Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

This was our 3rd CTR, and the first 2-day that my riding buddy (Traci) and I 
have tried. Our horses are also new to the sport, which we're using as a 
stepping-stone to Endurance riding.

We got there around 4pm. Unloaded all our gear, paid through the nose for a 
second bag of shavings for each stall (not ride management's fault), got our 
stalls ready, and settled our horses in. The barns were beautiful - large, airy 
stalls, and a separate stall for tack!

Vetted in, then stood in line for burgers and dogs, and afterwards, sat around 
Susie's "florescent campfire" to sing cowboy songs and drink our favorite wine.

DAY ONE - 30 MILES:

Got up at 4am, and couldn't find the lightswitch in the barn. Good thing the 
barn had such open outer-walls... and good thing the sun started to come up 
soon.

The first 15 miles were fabulous - everyone was having a great time. Zephyr was 
feeling good, and giving me his "747 trot" whenever I asked. Man I love that 
feeling! We alternated between trot and canter, with some walking if they 
needed a breather. It was sunny and probably mid-60's to low-70's. NO BUGS! How 
nice!

At the 15-mile vet check, where the pulse parameter was 60 - Zephyr was at 52. 
His respiration was a little higher than it had been at our last ride, but 
still good. Trot-out went great. Both horses chowed down on the apples and 
carrots, and lipped at their beet pulp slurry.

The second half of the trail was VERY confusing. Since we were riding at Acadia 
National Park on the carriage trails, all trail markings had to be very 
unobtrusive. Even so, several of the markers on the second half of the trail 
had been sabotaged by hikers. About half of the 30 competitors took a wrong 
turn and went 4 miles out of the way, then had to go back those same 4 miles to 
continue on the correct trail. 

Optimum ride time (no time penalties) was 5 to 5.5 hours. I've been told that 
normally, if you come in more than 30 minutes late, you're disqualified. None 
of us knew for sure whether ride management would decide to waive that because 
of the sabotaged markings... so we really kicked ass to get back within 6 
hours. So after we got lost, we did most of it at an extended trot or canter. 
Traci and I both had shin splints from all the downhill trotting. There was 
this one really cool section that went downhill on tight switchbacks over a 
creek. A bunch of us were together at that point, and we raced down those 
switchbacks side-by-side in pairs, at a nice big trot.

Traci and I got out in front of several of the horses. We were only a mile or 
so from camp when Zephyr and Nettie dropped to a walk on their own. We let them 
walk for a few minutes, then a pair of horses came up behind us at a trot and 
both of ours got energized again. We crossed the finish line running, still 
trying to beat the 6 hours. We were a few minutes over, but it wasn't our 
horses' fault. They had done EVERYTHING we asked them to do, ably and 
cheerfully.

As soon as we crossed the line, I got off and sat down on the ground. The shin 
splint I'd developed in my left leg was KILLING me. Zephyr was a good boy... 
just stood there perfectly still and looked at me, as if wondering what I was 
doing down there.

It was then, that Colleen (ride manager) came over and told us not to worry... 
no one would be disqualified, because half the riders went off trail... and 
since it was because of sabotage. Well shoot, if we'd known, we wouldn't have 
raced home! Lesson learned... sort of. I'm guessing that you can't count on a 
different ride manager making the same decision in a similar situation.

At the end of Day One, the pulse parameter was 44. Normally, we'd walk in, so 
the horses can get a head-start on pulsing down. But since we'd cantered in, 
Zephyr got a 48. Nettie was also over, but I don't remember how much. My trot-
out went great, though... they said Zephyr still had lots of energy and looked 
fabulous. In fact, as I ran the straight part of the trot-out pattern, he 
actually broke into a canter right next to me! Traci's horse, unfortunately, 
came up lame at the trot-out. She'd been fine on the trail, but something had 
set in during the 20-30 minutes we'd been waiting to see the vet. He said it 
looked like the suspensory ligament, and that if she was still tender there in 
the morning, he would suggest Traci pull her. 

Took care of the horses' needs, ate our dinner (lobster for Traci, chicken for 
me... very yummy), massaged each others' lower legs and feet, took some Advil, 
and fell asleep before we hit the sleeping bags.

DAY TWO - 20 MILES: 

Ride meeting was held, to explain the trail for Day Two. I wanted to get Zephyr 
out to stretch his legs, so I brought him to the meeting. (MISTAKE # ONE!) He 
wanted to eat grass, and wouldn't stand still... so while I was hearing 
everything, and writing down my arrows correctly, I wasn't giving it my FULL 
attention.

Nettie was still sore, so Traci pulled herself from the ride. Helped me get 
Zephyr ready. I almost forgot his Easy Boots, so I had to go back and put them 
on in a hurry. (MISTAKE # TWO!) 

It started raining.

I walked him around for a few minutes before our start time. Since Traci wasn't 
riding, I was starting alone. But I was #18 out of 28 horses, so I was 
confident that I'd be able to join up with folks who started after me. 
Unfortunately, when they called my number and asked me to trot across the 
starting line, Zephyr was clearly "off." From the sound of his footfalls, I 
knew one of the boots was on wrong. Thinking about it later, I realized I could 
have just ridden without them... it was only a 2:45-3 hour ride, and he would 
have been fine for that long. (MISTAKE # THREE!) It took me several minutes to 
remove and reset the boot, and remount. By that time, everyone else had left. 
So then, I was leaving camp on the second day of riding, which Zephyr has never 
been asked to do, and I was leaving last, and I was leaving alone, AND it was 
raining (which Zephyr can't STAND). With no other horses around to motivate 
him, I'm lucky he even agreed to go.

