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[RC] Del Valle Vulture Venture Ride - Ranelle RubinFirst, I want to thank Kirsten and Jane for putting on a great ride! The weather was great, the trail in great condition, and the hills challenging! I also want to thank Melissa Ribley and her team of vets for a great job helping us all get through safely.Kirsten for being so attentive to us at the 21 mi outcheck..! She was actually walking around while we were in line for the vet making sure our horses had hay and carrots! Never seen a ride mgr do THAT before! This was my first time riding in this area and I always know it is a good day when I think, "Boy could I get a horse conditioned well if I lived near here!"... There were a few challenges with plates being turned and ribbons being removed (rumor was some of the vandalism was done by the mountain bikers who were watching us go round in circles from the top of a mountain..but not confirmed)..guess that is why they call it endurance! There were some injuries and misshapps..on the sections of trail that were narrow with steep drop-offs. I am glad I don't mind those kind of trails and regularly make myself train on them so I don't transfer my nervousness to my horse about them on a ride. I feel blessed that my personal ride went well. My horse felt great all day and finished with an overall A..and almost all A's on his vet card. 2 b's that resolved by the next check. What I learned: 1. I CAN ride my horse alone (his equine partner was one of the injured horses) so he and I had to go the last 40 miles alone..which ended up being a good experience for us both in terms of confidence building. He only looked back for the first mile or so, then went happily forward looking for a new "buddy" 2. I need to work on mounting and dismounting more quickly on my new Freeform. It slides toward me once he is sweaty..and I am short! I just hate riding with a girth too tight..! 3. Getting a massage by the Wonderful Tom (onsite Equine and Human Massage Therapist) helped me sleep better, and ride better the next day! He also worked on my horse after the ride and was impressed with how little soreness there was. 4. Keep the Desitin coming baby! With a "fleshy" horse and a saddle that slides around right now, my horse tends to get ouchy spots in the girth area..Desitin kept them from being an issue on the ride. What worked: My new Freeform saddle with complimenting HAF pad! The body work done the last few months on my horse..Will never know if the saddles I had tried caused his alignment issues, or the alignment issues caused the saddle fit issues, but what works now is what I will stick with. All I can say is I have April Battles to thank for it! She first taught me about hip alignment, adjusted my horse on a training ride a few months ago and referred me to her therapist. Not to mention all the help getting the saddle fit issue resolved..she is a treeless encyclopedia to be sure! My Dynamite regimen (Dynamite Supplement, Free and Easy, DynaSpark, Probiotic) Massages! For both of us..boy did we feel pampered! I have never felt I could spend the extra $ on this before..glad I did this time. Crew bag with own stuff..I don't feed some of the stuff they had there at home, so I was not willing to change that at the 21 mile outcheck. Recharge! (Knudsen's sport drink)..keeps me hydrated and my blood sugar level. Overall I always ask myself, "Would I do this ride again, and would I recommend it to others?" YOU BET!! Happy trails...
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