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[RC] I feel so good! - Jessica Spoone-Raines

Me and my riding partner/ best friend decided to go hit the trails at Yankee Springs (Michigan) today, our goal was 15 miles and about 5 mph. We're training for a 25 mile endurance ride in 3 weeks and were trying to get a good idea of how ready our horses were. We got there and unloaded and sat drinking cappucino and chatting with the ranger that stopped by. Tack up and head out onto the 6 mile trail, the horses were doing great, pulling a little but trotting and cantering when we wanted and stopping when we wanted also. Lots of branches and trees down on the trail providing much jumping action too. Wait a minute, whats the lake???? The map doesn't show the trail near a lake, uhoh it says ski trail now, turn around and head back at a much slower pace looking for the missed trail. The horses are still pulling and ready to run, we finally find the trail and head back out, theres no slowing these guys, they want to GO so bad! Made almost to the end of the 6 miles and we ended up on a wrong turn and doing the 4 mile loops also. Back to the trailer, we loosen girths, put hay and sloppy beet pulp in front of the horses and relax for 30 mins. We checked heartrates too and after all that they were down to 46 in less than 10 minutes. Ok we're getting sore but Casino and Mon Ami are ready to go still so we decide to do the 9 mile loop also. Tighten up girths and away we go, it went pretty uneventful, trotting and cantering mostly with the occasional jump. There is a nice stretch of dirt/sand road so we decide to race the horses, on our second race we crested a hill to find a pickup truck coming at us on the other side. I never knew the horses could corner that quick! I think the driver had to go change after that close call. Adrenaline racing we get back on the trail and pick up a good pace again. It was pretty uneventful for the rest. We got back to the trailer, untacked, fed more hay and water and took heartrates. Approx 5 mins after cantering into camp and dismounting  they were in the mid 50's. I am sore but feel so good at the same time! Bring on the ride!
Jess Spoone-Raines