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[RC] AHAM part three - Maggie MieskeNelson was MAD. He wanted to load up and go home. But Mary had arrived in the meantime with Badar, planning to ride 25 LD and we couldn't let them down. I refused to leave and he got over his mad. (As my beloved brother-in-law, Burt would say "Scratch your mad place and get glad!" We did.) We presented ourselves to Gene and Shelley Dake as volunteers and thoroughly enjoyed helping with a surprise check, taking some pulses, pit crewing for Mary and Badar and talking with friends and making a few new ones. Jim Yell took me for a ride in his truck on one of the new loops which is a DOOZY!! Boy, I HAVE to ride my own ride one of these days!!! I can't wait to do those back loops.they are tough and beautiful! In the spirit of paying back the generosity and helpfulness of all of my distance family, we had the pleasure of meeting and helping a newbie from the Upper Peninsula named Rita. She rode the 25 LD and was with Mary and Badar for much of the trail. We didn't realize she was new until the end of the ride. After getting Mary through with her finish pulse and the vet, Rita's horse was still not down. At first he had been at 66 so we thought some walking and cool water would bring him down to 60. It didn't. Concerned, we started helping her. We walked her horse, put water on him, put him in the shade. He would start coming down and then go back up. He was hanging in the 70s. He is a Morgan with some extra groceries and it was really holding that heat in. He was panting so much that it was difficult to hear his heartbeat even with a stethoscope. The 30 minute time limit was approaching fast. At first I was concerned with getting his pulse down so she could get a completion. Then I was worried about more than that. Just before the time was up, the vet checked him over again. Rita had been so busy caring for her horse that she hadn't taken care of herself and was getting woozy. Nelson fetched her Gatorade and a granola bar from her pack. The vet said to get water on that horse and get his pulse down in ten minutes or she would have to treat him. We have been there and done that and did not want Rita to have to go through it. We told Rita to SIT DOWN, eat and drink and we would be back in ten minutes. Nelson and I headed for that tank and the little "pond" by our trailer. I waded in with a bucket and a scoop and started pouring. (So glad I put my shorts on when I got back to camp!) Nelson started scraping. We did this for maybe 3 minutes then put him in the shade and started checking him. Now he was down in the 60s and not panting near as much. He wanted to graze and we let him. Nelson got more water and kept pouring. I kept checking and scraping. He finally came down. We went back to the vet and she looked him over again. He was down and his gut sounds were perking up. Her instructions now were to get him eating and get his gut sounds improved. Rita got her first lesson in Beet Pulp 101 plus more information than she probably ever thought she could ever get crammed into one little hour. Her horse gobbled up beet pulp like it was candy. We gave him apples and carrots and electrolytes and pro bi. The vet came over while we were visiting and he was eating and pronounced his gut sounds normal and said that NOW we had to wait for him to pee. Rita had a good scare. She had done one ride earlier in the year on an easier trail in cooler conditions and her horse had performed just fine. They were both unprepared for this trail and the weather conditions. I think the question had been asked at the ride meeting if this was anyone's first ride. It was her second so she didn't respond. I sure hope we can figure out how to identify and help people like Rita in the future before their horse gets into trouble. We ALL need to remember that horses can die in this sport, even on a good day. We need to make sure newbies understand that, too. Not to scare them but to EDUCATE them. Miles of Smiles, Maggie Mieske mmieske@xxxxxxxxxxxxx http://arabianquest.com/samaha_arabians.htm "So many of our dreams seem impossible, then improbable, then inevitable." Christopher Reeve =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 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!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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