Re: Nature of Endurance Riding/Racing

["Sandy Bolinger" <bolinger@bigsky.net>]

doesn't have to have anything to do with endurance...a women, her  husband
and a couple of friends were riding on one of Glacier Park trails last
summer...these were experienced horsemen..all long time members of back
country horsemen...she got off her horse at one point to take a
picture...the trail was narrow...but there was a three foot high, wide,
stone "wall" between them and the 2000 ft drop---for some reason at the
moment she turned away from her horse to take a picture he decided to lay
down...perhaps he had an itch he just had to take care of...he instantly
realized laying down was a bad idea and in his scramble to get back up..lost
his balance taking the women with him over the retaining wall...end of
story.  ..there are people in the world who live like prisoners in their
houses because they are scared to death of all the horrible things that
could happen to them if they venture out the door...then there are those
"crazies" like sky divers and bungie jumpers and ECO challenge maniacs who
seek out as much challenge and danger as they possible can....I get my
"living on the edge" fix any more by driving around without my seat belt on
:>) Everything is sooo relative...Do unto other as you would have them do
unto you is a great saying...especially when we apply is to every living
thing...but that is relative also---if I were a horse would I want some one
to ride me 100 miles?? By all means.. if I was in prime condition and
spoiled rotten...:>))...would I want to be kept in a 12 by 12 stall most of
my days...and made to trot around and around in circles for hours on
end..NOPE...but that's just me (as a horse)...if Ti were a horse he would
probably like very much to be one of the Budweiser horses!! Now that I have
completely gotten off track.. I will sign off---Happy fourth of July
everyone....!

----- Original Message -----
From: Linda Flemmer <bluewolfranch@yahoo.com>
To: <DVeritas@aol.com>; <ridecamp@endurance.net>
Sent: Monday, July 03, 2000 8:05 PM
Subject: RC: Nature of Endurance Riding/Racing


> Frank,
>
> You are so right about "things happen".  We've had two
> incidents in recent memory that were quite scary.  One
> was tragic.
>
> The first incident was at a organized fun ride that we
> were using as training for the Old Dominion.  My mare
> was walking over "tank traps" (water barriers on the
> trail) when she stumbled and fell.  She was in supreme
> shape, trail savvy, moving at a working walk and not
> "day dreaming".  She just stumbled!  She immediately
> stood up & walked on, sound.  Within minutes she was
> progressively lame.  We noted clear fliud at a scrape
> on her knee and realized she'd punctured the joint
> capsule.  We led her off the mountain, got a vet to
> give first aid (she was in shock 45 minuted later at
> the trailer).  When stabilized, we got her to the vet
> hospital for flushing of the joint under anesthesia,
> followed by IV antibiotics in an intensive care stall.
>  The antibiotics were too strong and killed off the
> gut flora, causing her to become endotoxic.  Despite
> the hospital's heroic efforts, she died 3 days later.
> A true tragedy that was probably unavoidable in every
> sense of the word short of keeping her in a padded
> stall for her entire life.
>
> The second had a better ending.  Our green gelding was
> on his first steep moutain trail this summer when we
> came to trees down across the trail.  The horses could
> easily step over them and the Nat'l Forest Service
> obviously expected this - they only trimmed the odd
> branches on the top of each log to make the log
> "safe".
> My husband knew Razz was cluelees about this, so he
> got off & led for the first little bit.  Sure enough,
> Razz decided going around a log looked better.  He
> started to scramble on the loose rock & soil as he
> stepped off the edge of the trail onto the steep
> mountainside.  Mike was able to pull his head around
> and help him struggle to get his front feet back on
> the trail.  Poor horse stood with two front feet on
> solid ground and puffed, then got back up.  He stayed
> in the middle of the trail for the rest of the trip.
> The horse could have easily bounced more than 1200
> feet to the bottom.
>
> Endurance is a sport that takes us into remote
> territory where we must literally survive by our wits
> & the horse's training.  Sometimes it isn't enough.
> I'm willing to take moderate risk to see beautful
> parts of the country I would never otherwise get to
> see.  I'd be bored silly if I could never leave an
> arena or come off of the lead line.
>
> Yes, horses are accidents waiting to happen.
> Endurance can put us in some remote spots where it can
> get hairy and help isn't likely or slow to get there.
> I vote for supporting those folks whose number comes
> up and they have an accident.
>
> Do you know what I would have felt like if somebody
> berated me after my mare died?  Sh** happens.  I had
> supportive friends help me get through it.
>
> Linda Flemmer
> Blue Wolf Ranch
> --- DVeritas@aol.com wrote:
> >  THINGS HAPPEN, BUT, MORE IMPORTANTLY, SOMETIMES
> > THINGS DON'T HAPPEN.
> >     How many times have things NOT happened to you?
> >
> >     Frank.
>
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