4. Ride Day - Happy Loop
Back to the first hold, everybody looked great. 18 km/hr average - pretty fast - but it was cool and the horses recovered well, so seemed ok. There would be time to slow down later when it got hot. They ate and drank well at the hold, but 30 minutes is sooo short - especially when you have to untack and tack back up again.
Back out for the second loop. Still good time, decent trail -
alternating decent footing and sandy areas. They were riding towards
the back of the pack so the course was getting churned up and the sand
a little deeper. Sand sand sand sand sand.... I suggested to Mohammed
and Ted (OC) that they put in a section of turf trail - and a few
trees along it. They're already talking about a hotel and golf course
and shallow lake for the horses to ride through - so why not a nice
grassy forest trail. Why not!
Back to the second hold. This loop was a little slower - around 16 km/hr - horses still looked great though. Pulsed down quickly and ate and drank well at the vet chek. Another 30 minute hold (too short!!!!) and back out for loop three. This would be out on the flats - very boring section of trail, not much for variety. Just flat sandy track - a few camel camps here and there, and a long row of power line towers, otherwise very boring.
