bpm (wahooo!!!) and trotted sound, so we were told to tack up and get ready! S and I chatted on strategy a bit and decided on sharing a helmet, adding a cantle bag to the saddle for human water and keeping the same stirrup length. I would start on Gem and ride out 5 minutes. After that we would go 3 minutes farther once we passed the runner.
It was a shot gun start downhill to the bridge of doom with all runners and riders for the 8 and 15 mile events at once. We headed downhill and I was wishing I was on foot. S was apparently wishing she was on Gem, so next time (yep, there will be a next time :) we will do that. It was crowded as we entered the single track trails through the woods and I was paranoid I would run over some runner, but we passed 2 runners quickly and settled in behind the lead horses. Gemmie was being strong trying to pass everyone, but she was enjoying it.
5 minutes goes by awfully fast and I was soon finding myself looking to tie. We had crossed the road twice and by now I had realized the ribbons were helter skelter a bit, but easily noticed. I jumped off and picked a suitable tree not too far from the trail, but far enough to avoid Gemmie straddling it and getting in the way. I chose wrong. The tree had no branches to prevent the rope from just falling down to the bottom. And apparently it had been involved in a fire because my hands and the rope turned black and sooty quickly. Oops. I switched trees and a runner passed me going down the trail. I unclipped the reins and stuffed them into the cantle bag to prevent them flipping over her head and getting destroyed and I headed off in a mild panic about how Gem would behave. And I had wasted 3 minutes in the process. Not good.
About 1/4 mile down the trail I realized I was the worst partner ever and had kept the helmet on my head. I debated turning around, but worried it would just waste way too much time. I went back and forth on it, but figured S should be closing in on me with all my wasted tie time and I would hand it to her as she passed.
I ended up running 12 minutes that first time. No clue about any other section as I didn't care to keep track. But I was feeling good out there on my feet!! I really didn't realize how much I missed running. S came up behind me and I gave her the helmet. She hadn't realized I stuffed the reins in the cantle bag, so she just rode with the tie rope. It was pretty short, but serviceable so we ended up just doing that for the entire ride. Gem was behaving herself and they went on down the trail. I told her to go 5 minutes more.
I caught up to them as she was getting off to tie, so we just handed off and I got up and on and headed off. I went 3 minutes and tied and this time I was a little better at it. Not great, but a little better. The time flew by when I was on Gem and always seemed too short. But the longer I was out there the more I was seraching for Gem around every corner and wondering why I was on my feet so much!
The next time S passed me she was getting Gem moving pretty good and I asked for 3 minutes. We communicated pretty good throughout with this and if one of us was working up a steep hill we just asked for a shorter time.
S was much better at tying than I was. She picked great trees with branches and just looped the rope around the branching point. Gem was being a good girl and didn't pull back or fight the rope at all, so we could use smaller trees without concern. We were in dead last, so I stopped caring so much if Gem was too close to the trail. If she ended up in the trail she wouldn't be in anyone's way. She also quickly caught on to the idea of resting during these breaks. I would come up on her and she would be half asleep.
Eventually we came across another group in our division. Two young girls on a huge Arab gelding who was barely in control. They looked half scared and more than half miserable with the ordeal. They couldn't tie him, so they just stuck together and handed off. But they also couldn't control him to allow someone to pass and so as I came up on them on the ground he swung his butt into me and I was very unhappy. They moved over and I passed and eventually Gem did too. That was the last we passed them and we went the last 3 miles or so without seeing them again.
We handed off instead of tying one more time. S was just passing me on Gem as we came to a horse water stop and it was as good a time as any to change it up. Gem refused to drink which concerned me a tad because she was drenched in sweat and breathing hard. I lingered a while, but didn't want to leave my partner on her feet while we hung out at the water stop, so after a bit I got back on and headed out to catch her.
Unfortunately, my tack was not agreeing with S at all. The stirrup leathers were pinching her right calf and she was getting a wicked bruise. I felt awful about it. Tack is such a personal preference thing, but it never pinched or rubbed me so I didn't think of it. Other than that she was getting along super well with Gemmiecakes and we were making fairly decent time. And we weren't in last place anymore!!
At around mile 6 1/2 or so my legs began to protest. Not too shabby for not having run at all in 18 months. I had been going a bit too fast for my conditioning level, but running on the trail is just too much fun. It was interesting to note though that I felt much better on the ground than on Gem. I was too fatigued to have my normal balance on her. S made a comment in a similar fashion as well around this point.
