 |
Re: [RC] questions! - rides2farFirst of all: how do you sleep at night before the ride? What do you do with your horses? I am looking for alternatives to sleeping in the bed of the truck and just tying... Sounds like you're "Low Rent" like me so I'll tell you how we get by. Sleep: When we get to the ride we sweep out the trailer, drag the mats out the back and flip them over (keeps the green manure smell under there). We sweep out the feed trough and put suitcases there. Put a lounge chair or a cot in each side and you've got a camper for 2. If I'm alone I do like your mom and sleep in the cab. I'm short and can sleep full length...but it helps to tilt the seats back (I've got a club cab) and raise the tilt wheel! :-) Sleep with your ride clothes in the bottom of your sleeping bag and they'll be warm in the morning. For my horse I tie about a 25' rope about 8' high between two trees, or a tree and the trailer. I put a ring on it (If you don't own one I've used a snaffle bit before) and tie a cotton lead with a bull snap on it with the snap hanging 6" from the ground. (a cotton lead won't burn as bad if he gets a leg over it and a bull snap is less likely to come undone) Your horse can walk the length of your overhead rope. Make sure it's tight, if necessary tighten it often. There are what's called "knot eleminators" that you can put about 6' out from the two trees your high line is attached to to keep the horse from wrapping around it, rubbing their halter off or chewing bark. I've duct taped a stick on the rope to serve the same purpose. I never put more than one horse on each high line. What do you eat for breakfast? I had to survive on 2 hard boiled eggs and some water... which, I don't doubt is more than some people get! I eat Apple Cinnamon instant oatmeal. This is the only time I eat it and I sort of have to make myself finish but it seems to be what works best for me. I used to skip my coffee (I'm a big coffee drinker at home) but then I got caffeine headaches. Now I use those little dipping coffee bags. No carbonated drinks during a ride! What do you pack for snacks? Are there any particular brands of anything that are especially helpful and/or filling? I take a turkey (no mayo) or peanut butter & jelly sandwich to the vet check which I usually eat at the first check. (If I were a horse I'd *always* have gut sounds!) I try to keep something salty...Pringles are handy because of the can, and I buy those Fruit Snacks and eat them all...that's another treat I only eat at rides. If you have problems in the heat I drink lots of Cranapple juice. Generally I drink water on the trail and Gatorade in camp. You should be able to do everything above with pretty much "zero" investment...maybe this'll help until you see the ups & downs of everyone else's system and you can make your expensive choices slowly. Congratulations on your first completion. You've got a right to be sore. Enjoy it...you paid good money for that feeling. :-)) P.S. It's easier to go down stairs backwards for awhile. Angie "Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming --WOW-- what a ride !! " ________________________________________________________________ The best thing to hit the Internet in years - Juno SpeedBand! Surf the Web up to FIVE TIMES FASTER! Only $14.95/ month - visit www.juno.com to sign up today! ============================================================ REAL endurance is reading the LD vs. Endurance thread/debate every 3 months!!! ~ Heidi Sowards ridecamp.net information: http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/ ============================================================
|