{"id":2694,"date":"2016-04-01T21:30:06","date_gmt":"2016-04-01T21:30:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/newpromisefarms.com\/?page_id=2694"},"modified":"2022-02-12T01:29:15","modified_gmt":"2022-02-12T01:29:15","slug":"no-frills-2016","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/newpromisefarms.com\/?page_id=2694","title":{"rendered":"NO FRILLS 55 – 2016"},"content":{"rendered":"

I didn’t ride the Bunny Hop CTR after Rabbit Run<\/a> because although Miss Daizy and I felt wonderful the next day, she was very tired at the end of the ride the day before and why push her?\u00a0 She’s been off work since October last year and for her first ride back, after little to no conditioning, and she rocked it … well, we just skipped doing another 25 miles and people can call me a wimp, I don’t care!\u00a0 (This might be the theme of this story, I just don’t care!)<\/p>\n

We are also skipping Chesapeake CTR because (1) Steel got a girth sore at Rabbit Run so she would not be going and (2) The weather forecast is almost exactly the same as it was last year (high winds, sustained at 35-40 mph and gusting to 60 mph) and I had such bad wind burn on my face last year, that my entire face peeled.\u00a0 I really have no desire to do that again.\u00a0 No sirree (if you want excitement, read last year’s story<\/a>) and I really don’t care if I miss it.<\/p>\n

I was tempted (for about three minutes) to go to Foxcatcher 50.\u00a0 Then I remembered, Foxcatcher = 5 \/ Dodie = 0 and I decided to skip it.\u00a0 Plus, it is the weekend of my 25th wedding anniversary, and I suspect that if I want another 25 years, I better not spend it at an endurance ride.\u00a0 Yes, about this particular item, I do care because I have the absolute best husband in the universe.\u00a0 He let’s me go off to endurance rides all summer long, for days at a time and never (not even once) has he had any problem with me doing that.\u00a0 I am very fortunate that he understands my addiction!<\/p>\n

So we wait a month and do No Frills on April 23rd.\u00a0 This is probably not the best way to get into condition for a 100 mile ride, doing one ride every four weeks, but you know what???\u00a0 I really don’t care.\u00a0 I have no goal this year except to ride and have fun and keep my two lovely mares happy and healthy.\u00a0 I thought about doing both days for a two day 100 mile ride weekend, but again, I thought about that for five minutes and decided to skip it.<\/p>\n

So, in preparation for the rocks and gravely roads we are to encounter, I did something I have never done before.\u00a0 I padded Miss Daizy and Steel.\u00a0 And to add to the excitement of pads, we added silicone filler.\u00a0 Let’s see how this works out.<\/p>\n

And, thank goodness Praire had her filly BEFORE I had to go to the ride.\u00a0 If she hadn’t, I would have been a wreck worrying about her.\u00a0 Filly is gorgeous<\/a>!\u00a0 She is destined to be my next endurance partner, assuming I am still able to ride in five years!<\/p>\n

No drama getting ready for the ride as I had unpacked everything to put into Lindsey’s trailer for Rabbit Run and then had to repack everything when we got back to the farm … so everything was packed, clean and restocked weeks ago.\u00a0 All I had to do was add horses, add Poe, stir vigorously and VOILA!<\/p>\n

hehehehe<\/p>\n

I had two groomings to do in the morning before I could leave and you never saw a groomer get two bichon’s cut, washed, blow dried and finished as quickly as I did.\u00a0 Remarkably, the ugly sister, whom I always have trouble getting her face correct, turned out beautiful.\u00a0 I now know how to do her face (after grooming her for three years) … just go really fast.<\/p>\n

ZOOM<\/p>\n

I rush to the barn, and the added bonus was neither Miss Daizy, nor Steel, decided to play ring-around-the-rosie with me when trying to catch them.\u00a0 it was almost as if they were looking forward to going to No Frills.\u00a0 They did really well last year<\/a>!\u00a0 Miss Daizy top tenned and stood for BC.\u00a0 We didn’t get BC (the heavy weight riders rarely do) but she did get High Vet Score which was awesome.\u00a0 I am not expecting that for this year.\u00a0 I will be happy with a turtle award.\u00a0 Miss Daizy is not as fit as she was last year as she was off from riding due to her injury for almost five months.\u00a0 So, if we complete, I will be very very happy!<\/p>\n

Now (shaking fist at the sky) Mother Nature is going to be very uncooperative.\u00a0 They are calling severe thunderstorms Friday night and rain into Saturday.\u00a0 For those of you that know me, I hate (hate hate hate) wet stuff.\u00a0 With that said, I am also not fond of riding in the rain.\u00a0 Best part is that it is supposed to be warmer so at least we won’t freeze.<\/p>\n

