[RC] Response to Chip from Cathy/AF - DarkHorseGoddess
Below please find the response to Chip from Cathy Tauer. I have
ridden with Cathy, and what I like about riding with her ....is that she rides
long, and hard. I ride just about every day, and since mid March have not missed
a weekend (4-5 day) of camping & riding.
In my area, it's so hard to find other riders who love to ride as much as I
do, and I was lucky to enough to hook up with Cathy this year. We may not be
competing in endurance ( although I do ride CMO's), but we do ride a
ton of miles, and those miles are long, hard rides at a fast gait (we
both have gaited horses).
Below is Cathy response, thanks, Raven & Huginn (who wears out his
shoes in 4 weeks)
** Every weekend Starting in mid March then April - missing a weekend for
MN expo and going on also for some week stretches at a time, I travel and
ride. There is a group that goes with us when they can. Walt and
Linda Bernhard's, Dick and Sue Leclair, Sharon and Gary Hulin, Joan
Hendricks and then Raven Flores just joined our merry bunch - neat gal, and then
there are others, but generally they only will ride a half day not like we do
where we haul out. We have gaited horses and like to move. We
ride for 2-3 days and check the GPS for the mileage and speed. Actually we
compare each others readings. Garmen is the best GPS -( we owners of
garmen concur on that). Also some times my girls will stay back and only
ride a half day - if we do not pull an all day-er. They hook up with the
Leclari grand children and like to hang out at camp - play games- you know - the
things kids do. I just came back from Necedah WI and there was a huge
endurance ride going on there.... was there for 4 days 3 nights, Oh how I am
torn to ride with them, but the rest of my group is not the competitive
type..... Besides we had a dear friend who just finished
chemo ride with us only half day - she rode to hard for her to ride the
afternoon ride, and beside I hate to just tell my friends that I'm
going here and see ya later... But we rode all the same loops and cheered
the EMERCA riders on as they went by.-- (we pull of when we see riders so they
can continue not breaking pace and threaten to surround them and steel their
money and valuables! Ha. so much fun). Some riders said they
would just follow us for our pace was great. Naturally they has
walkers of Paso! ha. ... They are all such a great group of riders
and I know many. I even met a lady - Lori Windows, who We went riding with
in Costa Rica! . But in any event I ware out hot shod shoes 3 times
during my riding season. Not due to hoof growth, but shoes being worn down
and warring the nail heads off.
I have my riding schedule posted and anyone one is welcome to come and
ride. - but as I warn people we ride and we all understand that they can turn
around. I am at a point in my life that I can not baby sit new/horses/new
riders - for those who just want to join our riding group. If our group
needs to ride or work on young horses we split up. I do train horses so I
will do light riding, and for one half day and then go out with a seasoned
horse that I can push for the afternoon ride. That also makes a difference
on how hard we can ride to. If someone has a young horse they usually go
separately. Unless we are all in agreement that it is a training - then
slower ride. We play it by ear.
But I have it so nice... My job is riding.... SO I do not have to get
home to report to the boss... I am the boss. SO when I do get home I bust
my ass to fill orders and return calls and emails like now. So I can head
out again.
This Tuesday I'm going out to WI leaving Tuesday coming home Sunday.
Taking 4 horses 6 hours one way. Don and the girls will join me Thursday (
that is when two of the girls come back from showing Rita Mondues Peruvians at
the horse show in MN) we will trailer the horses to the center of
the Kikkipoo forest and go south then back making a loop. That is
rough riding but you got to go fast or you will not make it before dark.
Then we will trailer back to the park. I have never done the whole
Kicckapoo so at last I can finish the southern part of the Kickapoo.
Before the get there I'll pop off Wild cat mountain. I would love it if
someone could join me. We will be staying at Jan Tassler - End of the
Equine Trail. I have a hard time finding rider to ride like I like to
ride.
I don't know where you are from, but if you ride join us! We
love riding, we love horses and telling stories and then eating well!
:-)
~ Cathy Sheets Tauer "Helping one customer at a time" Add this link to
your favorites: www.american-flex.com If you want a
catalog of Proven Products for Horse and Rider" or to place an order call, fax
and / or email your address. 507-723-5937 or toll free 866-723-5937
Cathy...Just
curious as to where you're putting those 1000 miles on.
They aren't through AERC; your record shows 1 30 mile LD in 1999 and
1 30 mile LD in 2000. I also don't see you in the ride results
for UMECRA. I know you live in MN, but don't remember seeing
you compete at any of the Minnesota rides in CTR, endurance, or LD in
the many years I've been competing here. 1000 miles of trail
riding--while commendable--is not the same as 1000 miles
of competing...even 1000 miles of conditioning. As for the Mpls
Police Dept, I would assume most of their work is done at a walk on
level ground, which is not the same as 8 hours of trotting and
galloping over varied terrain. While the flex-tree systems may work
for some horses, I was not happy with the one I bought a couple years
ago. It made my horse sore over his loins after 50 miles, something I
found was true for some other people who have tried them (some, not
all!). I have been told ways I can possibly correct this problem,
and have tried them, but the bottom line is I would have to
risk soring him on another 50 mile ride before I knew if these
corrections worked.
