Derby Ditch(long)

[SDT <sharon@dolantruax.gardnerville.nv.us>]

Don't know what anyone else has written so hope I am not repeating.

The American Heritage Dictionary says the meaning of endure is:

-tr. 1. To carry on through, despite hardships; undergo. 2. To bear with
tolerance. --intr. 1. To continue in existence; last. 2. To suffer
patiently without yielding.

The riders at the DD ride this year did all of the above.

We left camp in windy but relatively mild weather.  All local weather
forcasters had predicted everything from sun to cloudy but not bad etc.
Friday night I did hear someone say they'd heard we might have some rain.  

On the way to the first vet check I was complaining to my riding buddy how
hot I was and that I was going to start shedding clothes at that first vet
check.  She told me she was just comfortable.  This is important in light
of things to come.

We took it slow.  It was my first 50 on my husbands horse, the trail was
flat all the way to Hazen (14 miles) and I didn't want a horse race.  The
wind had picked up some by the time we arrived and low and behold it had
started to snow. On well, we thought, that's Nevada...a little snow shower.
 If it was anything major, the weather would have predicted it!  We vetted
through great and Brawo drank well.  My friends horse was showing signs of
dehydration and did not drink. (I found out later that he had had a B on
his MM at the pre-ride) We left the check and started out to the next
check, about 20 miles.  We hadn't been gone long when the conditions turned
to blizzrd,  extreme wind, snow sideways, sleety snow stinging out faces.
We caught most of it on the right side.  The horses right ears began to ice
up.  My horse never gets his ears clipped and that helped a bunch.  My
friend keeps her horse neater so most of his guard hairs were gone.  The
sleety ice froze on the bridles, bouncing on Brawo's face as we trotted
along. The trail was rather flat but very rocky in places (we had easy
boots on - friend did not nor did she have pads)
We came to the next water stop.  There were probably 8 to 10 riders
altogether and we discussed what to do.  The conitions were white out, snow
covering many of the ribbons, but we were half way to Pipers (the noon
stop) and ofcourse to go back was risky 'cause there would be no one there.
 We were all the tail end of the pack.  Both my firend and her horse were
beginning to show signs of the struggle.  Her horse did drink a little
(Brawo tanked up  - thank you Dr. Rahaul for my new electrolyte proceedure)
and we left and headed toward Pipers and safety.  We hadn't been gone long
when my friends horse started stopping, trying to pee and generally not
wanting to go.  My firend was getting very upset and started to talk about
how her friend Bill just had to be looking for her.  Soon she would see his
truck.  I was getting sick to my stomache.  Acually I was not cold
(remember how I said I was so hot  and my firend was comfortable?) but
scared to death of what I was going to do if her horse acually tied up or
she freaked out on me.  I just kept telling her her horse was ok, we had to
keep moving and going on and we would trot slow (walking was as bad as
standing still)  My friend told me she had no feeling in her right leg and
none in her fingers.  Her horse peed again while  I was checking the trail
but I saw the tail end of it, what I saw was rusty red.  I prayed, "Please
God, don't let this horse be hurt to bad".  I told  my friend we had to
keep going and she said she couldn't see and that we were lost.  I assured
her we were not, that the highway was to our left and that we would be
following that in.  That meant we were really close.  (Heck, I didn't know
how far we were!!)  She started calling for Bill and just as I decided to
ride over to the highway and flag down a car to go for help, I saw a pickup
sitting on a dirt road we had to cross.  I said "Look, there's Bill!"  and
prayed again it really was!  It was, along with my husband.  I told them
the horse had to walk in. Ralph told me the ride had been stopped at
Pipers.  It was over.  (More on that later) My friend 'fell off' and got
into the truck.  I left and went on.  We were 3 or 4 miles out.  Learned
later that Bill started leading the horse, my friend and Ralph (my spouse)
drove to Pipers so Ralph could get his foul weather gear and then drove
back so Ralph could lead the horse on in.  Going to the highway for help
would have been chancy as apparently there were accidents, spinouts etc.
all over the place.

Brawo was great.  His heart rate would go up when we had to face the wind
(would you believe to 180) but I wasn't worried because he was eager,
alert, had peed good and drank every chance he got so felt he was handling
this well.  When we got in a couple volunteers (thank you, thank you, thank
you Dave and Judy) helped me get a wool cooler and blanket on him over the
saddle, took his bit out and put him in the trailer which my husband had
got ready for him.  The wind was unbelieveable.  Brawo's HR was 52 as I
loaded him in.  He was one happy camper to be out of that wind.  I felt so
sorry for the horses standing around, people trying to keep blankets on
them etc. while their owners were suttled back to Fernley to get trailers.
I had to get someone to use a rock to knock the ice off my helmet latch so
I could get it off.  After I put dry socks on etc., I walked out to meet
Ralph.  I had alerted the vets about my friends horse but Ralph said he was
fine and he was.  They'd put a blanket on him and the walk in helped him I
think, at least it didn't hurt.  We put a halter on him and he 'attacked'
the hay we had out.  We added another blanket and got him out of the wind
till our friends got back with their trailer.

Ralph told me my friend was getting hypothermia.  They had a time warming
her up.  She is OK and so is her horse I think.

I have some other thoughts about this and want to pass on some things I
feel I learned but that's for another day.  I've been to the barn - all is
well and I am going to enjoy my warm house, the sun that is out and
continue to marvel at the pioneers as well as those folks that climb those
high mountains and have to wait out storms.  I am so grate-ful to Brawo for
being the tough critter he is and for taking such good care of me.  He
never once faultered or wanted to quit.  The only thing he wanted to do was
when we got in sight of Pipers, he wanted to cut cross country and get there!!

Happy Easter Everyone - be warm and be safe!




Sharon
West Region


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