![\"Camping](\"http:\/\/newpromisefarms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/camping.jpg\")
<\/a>Camping the night before the ride<\/p><\/div>\n
\u00a0For those of you in “the know”, Miss Daizy injured herself pretty traumatically at the end of February 2015.\u00a0 Her leg was ripped wide open and with the sub zero temperatures we endured during February and into March, the healing process was very slow.\u00a0 Her first ride of any kind during the winter, after being laid up with her injury, was March 22, a short conditioning ride of 11.5 miles.\u00a0 She was a beast at that ride, wanting to take the lead and move out.\u00a0 I was very surprised.<\/p>\n
I took Steel to the Bunny Hop<\/a> because I did not want sand to abrade Miss Daizy’s open wound.\u00a0 Yes, it is still healing as she had a lot of skin to replace after her injury.\u00a0 After long contemplation and studying of her gait in pasture, I decided to take Miss Daizy to Chesapeake<\/a> and see if she would hold up to competing.\u00a0 My…oh…my…<\/p>\n Because Foxcatcher is 5 and I am 0 in terms of completing this ride, and Foxcatcher is on the weekend of my 25th wedding anniversary, I decided to skip Foxcatcher and work Miss Daizy a bit more before taking her to the No Frill 55<\/a> mile ride at the end of the month.\u00a0 Shortly after making that decision, Kelsey posted on Facebook that she was looking for a horse to ride at Foxcatcher.\u00a0 I immediately let her know that Downhill Daizy was available.\u00a0 (Those of you following along Miss Daizy’s blogs will get that reference!)<\/p>\n Kelsey took me up on the offer and her and Miss Daizy had a great ride!<\/p>\n 25 miles down, 25 miles to go … taking a little rest at the hold.<\/p><\/div>\n I’m told by a little birdie that by the last eight mile, Miss Daizy’s ground pounding finally got to Kelsey and she had a hip cramp.\u00a0 I did warn her that Ferarri’s (Miss Daizy) have stiff suspension.\u00a0 My Cadillac (Steel) is much more comfortable but has serious speed issues.\u00a0 I always love the speed over the comfort.<\/p>\n 50 miles done, final trot out. WHOO HOO<\/p><\/div>\n “Can we go home now? I’m tired and I miss The Lady!”<\/p><\/div>\n I asked Kelsey to “flesh out” a story for Miss Daizy’s blog … so here is a little about how she responded to a new rider, new saddle and competing without me.\u00a0 Miss Daizy’s comments are in red!<\/span><\/p>\n Alright, flesh…<\/em><\/p>\n She wanted to be naughty at the start, but held it together <\/em>(Being as Foxcatcher is KNOWN for it’s harsh starts of open fields and fresh horses, I’m glad to say that The Lady told me to think of this ride as a CTR and not be a butt head at the start.\u00a0 I did try to keep my brain on!<\/span>)<\/p>\n I rode the entire 50 with Ashton Katz<\/em>. (And we did very well together, although I wanted to go a wee bit faster.)<\/span> First loop she was in beast mode<\/em> (I know this mode well, The Lady says it’s what makes me a good distance horse.\u00a0 I was in this mode the entire time last weekend at Chesapeake.\u00a0 Just ask Jack.\u00a0 First loop at this ride is 25 miles long and I wanted to go faster.)<\/span><\/p>\n 2nd loop she started to get tired about 8 miles into the 15 mile loop, beast mode thankfully vanished <\/em>(So, see?\u00a0 It takes 33 miles to get me tired.\u00a0 And that’s after having the entire winter off to play in the snow.\u00a0 Time to step it up a notch Lady!)<\/span><\/p>\n Despite her ground pounding trot, she has a lovely canter <\/em>(yes, I do and I cantered the entire 50 miles at Mustang last fall.\u00a0 I can go go go in my canter.)<\/span><\/p>\n She ate almost her two bales of hay! Drank great, loved her carrots. Are mash the first and second hold, ate a lot of hay, and nosedived into anything she could at the finish.<\/em> (I love to eat and I love all the goodies at the competitions.\u00a0 I never get all those goodies at home, what the heck???)<\/span><\/p>\n That hip cramp was the worst cramp I’ve ever experienced, ever <\/em>(I’m sorry, Kelsey.\u00a0 I give The Lady back cramps.\u00a0 It’s just how I go – pound the ground…)<\/span> The only time she spooked was at mulch spread thin in a field, and when she was a nanosecond away from stepping on said mulch\u00a0<\/em> (I saw a worm in there.\u00a0 You never want to step on a worm, they are good for the soil and much needed. )<\/span> I could always tell when she disagreed on our pace, her mare ‘tude came out. She’d flip her cute little nose up in the air while still maintaining her ground pounding trot. Amazing really <\/em>(Dodie speaking here – I wonder if Kelsey got to experience her shaking her entire body while performing at a fast trot.\u00a0 Now THAT is a crazy feeling when you’re in the saddle.) Thanks Kelsey, for taking Miss Daizy to the Foxcatcher ride!<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" My my my … Miss Daizy has accomplished something I have not been able to do!\u00a0 She completed the Foxcatcher 50 mile ride on April 11, 2015 with Kelsey as her rider.\u00a0 I am so proud of my little beast.\u00a0 … Continue reading <\/a><\/a><\/a>
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