Liberty Run 50

[Roger Rittenhouse-vmaxept <roger@vmaxept.com>]

Well this is sort of quite late, I am FINALLY not on the run anymore.
Was back one day from LR then off to Cal-Expo.

Hey I had a great time with Janet and Ray from Aust Conn. They took me
over to NO HANDS BRIDGE. SO WAY COOL.. its like going to mecca.  the
repair job is great. I ran on over the bridge- being stupid, nutso
endurance rider , getting hyped about how great it would be to ride
across this bridge about 3am next year... felt great to be part of the
save the bridge thing..go tevis

After I came back from CA- it was one day here and off to OD100 to work
crew and be a sponsor  - fun stuff..

LIBERTY RUN 50
After the good reports form UT - I felt good about taking OMNI. We left
about 3am on SAT - vet in day - he had his buddy - Carol was going in
the 25.

In camp he ate ok not real great, but good enough. We went out for an
hour easy loop across the lake then to the finish.. He felt great -
Drank on trail and ate grass.

In camp he did ok with the hay, but I changed the grain feeding , a feed
bag - worked well he took his time but ate all the ration.
I gave small amounts during the day.
Feed about 6 times, about 2 to 3 handfuls  less then a one pnd coffee
can per feeding.
normal feed - Farr legacy and oats and Vitality with some ABC PLUS

I gave NO probi before the race. I gave electrolytes pre trailer ride
and at  camp 3/4 oz mixed with Maalox and carrots. I dosed about 5 times
during the day . I did not give a large dose at night.

It was HOT.
He seemed to do better with hay at night. Appeared to drink well - but
with the other horse in the pen, it was difficult to tell for sure.

In the am I checked his guts, very strong , He ate 2 coffee cans of
beetpulp - wet and one of the grainmix about 5 am. he ate well - better
then Biltmore.

The 50 started at 6- I gave 2 oz electrolytes - 15 cc probi, 15cc maalox
and baby food carrots just before we left.

15 mile loop 1
He went out in control for about 4 miles - then some late hot shoes
galloped by and it was a battle for a while. He drank at the water
stops, gave 1/2 single tube Lyte-Now paste at one stop 45 min or so .
Gave another 1/2 dose about 1.5 hr .
Arrived in camp at 804. A good pace,7mph.
He dropped to 60 in 9 minutes. However this took longer since I decided
to let him eat and drink Before I went to pulse - no race today- he ate
well and drank - I cooled him off. When his HR is 70 while eating it
would be about 64 or less if I took him off the feed. I gave a small
dose 1 oz of electrolytes and went to vet in.
All was good -A and a 56/56 CRI but GUTS were C. RATS now what.. 
The vet was Kathy Eleckelberger (sp sorry Kathy)  from VA. She had been
pulling C guts. However I got a break, come back after the 40 minutes
hold and re-check.
SO it was off to eat what ever we could find. His normal 'stuff' was
good for about 15 minutes, I gave him 30cc pro-bi. we walked around camp
doing the OP thing - asked first- since some were pulled - we had many
pots to feed from, plus all the hay up and down the crew line, he ate
well. Found he likes those little nugget carrots, at least this time.
Would not eat the ones I had. But he was eating. Back to my site and 15
more cc probi and another small 1/2 dose of electrolytes. He drank a
load of water as we were going back for recheck. 
Kathy did a full check - no trot- he was back to B. We were back on the
road. I stopped by the trailer on the way out and let him wiz and grab
some hay in the pen, so we were in camp-hold for an hour. But it worked.
Before we left I decided to give another oz of the electrolyte mix.. did
I say it was HOT HUMID. I was leaving about 915. I also decided to give
him ONE 1 oz of carbo-charge. I did not take blood Glu levels.

15 MILE LOOP2
This loop was a bit harder. We went into a very nice working trot. Came
to water stops he drank at all of them. Same protocol as before - about
1 hr into the loop I gave a tube of Lyte-Now- this time a full dose.
We came up on some fair grass- this was a sandy ride- not much good
stuff to eat on trail, we grazed for 15 minutes.
Arrive in camp 1211- this loop was 2.5 hrs
Same deal - ate drank BEFORE the VC. Dropped the saddle - HR was about
66 just left him eat. When his HR was 64 while eating I figures we were
ok. Took 13 minutes. He pulsed  in at 48 CRI 48/48 and all A - GUT B
I asked for Dr Kathy - wanted the same judgment criteria applied.

Back to his VC area. It does appear he did MUCH better with eating etc
IF we stayed with the crews rather then taking him back to the trailer.
I planned to leave on time 105. Carol was back - she had a great ride-
so I put him in the pen with his buddy. Drank well ate hay, put on the
feed bag on  3 cans of beet pulp and about 2 cans of oats. Woofed that
down. 
Gave - 2oz electrolytes 30cc probi and maalox and 1 OZ carbo.

10 MILE Loop 3 - this was a rider option. Very good plan. We rode the
same loop 2 times back to camp after 10 miles, almost everyone came  in
for a quick stop.
At 5m out he drank well- gave 1/2 dose lytenow- I sure like this
product, easy to use and it does work.
Arrived in camp in about 1hr15. Stopped at the trailer for 15 min- Ate
well again. Not sure how much, I was in the rig.
Gave 2oz electrolytes same as before and 1 oz cc.

10M loop 4
Took our time
I thought I was last, not so. We killed time at the water stops and the
lake. He drank well ate grass- At 5 miles to go gave 1/2 lyte now.

Finished - 9:13 I think We walked slowly back to the VC- past the
trailer and worked  on him there. We were almost late - has less then 10
to complete (30 minute final here) Pulse in at 32 CRI 56/48 got excited
when he could not see he buddy. ding
All A  but gait B - seems he was landing hard on FL. Nothing found , but
not 100% even. Same vet Kathy and Stan, husband and wife - double team
you at the end.


Well thats-that one- not a race - but a finish. We still have to work on
the first loop excitement problem - which appears to get him all wound
up and shut down until he relaxes.
Also he may not be a fast hot weather horse.

He finished ready to go on. We are getting things worked out.
His next one is in JULY - KTY Stampede. That ride was his first 50 just
a year ago. Will be nice to go back.
This horse has come a long way since last July.

If all goes well there-  its off to New Mexico and the NC- the week
after- we are going to take 4 days to get here, if needed and then 4
days in camp before the race.

The ride at LR was great, the pr vet queue lines were designed by Robbin
Oscar (FEI Official)  with lanes and a out route that made the flow
though the vet lines very fast. The one hr staggered starts between the
100 and 50 and 2 hr for the 25, and the 15 mile loop followed by the
second 15 mile loop eliminated any vc waiting. The horses got to eat and
recover at all the holds. The last 20 mile loop put the burden to care
for their horse back on the rider - where it belongs. It was risky
letting horses go on a 20 mile loop at the end without a vc, but it
worked great. No horse on the 50 or 100 was treated with IV, and I dont
think there were but a few that needed minimum help.
Well run
Well vetted
Well ridden

Sure will be back in Oct.  100 miler ??

Roger