The trip to base camp was totally uneventful.\u00a0 Even Poe enjoyed the drive (for once).\u00a0 My friend Dawn had suggested a Dramamine pill for Poe before we drive to prevent her drooling all over everything and it worked.<\/p>\n

THANKS DAWN!<\/p>\n

I arrived before Lindsey and got a most awesome spot inside the small pasture at the top of the lower field.\u00a0 I was shocked to see how many rigs were in the lower field.\u00a0 Last year there were maybe 10 rigs in there and half of those left before evening as they were there for the first day’s ride.\u00a0 This year the field was full.<\/p>\n

WOW.<\/p>\n

\"camping\"<\/a>I started to unpack and setup camp when I quickly decided it was time to put on shoes.\u00a0 There were briar vines all over this pasture catching on my ankles and ripping my toes to shreds.\u00a0 I am most positive the vines were laughing at me as I tripped and fell not once, not twice but three times.\u00a0 This added to the fun later when people commented over and over, “Dodie?\u00a0 You have shoes on?”\u00a0 and I snidely remarked, “Why yes I am!\u00a0 I’m saving my feet from possible death and a most certain torture.”<\/p>\n

I was joined by my friend Cindy.\u00a0 She helped me get my camp setup.\u00a0 It went rather quickly as Cindy has helped me with the corral panels and other things before and knew exactly what to do.\u00a0 We had everything finished in about 30 minutes.\u00a0 Record timing.\u00a0 Whew.<\/p>\n

THANKS CINDY!<\/p>\n

The girls were settled but I think they were a little bummed because they were surrounded by lush green grass and couldn’t reach it.\u00a0 Soon, Lindsey arrived.\u00a0 Apparently thee was some traveling issues for her because it took her way longer to get to the ride than expected.<\/p>\n

We went up to check in and had some confusion about the food.\u00a0 Last year the meal was at the ride manager area.\u00a0 So, rather than walk up there twice, I thought I’d take the food along.<\/p>\n

Ooops<\/p>\n

So much for ASS U ME about anything because they changed the food area to be in the barn up the hill.\u00a0 Yep, have to carry the food back to my trailer then up the back hill.<\/p>\n

Dammit.<\/p>\n

Got all checked in and everything was ready for us to rock and roll in the morning.\u00a0 Steel’s vet in had a small hitch as the vet who checked her in gave her a B on gait.\u00a0 Said she was crossing her left hind over her right hind.<\/p>\n

WHY YES, she does!\u00a0 That is why she has to wear interference boots.<\/p>\n

Sheesh.<\/p>\n

\"triple_crown_award\"<\/a>Dinner at 6:30, ride meeting at 7:00.\u00a0 Plenty of time to sit around and jibber-jabber with everyone.\u00a0 At the ride meeting, we received our Triple Crown Awards for 2015.\u00a0 No Frills is “leg one” of the Triple Crown followed by Old Dominion and finished with Fort Valley.\u00a0 I was very excited to get our award.\u00a0 It is very nice!\u00a0 I am hoping to get Triple Crown again this year!\u00a0 I am planning to enter all three rides again and (with help from the gods) we will complete all three again.<\/p>\n

Ride Meeting<\/strong><\/span>:\u00a0 37 riders entered for Saturday’s ride.\u00a0 WOW!\u00a0 Last year there were only 16 entered.\u00a0 They are having a great ride this year with so many entries.\u00a0 Trail opens for us at 7:00 am.\u00a0 The rain is supposed to start at 5:00 am.<\/p>\n

Great. Rain.\u00a0 My favorite.\u00a0 NOT!<\/p>\n

Real bummer part of Miss Weather Forecast is that as of yesterday, the rain was supposed to be Friday afternoon, into Friday night and be ended by Saturday morning.\u00a0 Now that we have actually arrived at base camp, Miss Weather Forecast has changed dramatically with the rain starting late evening and continuing through noon on Saturday.<\/p>\n

\u00a0What was Lindsey’s thoughts on this matter?\u00a0 “Suck it up, Buttercup!”<\/p>\n

She cracks me up.<\/p>\n

We sit around and chit chat for awhile and it’s muggy as heck.\u00a0 I had setup everything in the back of the trailer so that nothing would get wet overnight.\u00a0 And Poe was totally about sleeping on top of my mattress instead of her own doggie bed.\u00a0 This may be a problem for her later when it’s time for bed.\u00a0 I don’t share my camping bed with ANYONE!<\/p>\n

