Spouse support

[Naztari@aol.com]

Having casually followed the thread on spouse support, I thought that I would 
share with you my experience.
   My wife had not been very interested in horses or endurance riding. I just 
started this endurance stuff 2 years ago. I had been on 8 rides prior to this 
last weekend over these last 2 years. My wife had never shown any interest in 
coming. That was OK as long as I could go and do my thing. She occasionally 
moaned about being an "endurance widow" although I didn't think that I was 
gone that much.
   This weekend she came along with me to the GERA Classic. She loved it. She 
loved the camping, the people she met, the excitement of the race and even 
enjoyed crewing for me. 
    She had never done anything like it before. She was a great crew! She had 
everything ready at the vet check and took great care of my horse and she 
even sponged me down! Couldn't get any better. As I was preparing to leave 
the VC she asked if I was supposed to give the horse his electrolytes. She 
remembered having never done this before while I had forgotten. Saved us from 
trouble for sure.  She was the best rooting squad that I have ever had too. 
She was telling me that I could top ten and I told her to look around at all 
those fit Arabs. How was I going to get up front with all those horses with 
their "made for endurance" horses? She just persisted and told me that 
"Sawyer could do it."  He did it.
   Plus, I never ate so well on a ride trip before. Usual fare is kippered 
herring on crackers and she had brought marinated beef, a seafood salad, a 
luscious cold melon soup and much more. 
    She even had a couple of shirts made up, that she wore, with a horse on 
front and "Endurance Wife" on the front and a verse from the Bible about 
endurance on the back. 
    The best thing was that I enjoyed her company so much and she brought a 
whole new joy to the sport for me. To share the challenge and the fun with 
someone you love makes it so much more fulfilling.


    So the bottom line is, I love my horse and I love riding but if it comes 
down to either the horse or her....
             It is her for sure!

Ed Roley, Sawyer and their new crewmember....Debbie


=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net.    
Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/RideCamp   
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=