Equine Endurance Thrills

[owens <owensall@sierranet.net>]

Hi, Wendy;
Good topic, can't believe people aren't sending in many replies!  My
thrill is taking a horse, that I have trained, conditioned and made into
an athelete, into the fray and enjoying him as others are being crazy. 
On my horse's first 50 last summer, we ended up near the front after a
controlled start(on purpose, we were supposed to lead the group out). 
My horse was vibrantly energetic, yet calm, and was trotting along at
his own pace, when we came upon a woman who was having lots of trouble
with her horse:  she was screaming, cursing and yanking, trying to get
her horse to listen to her.  My horse was amazed...he couldn't figure
out what was going on with them.  It made him soooo uncomfortable to be
exposed to this.  I felt blessed with good fortune.
The other thrill is at the end of the ride when I have lots of horse
left and finish strong.  This same ride, the last couple of miles were
knee-knocker, narrow winding trail.  I had come off in this part one
other year, and usually get a bit tense through this part.  But my horse
LOVES this type of trail and it picked him up from the monotony of the 
dirt roads we had been on.  We sliced through this at a flying trot,
reins at the buckle, him listening to every nuance of my body,
communicating at speed, with his head and neck stretched forward and
down, carefully watching the trail, in self-carriage. WOW what a thrill!
These are my favorite moments!
Katee and Blade