(Remember that comment)<\/p>\n

We go to bed just as a light drizzle starts over us.<\/p>\n

sigh<\/p>\n

I promptly went to sleep, me in my bed and Poe in her bed.\u00a0 Around 2:00 am I woke up because the rain was coming down so hard on the roof of the trailer it sounded like World War III had just begun.\u00a0 And there were flashes of lightning, though I couldn’t tell if there was thunder because the rain was so loud.\u00a0 I was hopeful that the rain was moving through faster than expected as they said the heavy rain would be around 5:00 am.<\/p>\n

Fingers crossed.<\/p>\n

I slept in one hour increments from 2:00 am to 5:00 am.<\/p>\n

Listening to rain.<\/p>\n

At 5:00 am the rain was a light drizzle so I quickly got dressed and put on my rain gear.\u00a0 Out I go into the damp morning to feed the two girls.\u00a0 I had dressed them in their rain gear the night before,\u00a0 hoping to keep them a wee bit dry over night.\u00a0 Miss Daizy was soaked.\u00a0 her weatherbeeta rain coat was an epic fail.\u00a0 Steel was dry as a bone under her Mary Coleman special.<\/p>\n

THANK YOU MARY!<\/p>\n

I’m going to get another one of those from Mary and throw away this expensive weather beeta rain coat.<\/p>\n

Bah<\/p>\n

While I was working around camp I started to heat up.\u00a0 It is very muggy out here.\u00a0 And the drizzle is starting to get a little heavier so I made a quick decision to breakout the easy-up canopies.\u00a0 I figured we could put the mares underneath them to get tacked up.\u00a0 Just as I made that decision, here comes Lindsey to help … and here comes the rain.<\/p>\n

Heavy hard rain.<\/p>\n

Dammit.<\/p>\n

We got the canopies up.\u00a0 I made coffee.\u00a0 Poe refuses to go outside and go potty.<\/p>\n

45 minutes until trail opens.<\/p>\n

RAIN … pouring rain … drowning rain … decisions decisions.<\/p>\n

I am really warm in my full rain outfit and it is not really cold out.\u00a0 The temp at 6:15 am is 64.\u00a0 So, do I wear top and bottoms of my Frogg Toggs or just the top?\u00a0 I decide to leave everything on while I tack up and then make my final decision.<\/p>\n

We grab Steel and Miss Daizy from their paddocks, squishing through the mud that is now a prevalent ingredient to the morning mix, and low and behold … Miss Daizy is absolutely NOT going to walk underneath that canopy that sounds like a chorus of demons waiting to devour her with the rain dancing to the tune on the top.<\/p>\n

WHAT?\u00a0 She’s been under this canopy a thousand times.<\/p>\n

Steel is like, “Let me under there.\u00a0 Get out the way, Miss Daizy!”<\/p>\n

Miss Daizy is like, “Oh no, you can’t make me get under there and get eaten by a rain monster.”<\/p>\n

sigh<\/p>\n

Lindsey is already halfway to being tacked up before I convince Miss Daizy (with the aid of a dressage whip) to get under the canopy.<\/p>\n

The sky opens up and the rain is coming in sheets of drenching madness.\u00a0 I get Miss Daizy’s soaked rain coat off and she is shivering.\u00a0 Hard.\u00a0 Her whole body is quaking.\u00a0 First thing that goes through my mind was Foxcatcher 2007 when Flame started the ride shivery and was pulled at first hold with a severe cramp in her hind end.<\/p>\n

Nope, probably should not ride Miss Daizy today.\u00a0 I rub her all over with a face towel to try and get her muscles stimulated (and maybe get some of the wetness off her saddle area) and she is still quivering all over.<\/p>\n

Not a good sign.<\/p>\n

I mention to Lindsey that maybe she and Steel should go on out without me.<\/p>\n

Lindsey looks me straight in the eye and says, “Nope!\u00a0 We will just walk the first couple miles until Miss Daizy gets warmed up.”<\/p>\n

Okay.\u00a0 I can do that.\u00a0 I’m still not convinced I should ride my shivery horse, but I agree and get all her tack on.<\/p>\n

Let me stop the story here a moment and apologize.\u00a0 I did take photos of all this getting ready, and the first 10 miles of trail, but I was fearful to ruin my 1980’s phone, so I had it in a baggy.\u00a0 Yes, it stayed dry.\u00a0 No, the photos did not turnout very well.<\/p>\n

chuckle<\/p>\n

And we’re off.\u00a0 We actually got on trail at 7:06 am.<\/p>\n

\"rumprug\"<\/a>Soooo, I put a rump rug on Miss Daizy.\u00a0 Andddd, Miss Daizy has never ridden with a rump rug.\u00a0 Whyyyyy is Miss Daizy bucking?\u00a0 And in the first two miles while we were walking to warm up Miss Daizy, we were passed by eight riders, and she kept trying to ditch her rump rug.<\/p>\n

