Re: Cold ride questions

["Cheryl" <mskit@utec.net>]

Hi Rae -

1. I like one or even two foam pads (closed cell) instead of an air
mattress. I don't use a cot or air mattress because you have to warm the
surrounding air with your body.
2. Make sure your groundcloth is a bit smaller than the footprint of your
tent (keep rain from running into your tent).
3. Put your next days clothes inside your bag with you. Stick your horse's
saddle pad in there too. Even his rump rug if he isn't wearing it. Don't
worry about what others might think! It makes it warm for him/her in the
morning, too.
4. Eat a good meal (to stoke your body's furnace) and do some exercises (to
warm up, but not break a sweat), just before you crawl into your bag. Try a
bag liner or maybe a space blanket, too.
5. Put a tightly capped bottle of hot water down by your feet, inside your
bag. Or use heat packs, etc. I use a separate set of pac boot liners for my
feet, with a separate set of wool socks.
6. Sleep with a hat on. I sometimes wear my polarfleece Thinsulate gloves to
bed, too.
7. Don't cover your head with your sleeping bag, it just adds moisture to
it.
8. Leave your tent open a bit for ventilation.

I use lightweight Polarfleece for rump rugs. I bought the fabric at the
fabric store, it is 60" wide. I washed and waterreppellanted (I know that's
not a word, but I'm in a hurry!) it. Then I bought heavy elastic, and
hardware to make leg straps, but you can improvise by just using rocks and
baling twine! Trust me! Or frozen horse manure! I don't use mine to
neccessarily keep them warm, but more to keep the snow off them and to be
seen (hunter orange), although Kit also has a beautiful purple rug, and Dani
has a real cool Southwest pattern. Hey, my girls are fashion Divas! Bobby
has a second rug with puppies on it! Believe me, the neighbors know who we
are when they see us coming!

As for the vet check, I don't know as I've never gone on an organized
distance ride, but I just do the miles and camp on my own. I hope to change
all that this year, tho!

Hope this helps!

Ride safe-

Cheryl in WNY
Snowy and fashionable horse kids Kit, Bobby & Dani

-----Original Message-----
From: tallcarabs@juno.com <tallcarabs@juno.com>
To: ridecamp@endurance.net <ridecamp@endurance.net>
Date: Monday, January 01, 2001 9:46 AM
Subject: RC: Cold ride questions



> So, my questions.  It was really cold the night before - got down to 28'
>F.  I fully admit to having thin blood and can handle the 90's so much
>better than anything below 60'.  I got a sleeping bag that was rated for
>0'F and expected to be comfortable that night.  Well, I was wrong.  Froze
>my toes off and I don't think I got any sleep at all.  I think because I
>was on an air mattress, that it was conducting very cold air under me and
>is there anything that can be done about that????   I get sore sleeping
>on the ground or a thin pallet, and really was comfortable on the
>mattress, except for the cold.  Any suggestions?
>   The morning of the ride everything was covered in ice.  Scarlet is a
>weeny about the cold as much as I am.  When I took her blanket off to
>saddle her, she was almost violently shivering.  I kept the blanket over
>the saddle until we started, but I was wondering about the rump rugs --
>do you ride in them when it is cold like that?  or just keep it on until
>you start the ride?  When is the time to use a rump rug and when would it
>be better to take it off?
>     Also, on the LD -- why is the last vet check just a trot out instead
>of a full check like the other two?  Even though 25 miles isn't
>considered real endurance, I would still think that a full check at the
>end of the ride would be a good idea.  There are still newbie riders who
>may be overriding their horses, newbie horses who may be letting their
>riders over do it, or even the few people who think LD is a race.
>  I know I had some more, but my brain is still in a New Year's fog. :o)
>
>Thanks
>Rae
>Tall C Arabians -- TX
>
>
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