I think we tied off two more times and we both knew we had to be nearing in on the end. I tied Gemmie one last time and looked at my watch. I knew it was a bit off as it was 1/2 a mile short by the half way point. It was reading 8 miles, so we had to be within a 1/2 mile of the finish. I took off at a speedy hiking pace. My legs wouldn't run too much anymore so I allowed them to speed hike the up hills and forced a slow jog for flats and a run for downs. I came to a Y in the trail. I looked left and saw a bunch of in your face red and black ribbons. And hoof prints. I hadn't seen anything to say a turn was coming up and the trail more naturally went left versus right. I went left.
My brain was still functioning enough to note that the trail was familiar. I crossed the road twice and then saw the 1 mile marker. Hmmm...but my brain wasn't working well enough to stop and think about the trail as I knew it from conditioning. I just kept following the ribbons which were plentiful. After a while I started to worry. S and Gem should have passed me by then. S had been fairly close when I tied and I was moving slowly. She should have come up on me. I didn't have the trail map with me which was a mistake, but I stink at reading maps anyway.
The hubby called my cell phone (I was smart enough to keep it on and with me) and informed me that S and Gem were happily waiting for me at the end. Huh? She never passed me! Oh crap. I tried to get out of him where I went wrong, but he was of no use having not been on the trail. I did manage to figure out I made a left where I should have made a right somewhere close to where I left Gem. But I didn't realize how far I had gone since I left her and he didn't say anything about not crossing the road.
Disheartened and tired I turned back around and forced myself into a run. I knew the girls had been behind us and didn't want my screw up to put us back in last place. As I crossed the road I saw the girls coming my way. They also made the wrong turn (it wasn't just me!!) and I told them we had to go back. At the second road crossing I made a right and the girls followed me but it was pretty clear this was wrong as well. There were no ribbons and no hoof prints. I called the hubby again and told him I was standing directly after the road looking at a Y. Should I go right? But there were no ribbons right and a bunch left. He said he didn't know. I was frustrated. Thankfully S got on the phone and asked me what I saw. I told her. She said to go back across the road. I never should have crossed it. I went back and found my error. Unfortunately, the girls had decided to stay their original course and didn't come back. I had been 1/4 mile from the end when I tied Gem. Darn! :(
But I made it back and had a round of applause from everyone waiting for me to finish :) I had added about 1 1/2 miles on to it too. Ick. The father of one of the girls was worried and asked where they were. I told them where they had gone and he went out after them.
How did I make this mistake?? It is simple and complicated. Obviously S and the others didn't make the same mistake so there were ribbons that I just didn't see off to the right. But I also wasn't the only one to make it either. Here is the best I can do to explain it:
Picture a lollipop. The trail starts at the beginning of the stick and then hits the candy. You travel around the candy and then eventually 8 miles later come back to the stick. When you do you come to an intersection where you can turn right and go back to camp. Or, like me, turn left and begin all over again. You will see hoof prints going in your direction and ribbons because you have already done this section in this direction.
In reality, it wasn't shaped quite so perfectly and I hadn't barely glanced at the map in advance to note this shape. Even going back and knowing my mistake I didn't see any three clumped ribbons to mark a turn coming up. And the ribbons to the right were not as easily visible as to the left.
Gem looked amazing as always at the end. Like she barely did any work at all. She even cantered off into her pasture when I got her home. We vetted in with a 48 bpm pulse. A little higher than I would have thought given all the time she had to rest while I farted around getting lost. S said she enjoyed it more than she thought she would and I think I may get her to go again :)
We collected our completion awards, but they were out of small t-shirts so I will have to wait for it in the mail.
It was a ton of fun and very tiring. I would have been happier had I not screwed up, but oh well. Live and learn.
Organization is key in this game. Friday night I had pulled Gemmie into a stall to avoid trying to catch her in the predawn light and even hooked up the trailer and brought it back home with me. All tack was prepared in advance and ready to go. All I had to do was feed Gem her breakfast, load her up and head out. It took 30 minutes total and was well worth the effort Friday night.