Dang<\/p>\n

It’s all good.\u00a0 Steel and Miss Daizy got a good uphill warm up before we started rocking and rolling.\u00a0 When I finally released Miss Daizy to trot, she forgot all about that rump rug\u00a0 and the first 18 mile loop passed in a haze of rainy, foggy, cloudy joy to be riding.\u00a0 I love riding up the mountain.\u00a0 I love riding Miss Daizy.<\/p>\n

Once we started moving, Miss Daizy set a nice 9 mph pace and we passed a couple riders.\u00a0 We did have to stop twice for technical tacking difficulties, at which time I took advantage of the break to relieve my bladder.<\/p>\n

Note to self, pulling up wet riding tights and underwear is NOT easy.\u00a0 And then the wet underwear want to be in places that no underwear should ever go.<\/p>\n

Owie …<\/p>\n

\"loop12\"<\/a>Now check out this ride photo.\u00a0 Becky had her car setup with the headlights shining across the trail so she could try and capture us in the pouring rain.\u00a0 She told me later that only about 10% of the photos at this first ride photo shoot came out, and I am very lucky to be one of that 10%!\u00a0 It is POURING when she takes this photo.\u00a0 Like, I can’t see more than 20 feet in front of me, pouring.\u00a0 And look how crisp this photo is.\u00a0 I am amazed at her talent (and the tools she’s using!)<\/p>\n

About three miles from the hold the rain pretty much stopped except for a light drizzle and dripping from the trees..\u00a0 I was hopeful it was over.\u00a0 My upper body was dry and warm under the Frogg Togg.\u00a0 My lower body was soaked as I had opted not to wear my bottoms.\u00a0 My shoes are soaked and this is the part of rain riding that I hate.\u00a0 I hate my feet being wet while I ride.<\/p>\n

BUT!!!!!\u00a0 (happy happy joy joy)<\/p>\n

\"stirrup2\"<\/a>I had purchased a new pair of endurance stirrups.\u00a0 Easy Care came out with a new design called E-Z Ride and they looked interesting so I bought them.\u00a0 I had put them on my saddle for this ride, so it was my first time using them.\u00a0 In the rain, I usually struggle keeping my tennis shoes on the rain slick pads of my stirrups, meaning I am constantly adjusting my feet while I ride.\u00a0 With these new stirrups and the nubby pads, my feet never moved.\u00a0 not once.\u00a0 My shoes were glued to the pads and I was in heaven.<\/p>\n

I think Lindsey was tired of hearing me shout, every ten minutes, I LOVE LOVE LOVE MY NEW STIRRUPS.\u00a0 One thing interesting … see those slots on the sides?\u00a0 I caught a tree in one of those slots and carried the tree with me until we stopped for a technical tack break.\u00a0 That was too funny.<\/p>\n

\"on_top_ridge\"<\/a>Coming into the first hold, the trail starts to get slow in many paces and we actually caught up to five riders.\u00a0 One of them was Dom.<\/p>\n

HI DOM!!!!!<\/p>\n

While we were walking along the rocky trail, I noticed that Steel lost her left interference boot.\u00a0 I said something to Lindsey about it … and how good it was that we put the spares in the hold bag.\u00a0 About a half a mile later, after we walked through a small creek, I see that the boot isn’t actually missing, it is simply down around her ankle.\u00a0 I holler to Lindsey to fix it and we lost Dom and her group … forever.\u00a0 We never saw them again the rest of the ride.<\/p>\n

\u00a0First hold – YAY!\u00a0 We come in and I tell Lindsey, let’s get our pulse and go.\u00a0 Both girls pulsed right in.<\/p>\n

Little did I remember that after pulse comes trot out.<\/p>\n

Oops, Lindsey is hollering for me to come back.<\/p>\n

Trot out good, let go walk up this slick goose-greased muddy hill to the hold area.<\/p>\n

Oh, this is going to be trouble for me next go around.\u00a0 The mud is very very slick and walking straight up the hill is trouble for my hip as my feet keep sliding out from under me.\u00a0 Not a fun time slipping and sliding up the hill into the hold area.<\/p>\n

We find our hold bags and I mix up a slurry for Miss Daizy … Steel promptly starts eating it.<\/p>\n

Hmmmm.<\/p>\n

I give some dry grains to Miss Daizy and she’s not really interested.\u00a0 I look closely and see she’s starting to shiver again.<\/p>\n

(*^&(^&%%$^)_P)(_)<\/p>\n

Not good.\u00a0 It’s not really raining now, just a very light drizzle so I take off my Frogg Togg and put it over Miss Daizy’s butt to help warm her up.\u00a0 I’m thinking I made a mistake not sending a cooler out to the hold in the hold bag.<\/p>\n

