But you haven't seen the Pasture!

[Barbara Madill <madill@teleplex.net>]

On Date: Sun, 15 Mar 1998 10:24:24 EST you wrote:

<I have no qualms, though, that just about anything out in my pasture could
"get through" a 25-miler tomorrow, ridden judiciously.>

        This reminds me of the time (1980) I had agreed to manage the
Liberty Bell 50 mile AERC/ECTRA endurance ride held in SE PA, provided I
would be free to ride (I appointed a "manager of the day").  At the last
minute, my mare had stone bruised or something of similar nuisance value, so
my husband called Maggy Price and asked if she "rented her horses by the
week or by the mile" -- That was Tuesday. Wednesday I retrieved the mare I'd
ridden the year before at Virginia 3 Day 100.  Thursday. I took her for a
half hour spin around the block, and Friday took her to the ride, where I
spent most of the day doing those fun things managers do the day before a ride.
        When I presented the mare for vetting, the vet asked if I had
something to declare.  I looked at him for a moment, looked at the mare and
said, "Oh, yes!  It's bay, not gray!"
        "And, what is it's name?" queried the vet, a long time mutual
acquaintance of both Maggy and myself.  
        "Ramegwa ...." I began.
        "Not another one of those!" the vet exclaimed, as his two veterinary
student recorders (the ride was held less than 10 miles from New Bolton
Center) looked quizzically from the vet to myself and back again.
        The vet turned to the students and said, "Unless I miss my guess,
this mare just came out of pasture!" 
        The students' jaws bounced off the ground.
        As if he and I had practiced, the vet and I replied, "But you
haven't seen the pasture!"
        (The pasture, in this case was 80 hilly acres shared with 15 - 20
other horses)
        By the way, the mare finished in excellent condition in eight and a
half hours total time (sorry don't remember the amount of rest time), and
ten days later placed quite well on the New Jersey 3 day 100.
        Moral of the story is that we need to determine all of the criteria
that make up the equation!  
Thanks for tickling my memory cells!
Barbara