Sunday "Fun" Day...

Have you ever had a ride that shakes you up so badly before an important ride that you start internally hyperventilating and going "OMG this ride is going to be a DISASTER based on this conditioning ride!!!"

Sunday was that ride.  I had no warning it was going to be a pain in the ass ride when I got to the barn.  That entire part went smoothly. 

First, let me lay out my goals for the ride.

One ride after Racing Stripes and his odd "lameness" issue to make sure he's sound.  To trial all 4 Renegade hoof boots on him.  To trial my new helmet camera.  To trial my new Easycare Stowaway pommel pack.

So, I sat in my car when I got there (was waiting on Heather to come out and join me).  So, watched a quick video to re-familiarize myself with adjusting the cables on my Renegade strap-on hoof boots.  Grabbed Strider out of the pen (after he ran around like a terror while I just stood there calmly loving on Socks..his jealousy always gets the best of him...I can't love on someone else without Strider wanting HIS lovings). 

So, I get the rears on and adjusted.  The first time, they looked too lose, so pulled and re-adjusted the cables,no big deal and got them on his feet and took photos.  That dragon fire red looks AWESOME on him!!

Left Rear

Left Rear Profile

Left Rear Profile

Left Rear Rear

Right Rear Front

Right Rear Profile

Right Rear Profile

Right Rear Rear

Hard to see, but all 4 booted!

Slapped his fronts on him, assuming that they SHOULD be fine.  I'd had them fit to him 2-weeks post-trim at one point, and we'd rasped him down some about a week ago.

I don't LIKE this mom!!!

Pissy Pony is Pissy

Tack him up, everything looks great, so I'm like "Let's see you move in all 4 in the round pen."

For the first time in the 10 years I've owned and known this horse, he hunched his back under saddle and bucked in the round pen.  Not constant "I'm gonna buck this saddle off me" sort of bucking, but either "My feet feel weird!!!" or "I'm so full of energy that I'm gonna buck out of sheer joy!!"

I never quite figured out which.

Worked him both directions and eventually had him come "pick me up" (swing his butt towards me while I stand on something [this time it was the rails of the round pen] so I can mount).  Got my foot in the stirrup and we walked a bit.  Then asked for a gait.  More bucking.  And not his "bunny bucks" but certainly not a "I'm going to buck to dislodge my rider" either.  Still don't know what it's all about, but again we worked both directions. 

He never feels out of control, so I'm like "Okay, cool, let's go with it."

Leave the round pen and we head out to go ride.

And so we go, with occasional bucks thrown in.  Weirdo.  Okay then.  Not a fan of all 4 booted.  Noted, but, suck it up buttercup!!

So, we ride for a little while, things seem to be going okay, and we come down a hill, and I feel an odd step, and the sound changes.

"Heather, do I still have all 4 on?"

"No.  You've lost both fronts, but both rears are on!!"

"Shit."

I find one, and we spend time hunting for the other one, but figure it went flying off into the grass.  And it'd be next to impossible to find a black boot.  Great.

I was NOT happy.  But we said we'd double back on our trail we covered in case it came off earlier and we'll find it then, no big deal.  I'm still annoyed because these damn things aren't cheap.  But I think I had the toe strap too tight.  Okay then.  The rears are still on, so that's AWESOME!!!  I have those adjusted properly.

So we ride and we ride.  Things are going great.  Boots are still on, horse is happy because he's "naked" on the front.  We ride and ride.

We go through a puddle, Strider in the lead.  He noses it, so I think he wants a drink.  But, no...he didn't want a drink.

Down he goes into the water.  Patented Strider move and why I don't ever allow him to just hang out in water.  Mud, muck, filth all over me and down into my boot.  He just lays there looking up at me like "Ohhhh yeah.  That's the ticket.  Hey mom.  Why such an angry face?"

I get him up while Heather's laughing her ass off and get back on (after scraping MOST of the mud off my ass and leg).  We continue to lead, looping round and round and making the horses cross through the water as we come to it.

And then it happens.  BIG water puddle.  Point Strider at it.  Two red boots go in, only one red boot comes out.

Heather spotted one in the mud as we exited.  I am already soaked, so I wade in to try and find it, and Strider follows.  To lay down AGAIN as I'm checking the puddle/mud.  Talk about kicking me while I'm down.  Thanks bud!!!  Jerkface.

Get him up, AGAIN, and I keep looking in sheer frustration, but forget it.  I can't find it.  Heather says let's keep riding, we'll come back with a rake and drag the bottom for it.

So we ride as I'm interally swearing "Great!  TWO damn boots GONE!!  ARGH!!!"

We stop for a bit, let the horses graze and I realize I need to get Strider to take the DynaSpark from my hand, so I put some in my hand and he is confused for a moment until I put his muzzle IN to the palm of my hand and he starts to lick.  Lightbulb moment when he realizes that I've got the equine crack in my hand!  I offer some to Heather's mare, and she is also confused until she realizes it's tasty and starts to lick it.  Strider realizes what I'm doing and starts knocking her out of the way to get it out of my hands.  Greedy turd!!!  I give him a few carrots, offer Blondie (Heather's mare) a carrot, and she tries to eat it, but it's hard with a bit in!!

We just lounge there, letting them relax and graze.  I suggest we double back and hunt for my other missing front boot.  Which we DID find!!  YAY!!! 

We ride a little bit more, then head back to the barn to grab her truck and go rake the mud puddle for my missing BRIGHT RED boot.

Load up into Heather's truck, she puts it into 4wheel drive and away we go, bouncing through pastures and trails to get as close as we can to the puddle. 