The volunteers are wonderful in the first hold.\u00a0 I had someone holding Miss Daizy while I messed around with wet clothing in the porta-john, and she continued to hold Miss Daizy while I messed around in the hold bag looking for snacks.\u00a0 Then a young fella comes over with chili and a gaterade.\u00a0 Apparently Lindsey ordered that for me while I was in the porta-john.<\/p>\n

THANK YOU LINDSEY!<\/p>\n

I eat and drink and Miss Daizy does not.\u00a0 She’s just standing there shivering.<\/p>\n

Not good.<\/p>\n

Five minutes to go before we leave on the long rocky loop.\u00a0 While I am debating whether to leave my Frogg Togg top in my hold bag, it starts to drizzle harder … and the rain is much colder than it was earlier.\u00a0 In fact, I notice that the air seems much colder than the morning.\u00a0 I tried to look at Miss Weather Forecast but there is no signal in the hold so I have no idea what is going on.<\/p>\n

I put my Frogg Togg back on, climb up on Miss Daizy and tell Lindsey we need to walk awhile because of the shivering.<\/p>\n

Steel is fine!\u00a0 She ate, drank, peed (oh yes, Steel peed!!!!\u00a0 YAY!!!!!!\u00a0 She never pees when we compete.)<\/p>\n

We leave hold right on time.\u00a0 That never happens!<\/p>\n

grin<\/p>\n

\"rocks3\"<\/a>And we’re off.\u00a0 Now this 25 mile loop was the funnest part of last year’s ride.\u00a0 Of course, it wasn’t raining and the trail was mud slick, but I am looking forward to this loop.\u00a0 A lot.\u00a0 I am concerned about Miss Daizy but once we had a mile under our feet, she was more than ready to move on out again.<\/p>\n

The plan for this loop … Miss Daizy leads on the “go go” stretches of trail and Steel leads on the “walking only” sections of trail.\u00a0 Reason?\u00a0 Miss Daizy sets a faster pace than Steel at the trot\/canter and Steel sets a faster pace at the walk.<\/p>\n

Plan set, we get on down the trail.\u00a0 We are working well and Miss Daizy is eager to get moving so the shivery must not be affecting her too greatly.\u00a0 My stirrups are working awesomely.\u00a0 And the rain is letting up.<\/p>\n

Some 30 mile riders come up behind us and lo and behold, it is Daryl!<\/p>\n

HI DARYL!<\/p>\n

We shared a couple miles of trail laughing and talking until the 30 mile trail broke off from the 55 mile trail and we had to say our good-byes.<\/p>\n

BYE DARYL!<\/p>\n

\"rocks1\"<\/a>The sun is trying to peek out and we are in the clouds.\u00a0 It was way cool to be riding up so high on the world that you’re in the clouds.\u00a0 I tried to get photos of us flying in the clouds, but they didn’t turn out so well.\u00a0 This is the best image I got on my archaic phone camera.\u00a0 We climbed up so high we were literally riding in the clouds and it was awesome, just awesome.<\/p>\n

\"ride_photo1\"<\/a>I was thoroughly enjoying the long 25 mile loop.\u00a0 I was cracking jokes, which Lindsey kept missing the punch lines .. mostly because she couldn’t hear me … and I was having a grand ol’ time of it.\u00a0 Steel was stopping at every mud puddle for a drink.\u00a0 Miss Daizy took a couple sips here and there but she wasn’t up to her normal drink, eat and be merry self.\u00a0 Although when we came to the open trail and she took lead, she was moving right along at her normal pace, ears up and tail up.\u00a0 This photo on the second loop shows how much Miss Daizy is enjoying herself.\u00a0 She was doing very well on the first 15 miles, moving out when we could and walking along when we couldn’t.<\/p>\n

We came into the hospitality stop, which is about 15 miles on the second loop and Miss Daizy discovered a huge muck tub full of beet pulp.\u00a0 She dived right in.<\/p>\n

Uhm, Miss Daizy, I think that is the tub they’re using to give out portions.<\/p>\n

Oops<\/p>\n

Miss Daizy didn’t care, she was going to eat that entire muck tub by herself.<\/p>\n

WAIT!\u00a0 ALFALFA HAY????\u00a0 She quickly moved from the muck tub to the bale of hay.<\/p>\n

Uhm, Miss Daizy, I think you’re supposed to eat from one of these piles, not directly from the bale.<\/p>\n

Miss Daizy didn’t care, she was going to eat the entire bale of hay by herself.<\/p>\n

Hmmm, guess her appetite is back.<\/p>\n

I didn’t realize how many riders were behind us until they started coming into the hospitality stop.\u00a0 I was not going to stop Miss Daizy from eating so when those riders started leaving out ahead of us, I didn’t care.\u00a0 I saw Lindsey starting to get a bit agitated that we were staying here so long, but by the gods, I was going to let Miss Daizy eat as long as she wanted to eat and I didn’t care if we ended up dead last.<\/p>\n

