Norco Ride Story

[Lauren Horn <4horn@home.com>]

I really enjoyed the Norco Riverdance Ride and Lynne Glazer did a really
fine job 
with her first management job. (Terry - she would of done you proud) I
also got to 
meet Heidi Smith, DVM, and I do say that she did a wonderful job as head
vet.

Norco is a town about one hour away from me and like EVERYBODY else I
was 
under the assumption that Norco is flat with no hills. Boy, was I wrong.
Not only 
does Norco have tons of hills but they are steep ones too. I remember a
difficult 
section that was not only steep but had very deep sand. We had a tough
time 
getting up that one.

The ride started in the riverbed with meandering soft trails through the
bamboo. I 
loved that part. Crossing the wide Santa Ana River was exciting, not so
much for a 
wild or deep river crossing as it was just to cross a river that wide.
The trail left the 
river bottom too soon and headed for the hills.

I was riding my husbands gelding, Bugs, who has been having a reluctant
time with hills. 
We think it is part laziness but it also may be hurting hocks, which we
just started 
treating with Adaquain. With all these ups and downs, there was more
then one 
time that I wished I was riding my mare. Luckily, the weather stayed
pretty cool, 
compared to the heat and humidity that we have been having.

The vet check was well stocked with food, volunteers and water. After my
hold, 
Bugs didn't want to leave. This is just his second ride and he did this
at his first 
ride too. I had to use my crop to get him to understand that we are
going even if he 
doesn't want to. I hate doing that. The last 11 miles were hard in the
physical 
sense, for the horse. More steep hills. I differentiate it to "mental"
hard, like Santa Fe 
Springs, which had very difficult, rocky trail that forced you to stay
focused and 
alert. Norco had excellent footing but the hills were physically hard on
the horses. 

The last few miles of trail were back in the riverbed and it was a
welcome relief. 
Bugs and I were coming around a corner when he saw a "sand monster" and 
stopped and twirled around to the left. I flung off his right side
landing on my 
shoulder and then my head. I heard my helmet hit the ground and said to
myself 
(again) that I was glad I was wearing my helmet. Very fortunate for me
the ground 
was very soft sand and I didn't hurt myself at all. I looked up to see
Bugs cantering 
away. I yelled his name and he stopped and walked back to me. He looked
like he 
was confused and didn't know where he was. I bet that if he did know the
way 
home he would of been gone.

Basecamp was really nice; it was situated on top of a hill with views
and a breeze. I 
enjoyed seeing everyone again, including Becky, Kat, Barbara, Sandy and
Kris. This 
was my 5th LD ride and someday I may do a 50. Because, every time I am
finished 
with my LD ride I say to myself, "I'm glad I'm still not out there
riding", I don't think I 
am ready. Who knows...maybe Manzanita.

Lauren
Kyla (my favorite)
Bugs (lazy dude)