We spent an HOUR IN that water hunting.  I raked it.  Heather, however, is a trooper.  Let me tell you world, there's not a better woman on this planet than Heather.  She took off her shoes and socks and got into that nasty muck BAREFOOT and shoved her hands INTO the mud where she thought the horses went, looking for hoof holes.  REPEATEDLY she did this.  Up and down the entire length of the puddle.  Hunting.  She finally got me to take my shoes off (seriously world, I don't mind many things, but being barefoot in squishy mud oobs me out.  I find it repulsive and it's giving me the willies just thinking about it all over again) and dig in the mud with my toes too.

After and hour of raking and hunting and fishing in this foul smelling water, we turned up....nothing.

No boot.  We probably jammed it down further into the mud.  And as we were mucking around in there, 3 different riders came by and asked what we were doing.

In hindsight, NOW, it's humorous.  At the time, it was frustrating and irritating and disheartening.

And it's shaken me so badly that I'm concerned about this ride this weekend. 

The ride flyer recommends shoes or boots.  But, apparently someone did the 50 and WON on a barefoot horse. 

The current plans as they stand:
I'm taking Strider to Holly's place tonight to have her apply Hoof Armor.  I spoke with a woman yesterday with some impressive photos of her horse doing Cougar Rock (on the Tevis Cup ride) barefoot and ONLY using Hoof Armor.  And Holly and I had talked about it before, but not knowing any endurance horses using it (at that time), we skipped over it while discussing other ideas. 
I will be carrying my strap-on Renegades, or putting them on before we ride out.  Apparently the rock is really only at mile 8 on the first and third loop.  So, for loops two and four, we'll ride bare with the Hoof Armor.  Or, if it looks like it's getting rocky, I'll dismount and throw the boots on.

I also need to remember to charge and take my mp3 player.  I might end up separating from the group I'm planning on riding with due to boot issues, etc.  I refuse to hold anyone up, though I prefer to ride with people, I will remember I MUST ride my own ride.  Yes, my horse PREFERS to ride in a group, but he's gotten better about riding out solo.  And he'll be fine leaving camp since Socks isn't coming.

I'm going to be picking up some more spare Renegades from my friend Julia at the ride.  2 more for his fronts and 2 more for his rears. 

Let me say this.  Black Renegades on a BLACK horse are a BAD idea.  The black boots will become my backup boots.  The colors I'm getting from Julia are orange and maroon; colors that will be VISIBLE on my horse!!

I will also be putting my phone number in/on my boots so if they come off, someone can call me and return my boots to me.  I thought about that on Sunday before we rode out, but I didn't have a black Sharpie, so I didn't do it.  Now I regret it.

But, there's a lady at Rusty's who says she rides out there daily, so she'll keep an eye out for it and tell Marty (the "Jack of all trades" who lives at Rusty's and maintains the trails) about it as well.  I've offered a $50 reward for its return.  Which is less than the cost of the NEW boot I had to order on Monday.

Suffice to say, after this weekend, I'll have PLENTY of Renegades for Strider's feet.  And I'll start riding in them more often just to get him used to them and to figure out the magic of them.  Especially as there's a group ride coming up that I'd like to go to at McKinney Roughs, but everyone wants to go from the really rocky trail head, and Strider HAS to have boots to go on that side.

Last night I got some prep work done.  I hosed off the saddle pad that Strider got filthy and muddy (I need to just buy Heather a new one).  I hosed off the cinch that got covered in mud. 

Hosed off my shoes that were smelly and then tossed them into the washing machine to get them clean. 


Soaked the ONE red Renegade in water to loosen the mud then hosed the rest of it off. 

Had Joe hang all 4 of my bucket brackets on the sides of my trailer. 


Cleaned out and re-organized my tack room. 



Talked to Joe about getting an awning for my trailer and potentially a small A/C for it.  It just felt GOOD to get all of those things done before I leave.  Usually I'm throwing things into the bed of the truck at the last minute and then tossing them into the trailer before I pull out, but my plan is to bring the trailer back home tonight and get my camp tote loaded into it, and other things in there before Friday.

Still to do:
Wash sheepskin saddle cover (waiting on the special soap to come in.  Will be in Thursday, so will wash and drip dry cover Thursday night and Friday while in transport in trailer.  Will bring brush to fluff the nap up and make it fluffy again)
Get 1 more bale of hay (swing by Callahan's who has the NICEST green square bales for $12.50)
Load water tank into bed of truck
Pack clothes
Go grocery shopping
Load cooler

I'm actually AHEAD of the game this time.  Having the trailer at home REALLY helps get me ready and lets me load things directly in to it.

I wish I had a trailer cover for it so I could just leave things IN it while it's stored at the barn (saddles, tack, etc), but...nope!!!

I'm going to relax as best as I can and go with the flow.  He'll either do or do not.  I'm now getting a little concerned with the heat (oh my GOSH it's humid outside!), but he's chugged along just fine for LDs.  I've got the "weed sprayers" that I bought at Tractor Supply Company that I'm going to fill with a water/alcohol solution to help cool him off at holds and vet checks.  I will probably fill a bottle or two with the same solution for going down the trail to help keep him cool.  And just do what I can do.

Honestly, he's had almost an entire month to recuperate after 75 miles.  He was just fine at Racing Stripes and he was quite strong for me on Sunday (obviously, if he felt good enough to buck, he has juice in the tank).  He's got a thin layer of fat to burn at the ride, so he has some reserves. 

Hoof Armor.  Renegades.  Determined rider. 

Hes gots this.