Soon, Miss Daizy notices that riders are leaving and she’s not “winning” anymore so we mount up and get rolling.<\/p>\n

Uh oh.<\/p>\n

We trotting up this nice grassy trail and Miss Daizy is not letting me get on the left diagonal.<\/p>\n

Oh no …. not again.<\/p>\n

This is my cue that her back is starting to trouble her.<\/p>\n

Dammit. Dammit. Dammit.<\/p>\n

She breaks into a canter, on her right lead.\u00a0 I bring her back to a trot and then ask for her left lean.<\/p>\n

Nope!\u00a0 Not doing it.\u00a0 She picks up the right lead, totally against my left pressure.<\/p>\n

Dammit.<\/p>\n

We’re riding along and I start doing the riding stretch exercises that I learned from my equine chiropractor.\u00a0 Not sure what Lindsey thought I was doing in the saddle, because she didn’t comment.<\/p>\n

Stretch left, stretch right and Miss Daizy starts to loosen up.<\/p>\n

Left diagonal???\u00a0 Okay, she’s not fussing at me anymore.<\/p>\n

Canter on the left lead?\u00a0 She picked it up and help it for about a mile, but was not happy about that.<\/p>\n

Okay, you did it so I’ll let you be now.<\/p>\n

Dammit.<\/p>\n

\"hold2\"<\/a>We get onto the mile long single track back into the hold and I’m walking the horses.\u00a0 I am pretty sure that we’re going to be pulled because Miss Daizy is not working square, which means she will probably be off at the trot.\u00a0 This photo is of her in the hold while I’m untacking her for pulse in.\u00a0 She does NOT look happy, does she.\u00a0 Poor Miss Daizy.\u00a0 I have had it up to my eyeballs with trying to find a saddle.\u00a0 We tried three saddles during the season last year and I demo’d six saddles over the winter.\u00a0 I had a saddle custom made to her and while it fit her like a glove, I hated it because it was too confining to my back.\u00a0 Lucky Naoma to get herself a new endurance saddle.<\/p>\n

chuckle<\/p>\n

Oh man, oh man, oh man.<\/p>\n

Tack off and I slide down the muddy hill to the pulse in.<\/p>\n

Pulse 52.\u00a0 Let’s trot.<\/p>\n

Oh, she passed her trot out.\u00a0 Really?<\/p>\n

Everything else is A’s.<\/p>\n

Really?<\/p>\n

Okay.\u00a0 Let’s see what happens on the last 10 miles.\u00a0 I’m not hopeful but, okay.<\/p>\n

Steel?\u00a0 I’m telling you she has become a perfect endurance horse.\u00a0 She is eating and drinking and she peed again!\u00a0 YES!\u00a0 And she’s alert and happy and wow …<\/p>\n

One thing she did start doing on this ride that I have never seen her do before.\u00a0 Not sure if it was because of the rain and fog, or because she simply wasn’t trussting Lindsey like she should, she was starting to “see things” and would stop.\u00a0 Not spook … she’s be trotting along and STOP dead, throwing Lindsey up on her neck.<\/p>\n

Not sure why she was doing that.<\/p>\n

Hmmmm<\/p>\n

Okay.\u00a0 This hold killed me.\u00a0 Well, not really, but the goose grease mud caused Miss Daizy to slip which in turn caused me to slip and<\/p>\n

POP<\/p>\n

There goes the back.\u00a0 Have to say, up until this point, I was having no issues with my back.\u00a0 This is the first competition since my injury that I have ridden without any drugs at all.\u00a0 Not an aspirin, not a tylenol, nothing.\u00a0 And I felt great!\u00a0 And I was riding strong, working with Miss Daizy instead of against her.<\/p>\n

And then the mud did me in.<\/p>\n

Oh my gosh, I’m digging through my hold bag looking for the drugs.\u00a0 Lindsey comes along and sees my face and she knew…she knew I was in trouble.\u00a0 She’s helping me dig through the bag looking for the little baggy of drugs.\u00a0 We found it.<\/p>\n

YAY!<\/p>\n

Tylenol or Tramadol?\u00a0 That is the question of the day.<\/p>\n

I opted for Tylenol.\u00a0 I really had hoped to get through this ride without any drugs.<\/p>\n

But … it is what it is.<\/p>\n

Lindsey brought me some chili and a roll to chase the tylenol.<\/p>\n

THANK YOU LINDSEY.<\/p>\n

I can’t get up off the ground.\u00a0 This is bad.<\/p>\n

I stand and stretch my back .. I can barely bend over half of my normal range.<\/p>\n