We walked the first bit, just in case he was still stiff from yesterday. Which 
made it impossible to catch up with anyone, of course. Headed up the Bubble 
Pond trail (3 miles), which was a repeat trail from the day before, at a steady 
working trot. Got to the end of that section, saw the vet, and made a joke 
about how tough it was to leave last. He had a confused/concerned look on his 
face... gently broke the news that I was off-trail again. Apparently, at the 
first turn... you guessed it... I went the wrong way. Skipped an entire 5-mile 
loop around Day Mountain, and added an extra 6 miles to my day's ride because I 
was going to have to turn around, go back 3 miles to the Day Mountain loop, 
then come BACK up the Bubble Pond trail again. I turned around and headed back 
at that same steady trot. Passed all the other riders/drivers who were going 
the other (correct) way. I could hardly see them through my tears - I'd really 
let my horse down. They felt so bad for me, they told me later...

Zephyr did as I asked - we went up and around Day Mountain. He would not 
canter... that steady working trot was all he could give. And when I turned him 
up that Bubble Pond trail again, he was less than thrilled. We were probably 
halfway back to where the vet had been, when he told me in no uncertain terms 
that this was NOT what he'd signed up for. He'd done 38 miles the day before 
(the farthest he had ever gone), and the last half had been at a very fast 
pace. The fact that he'd had to leave camp today AT ALL had been bad enough... 
but he'd left camp LAST, ALONE, and IN THE RAIN. (Did I mention he can't STAND 
getting rained on??) And now, I was asking him to do the SAME 
TRAIL four times in two days!?!?!?! ALONE??? "No thanks, Mom, I'm going to 
stand RIGHT HERE until you come to your senses and decide we've done enough!"

After some hysterics on my part, and a lot of wailing and sobbing, none of 
which I am proud of, I convinced him to walk on. But a walk was all I acheived. 
Nothing in the world would make him trot. At that point, knowing that I had 2 
hours before I was disqualified, and that I'd technically only done 6-7 miles 
of the 20, there was NO way we'd get home in time. I apologized to him, turned 
around, and let him walk home as slowly as he wanted. I felt so stupid for 
missing that turn... and I was so terribly upset that we would not get our 
completion.

I rode into a quiet, deserted camp. As I dismounted, Colleen and several 
volunteers drove in. They must have heard that I'd never made it back to the 
top of the Bubble Pond trail, so they knew what had happened. Colleen came over 
and hugged me. I don't know what she said, anymore... I'm sure it was something 
wonderfully comforting. I cried in her arms.

I led Zephyr down to our barn, where I found Traci. Obviously, she knew 
something was really wrong. I told her, through tears. She hugged me, and I 
cried some more, while swearing loudly about my stupidity in missing that turn.

I was cold, wet, tired, angry at myself, and SO disappointed that my STUPID 
mistake had ruined everything we'd worked so hard for. I don't really remember 
removing Zephyr's tack and putting his cooler on, but I must have done so. Then 
I just curled up against the side of the stall and put my head in my arms, 
shaking with cold and disappointment. Traci comforted me as best she could... 
she told me later she had no idea what to say. I don't blame her.

People started to come back into camp very soon. Yes, I'd been out THAT long, 
and only done 7 miles of the official trail. They were only about 30 minutes 
behind me coming into camp. Not wanting to seem unsportsmanlike, I wiped away 
the tears. But the very first person who came up to tell me they were sorry 
about what had happened, I burst out in tears again. How wussy of me. I got 
lots of hugs and comforting words, but I still didn't feel any better.

Traci and I went up to the camp site so I could change into dry clothes. To be 
honest, I also wanted to get away, so I wouldn't have to talk to anyone.

Later, we packed up our gear, loaded the horses, grabbed a quick bite of the 
ham dinner, and headed out before the awards ceremony. I really hope no one 
thought we were poor sports for doing so... I just couldn't have sat through 
it. And I wouldn't have wanted my depression to spoil anyone else's moment.

Later, Traci and I were talking about it. We were already VERY PROUD of our 
horses for doing 38 miles the first day; they'd given us their best effort SO 
willingly - and came in strong afterwards. When you added in the 13 miles I did 
on the second day, Zephyr and I actually DID do 50 miles in 2 days. They may 
have been the WRONG 50 miles, but it was 50 miles nonetheless. That, and a 
night's sleep, has made me feel better. I may not have the completion on my 
record, but my horse and I rode 50 miles in two days. We rode hard the first 
day, and faced challenges on the second day that would have made a lesser 
horse "fold" much sooner. I am very proud of Zephyr, and grateful that he is 
mine.

I'd like to thank Colleen, and all the wonderful volunteers and staffers. We 
met lots of new people, and made some new friends. We will definitely do this 
ride again... but more carefully!

And thank YOU for reading this... it's been very therapeutic to write. 

-Sharon K. & Zephyr's Elegant Gift

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net.
Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp
Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp

Ride Long and Ride Safe!!

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=