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| Ready to hit the road! |
I was the first to arrive at the start and unloaded Gem for her to settle in. Others quickly arrived and we all made our way to the overnight camp for the ride meeting. Apparently you have to be a member of the RnT association to ride, so I am now a proud member!! We were told the 8 mile course is closer to 9 miles (most people were saying it was 8.75 miles as they came into camp at the end) and was marked with red and black striped ribbons. Unfortunately, the ride manager wasn't the one who marked the trail and had never been on them so beyond that she couldn't make much comment. All the markers were supposedly on the right, but once on the trail I quickly realized they were hung on both sides. 3 ribbons together meant a turn was coming up.
Gemmie vetted in at 36 bpm (wahooo!!!) and trotted sound, so we were told to tack up and get ready! S and I chatted on strategy a bit and decided on sharing a helmet, adding a cantle bag to the saddle for human water and keeping the same stirrup length. I would start on Gem and ride out 5 minutes. After that we would go 3 minutes farther once we passed the runner.
It was a shot gun start downhill to the bridge of doom with all runners and riders for the 8 and 15 mile events at once. We headed downhill and I was wishing I was on foot. S was apparently wishing she was on Gem, so next time (yep, there will be a next time :) we will do that. It was crowded as we entered the single track trails through the woods and I was paranoid I would run over some runner, but we passed 2 runners quickly and settled in behind the lead horses. Gemmie was being strong trying to pass everyone, but she was enjoying it.
5 minutes goes by awfully fast and I was soon finding myself looking to tie. We had crossed the road twice and by now I had realized the ribbons were helter skelter a bit, but easily noticed. I jumped off and picked a suitable tree not too far from the trail, but far enough to avoid Gemmie straddling it and getting in the way. I chose wrong. The tree had no branches to prevent the rope from just falling down to the bottom. And apparently it had been involved in a fire because my hands and the rope turned black and sooty quickly. Oops. I switched trees and a runner passed me going down the trail. I unclipped the reins and stuffed them into the cantle bag to prevent them flipping over her head and getting destroyed and I headed off in a mild panic about how Gem would behave. And I had wasted 3 minutes in the process. Not good.
About 1/4 mile down the trail I realized I was the worst partner ever and had kept the helmet on my head. I debated turning around, but worried it would just waste way too much time. I went back and forth on it, but figured S should be closing in on me with all my wasted tie time and I would hand it to her as she passed.
I ended up running 12 minutes that first time. No clue about any other section as I didn't care to keep track. But I was feeling good out there on my feet!! I really didn't realize how much I missed running. S came up behind me and I gave her the helmet. She hadn't realized I stuffed the reins in the cantle bag, so she just rode with the tie rope. It was pretty short, but serviceable so we ended up just doing that for the entire ride. Gem was behaving herself and they went on down the trail. I told her to go 5 minutes more.
I caught up to them as she was getting off to tie, so we just handed off and I got up and on and headed off. I went 3 minutes and tied and this time I was a little better at it. Not great, but a little better. The time flew by when I was on Gem and always seemed too short. But the longer I was out there the more I was seraching for Gem around every corner and wondering why I was on my feet so much!
The next time S passed me she was getting Gem moving pretty good and I asked for 3 minutes. We communicated pretty good throughout with this and if one of us was working up a steep hill we just asked for a shorter time.
S was much better at tying than I was. She picked great trees with branches and just looped the rope around the branching point. Gem was being a good girl and didn't pull back or fight the rope at all, so we could use smaller trees without concern. We were in dead last, so I stopped caring so much if Gem was too close to the trail. If she ended up in the trail she wouldn't be in anyone's way. She also quickly caught on to the idea of resting during these breaks. I would come up on her and she would be half asleep.
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| It was always sooo good to see her again! |
Eventually we came across another group in our division. Two young girls on a huge Arab gelding who was barely in control. They looked half scared and more than half miserable with the ordeal. They couldn't tie him, so they just stuck together and handed off. But they also couldn't control him to allow someone to pass and so as I came up on them on the ground he swung his butt into me and I was very unhappy. They moved over and I passed and eventually Gem did too. That was the last we passed them and we went the last 3 miles or so without seeing them again.
We handed off instead of tying one more time. S was just passing me on Gem as we came to a horse water stop and it was as good a time as any to change it up. Gem refused to drink which concerned me a tad because she was drenched in sweat and breathing hard. I lingered a while, but didn't want to leave my partner on her feet while we hung out at the water stop, so after a bit I got back on and headed out to catch her.