Oh man, oh man, oh man.<\/p>\n

Time to go and I have to get my saddle on.<\/p>\n

Owie.<\/p>\n

Time to go and I have to get in the saddle.<\/p>\n

Owie (Thank you Lindsey for pushing my butt up into the saddle)<\/p>\n

Time to go and we’re walking out of camp.<\/p>\n

Owie .. Lindsey stopped to let Diane adjust her girth.\u00a0 Oh thank you for that because walking was killing me.<\/p>\n

Time to go and we’re trotting.<\/p>\n

Owie.<\/p>\n

Oh thank goodness … tylenol has kicked in but now Miss Daizy is like,
\nNo, I’m not gonna trot and you can’t make me.”<\/p>\n

()*&^$&+_)+__+)*()(%^54<\/p>\n

Crap.<\/p>\n

This is the easiest part of the ride.\u00a0 It’s all rolling service road, no rocks, no hill climbs, and last year we cantered the entire thing in about 45 minutes.\u00a0 This year?\u00a0 We’re barely crawling along because Miss Daizy doesn’t want to trot and Steel keeps stopping at every little obstacle at the side of the road.<\/p>\n

Good Lord.<\/p>\n

We’re never gonna get there.<\/p>\n

Couple riders came up behind us moving at a good clip and suddenly Miss Daizy woke up and took off after them.<\/p>\n

I have no idea what Lindsey and Steel were doing, it was all I could to to hold onto Miss Daizy as she’s blasting along in a hand gallop.\u00a0 Okay, let’s see if you will pick up your left lead.\u00a0 I fought her to bring her into a trot and change leads.\u00a0 She was NOT happy but she did it and then took off again to catch those two horses.\u00a0 She is blasting along on her left lead and I’m flat out riding two point while my back screams, “STOP IT!\u00a0 Just stop it!”<\/p>\n

chuckle<\/p>\n

I have to admit, even with the back complaining, I was loving every minute of that gallop!<\/p>\n

Finally I decide I need to slow them down because I don’t want to use up the last reserves we have.<\/p>\n

Oh – look, there’s Route 55 … two more miles and we’re finished.<\/p>\n

I am feeling better now that the tylenol has kicked in.<\/p>\n

Miss Daizy is feeling better because (apparently) the hand gallop stretched out her back and now she’s trotting along with her ears forward and tail up.<\/p>\n

Whew<\/p>\n

And I’m not sure what’s going on with Lindsey because she hasn’t said a word for the past eight miles.<\/p>\n

Steel looks perky as I put her in front of us to finish out the ride on the single track.<\/p>\n

Almost there, let’s walk.<\/p>\n

Steel stumbles and all four feet go into four different directions.<\/p>\n

sigh<\/p>\n

Walking walking walking.\u00a0 I can see the top of the timer tent at the finish.<\/p>\n

YAY!!!!<\/p>\n

Walking walking walking.<\/p>\n

We’re here!\u00a0 5:17 pm we cross the finish line.\u00a0 And we’re not the turtles!<\/p>\n

snort<\/p>\n

Okay, I get off and as soon as my feet hit the ground, my back sings out, “Oh listen to me.”<\/p>\n

Owie.<\/p>\n

I pull off Miss Daizy’s tack and I’m pretty sure, when I run my hand along her back and she drops like a stone, that we are not going to get a completion.\u00a0 Steel is happily drinking when I notice blood on her leg.\u00a0 Lindsey noticed it at the same time and we’re like,<\/p>\n

Oh shit.<\/p>\n

I am bent over in agony and along come Cindy who begins massaging my back.<\/p>\n

I hate being massaged but somehow, Cindy knows exactly where and how much pressure to use, because every\u00a0 single time she has done this for me it feels wonderful.<\/p>\n

THANK YOU CINDY!<\/p>\n

Pulses are good.\u00a0 Let’s trot.<\/p>\n

I trot Miss Daizy down and when I turn around, I see the sad faces on both vets and I know.\u00a0 She didn’t trot sound.<\/p>\n

Dammit.<\/p>\n

Steel was definitely off on the leg that had the bloody boo-boo.\u00a0 Of course.\u00a0 Steel rides 55 tough crazy rocky miles then stumbles in the last two miles and injures herself.<\/p>\n

WHAT THE HELL?<\/p>\n

Dr. Art says – “You have 30 minutes to try and get a completion.”<\/p>\n

Okay.\u00a0 There is a hose by our camp, Lindsey – you go hose and hose and hose Steel’s leg while I massage Miss Daizy’s back and hind end.<\/p>\n

I massage Miss Daizy and Cindy massages me.\u00a0 She also gave me some back heat packs and WOWZA did those really help me out.<\/p>\n

30 minutes, let’s go back to the vet.<\/p>\n

We represent and I trot Miss Daizy down.\u00a0 When I turn around, both vets are grinning ear to ear and as I’m trotting back, Dr. Art says, “That is amazing.\u00a0 She is a totally different horse and looks perfectly wonderful.\u00a0 You complete!”<\/p>\n

Little did he know I used the massaging techniques he showed me last year at OD.<\/p>\n

Steel trots down and she looks 80% better but is taking an off step occasionally – like every 8th or 9th step.\u00a0 I hear the vets conferring and I’m pretty sure that Steel is not going to get her completion.\u00a0 We don’t get our ride cards back because they have to go to the ride manager to get documented.<\/p>\n

Poor Steel.\u00a0 Riding all those miles just to get a pull at the end because she’s clumsy.<\/p>\n

Poor Lindsey.\u00a0 Had to put up with my silliness all day, just to get a pull at the end.<\/p>\n

Oh my.<\/p>\n

So, we are a mix of elation and dejection as we go back to camp.\u00a0 I let the horses eat grass while I start cleaning stuff up.\u00a0 Lindsey broke down the canopies (before the sun started to go down and the dew formed up on them)<\/p>\n

Poe was so very very happy to see me and get let out of the trailer.<\/p>\n

Note to Poe fans<\/strong><\/em> … I forgot to put away the loaf of bread before we left out on trail in the morning.\u00a0 The whole ride, all I could think about was that Poe was going to eat all the bread and be sick to her stomach.\u00a0 Poe did NOT touch the bread and she was in that trailer from 7:00 am until 6:00 pm when I let her out.\u00a0 She did sleep on my bed, but how was I going to complain about that when she was such a good girl and didn’t eat the bread????<\/p>\n

And now for my second favorite part of the ride.<\/p>\n

SALLIE!!!!!<\/p>\n

Sallie came over and spent the evening with us, we had a great supper together and she brought my favorite, Not Your Father’s Root Beer.<\/p>\n

Mmmmmm<\/p>\n

THEN!\u00a0 Oh yes, then she offered us her shower.<\/p>\n

HEAVEN!!!!<\/p>\n

I had a great visit with Sallie that evening and went to bed clean and fresh.<\/p>\n

Of course, by midnight I was freezing.\u00a0 Temperatures dropped all day and into the low 30’s that night.\u00a0 Now I’m trying to convince Poe that after yelling at her the night before for trying to get into bed with me, now I actually do want her to get into bed with\u00a0 me.<\/p>\n

Poe was like, “Uh, no … “<\/p>\n

(teeth chattering) “Please?”<\/p>\n

Big Eyeballs, “Uh, no … I do not want to get yelled at again.”<\/p>\n

(lips turning blue) “Oh, please Poe, just lay right here, it’s okay.”<\/p>\n

Squinting eyes in confusion.\u00a0 “Uh, no … “<\/p>\n

Dammit<\/p>\n

I survived the chilly night.<\/p>\n

And nice to find out the next day that Steel actually did get her completion!\u00a0 We did not do the ride fast.\u00a0 But we did get our completions.\u00a0 To Finish Is To Win!!!<\/p>\n

\"ride<\/a>And as another interesting note … I did not take any more drugs for my back after the last hold.\u00a0 Mostly because Cindy’s massage and heat packs really loosened it up.\u00a0 And when I got up Sunday morning, my back wasn’t stiff or sore so I was able to cruise along packing stuff without any issues.<\/p>\n

My thighs, however, had another story to tell me … LOL<\/p>\n

Now, I am once again on the hunt for a saddle.\u00a0 I have decided it has to be treeless because Miss Daizy is built like a square.\u00a0 Flat front to back, and flat side to side and a treed saddle is just not going to cut it.\u00a0 I have been researching for the past couple days and have asked for a demo from Saddle Solution for their Startrekk Comfort.\u00a0 Let’s see how that works out. \u00a0 http:\/\/www.saddlingsolutions.com\/startrekk-saddles\/startrekk-comfort-comfort-shorty\/<\/a><\/p>\n

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I didn’t ride the Bunny Hop CTR after Rabbit Run because although Miss Daizy and I felt wonderful the next day, she was very tired at the end of the ride the day before and why push her?\u00a0 She’s been … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":5162,"menu_order":2,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-2694","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/newpromisefarms.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2694","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/newpromisefarms.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/newpromisefarms.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/newpromisefarms.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/newpromisefarms.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2694"}],"version-history":[{"count":25,"href":"http:\/\/newpromisefarms.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2694\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5176,"href":"http:\/\/newpromisefarms.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2694\/revisions\/5176"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/newpromisefarms.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/5162"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/newpromisefarms.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2694"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}