Unfortunately, my tack was not agreeing with S at all. The stirrup leathers were pinching her right calf and she was getting a wicked bruise. I felt awful about it. Tack is such a personal preference thing, but it never pinched or rubbed me so I didn't think of it. Other than that she was getting along super well with Gemmiecakes and we were making fairly decent time. And we weren't in last place anymore!!
At around mile 6 1/2 or so my legs began to protest. Not too shabby for not having run at all in 18 months. I had been going a bit too fast for my conditioning level, but running on the trail is just too much fun. It was interesting to note though that I felt much better on the ground than on Gem. I was too fatigued to have my normal balance on her. S made a comment in a similar fashion as well around this point.
I think we tied off two more times and we both knew we had to be nearing in on the end. I tied Gemmie one last time and looked at my watch. I knew it was a bit off as it was 1/2 a mile short by the half way point. It was reading 8 miles, so we had to be within a 1/2 mile of the finish. I took off at a speedy hiking pace. My legs wouldn't run too much anymore so I allowed them to speed hike the up hills and forced a slow jog for flats and a run for downs. I came to a Y in the trail. I looked left and saw a bunch of in your face red and black ribbons. And hoof prints. I hadn't seen anything to say a turn was coming up and the trail more naturally went left versus right. I went left.
My brain was still functioning enough to note that the trail was familiar. I crossed the road twice and then saw the 1 mile marker. Hmmm...but my brain wasn't working well enough to stop and think about the trail as I knew it from conditioning. I just kept following the ribbons which were plentiful. After a while I started to worry. S and Gem should have passed me by then. S had been fairly close when I tied and I was moving slowly. She should have come up on me. I didn't have the trail map with me which was a mistake, but I stink at reading maps anyway.
The hubby called my cell phone (I was smart enough to keep it on and with me) and informed me that S and Gem were happily waiting for me at the end. Huh? She never passed me! Oh crap. I tried to get out of him where I went wrong, but he was of no use having not been on the trail. I did manage to figure out I made a left where I should have made a right somewhere close to where I left Gem. But I didn't realize how far I had gone since I left her and he didn't say anything about not crossing the road.
Disheartened and tired I turned back around and forced myself into a run. I knew the girls had been behind us and didn't want my screw up to put us back in last place. As I crossed the road I saw the girls coming my way. They also made the wrong turn (it wasn't just me!!) and I told them we had to go back. At the second road crossing I made a right and the girls followed me but it was pretty clear this was wrong as well. There were no ribbons and no hoof prints. I called the hubby again and told him I was standing directly after the road looking at a Y. Should I go right? But there were no ribbons right and a bunch left. He said he didn't know. I was frustrated. Thankfully S got on the phone and asked me what I saw. I told her. She said to go back across the road. I never should have crossed it. I went back and found my error. Unfortunately, the girls had decided to stay their original course and didn't come back. I had been 1/4 mile from the end when I tied Gem. Darn! :(
But I made it back and had a round of applause from everyone waiting for me to finish :) I had added about 1 1/2 miles on to it too. Ick. The father of one of the girls was worried and asked where they were. I told them where they had gone and he went out after them.
How did I make this mistake?? It is simple and complicated. Obviously S and the others didn't make the same mistake so there were ribbons that I just didn't see off to the right. But I also wasn't the only one to make it either. Here is the best I can do to explain it:
Picture a lollipop. The trail starts at the beginning of the stick and then hits the candy. You travel around the candy and then eventually 8 miles later come back to the stick. When you do you come to an intersection where you can turn right and go back to camp. Or, like me, turn left and begin all over again. You will see hoof prints going in your direction and ribbons because you have already done this section in this direction.
In reality, it wasn't shaped quite so perfectly and I hadn't barely glanced at the map in advance to note this shape. Even going back and knowing my mistake I didn't see any three clumped ribbons to mark a turn coming up. And the ribbons to the right were not as easily visible as to the left.
Gem looked amazing as always at the end. Like she barely did any work at all. She even cantered off into her pasture when I got her home. We vetted in with a 48 bpm pulse. A little higher than I would have thought given all the time she had to rest while I farted around getting lost. S said she enjoyed it more than she thought she would and I think I may get her to go again :)
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| Doesn't look like she did anything at all |
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| Completion award |
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