Armadillo Run (take 3)....or "Part two"

Finally rolled out of my trailer around 6 and got to work.  Pulled Socks out of his pen and started getting him dressed.

I mean, as always, he looks gorgeous once he's dressed!

Yes, reins on.  What you can't see is my "Booma Rein" holder
to prevent them from falling over his head.

Ears up and a happy face!!  My body was already flinching.

I made sure to put my HRM on, and when I turned on my Garmin...nothing.  In fact, my Garmin started acting SUPER strange.  Like the numbers went sliding sideways.  The ONLY field that worked was pace per mile.  I'm unsure what happened, and I turned it off and on several times, but it never EVER wanted to work.  Frustrating.  BUT, I have my watch, so I can keep an eye on the time, which is really all I NEED to do.  HRM is just bonus.

I almost forgot to eat my own breakfast and prep my water, so quickly did that.  I also pre-loaded some Aleve.  I walked over to another friend's trailer (we were going to start out together, and I said I'd drop back when I needed to [spoiler alert; I needed to]).  She then asked if someone had come by my trailer yet to tell me that the LD's start time had been pushed back to 8:30.

I was already upset the LD's were going to start at 8.  It was hot and humid, and I prefer to get started as early as possible so I can get as much as I can done before it gets too hot.

But, that just wasn't to be.  Lovely.

Trail opens, and we do as I'd planned.  Left mid-pack.  It was great.  He was forward.  Happy.  Straining to go.  But not uncontrollable.

We settled in behind D and her large mare and away we went.  Trot, trot, trot.  I actually didn't feel bad.  Socks wasn't slamming my spine into fine sand, he was happy and forward, ears pricked.  D was a little faster than I wanted to go, so we slowed up just a little.

And, in a brief stretch with horses a little behind us, and trail open before us, he spooks at an invisible Boogeyman, and off I tumble.  Two for two at Armadillo where I've come out of the saddle.  I heave a huge sigh, laugh, and the ladies behind me are kind enough to wait (despite my telling them to go ahead and move on, we're okay!) while I hop back on.

Away we move again.

At this point, I'm hot and sticky, and Socks gets me a little TOOOOOO close to a ribbon on a tree, so it clings to my body, and off it and the clothespin come.  Great.  I hear a voice sing out a few horses behind me "I knew you were competitive Erin, but you don't need to sabotage the trail!" with a laugh following!  It's Zurkh's Mom!!!  I crack up and hollar back "Well, you know me, always fighting to win LAST PLACE!!!"

I do manage to get it pinned back on a tree as we keep up our rhythm, but I know that this speed is NOT sustainable for him and I, and the way he's fighting to keep up is NOT healthy for him, so I slow him back down and we drop back again.

He's strong, my hands hurt a little bit, and so do my shoulders.

See?  Compare this image from our first year and they're light years different! And look at GREAT he looks!
Photo by John Nowell (purchased image)

At some point on this loop, we're going along, all alone, and he spooks.  I cannot figure out what caused it, so from my mouth pours some filth (something along the lines of "What the FUCK Socks?! ASSHOLE!!!").  THEN I hear the hoofbeats behind me.  I turn and realize it's Doc Conway and his wife, and I probably turned a million shades of red. 

"I am SO sorry!!!"  

"Don't worry about it!  He probably heard us coming up behind him like a freight train."

I'm hoping that he doesn't put me together as I'm not on Strider as we fall behind them because Socks is back to fighting to keep up.

First loop done, 8 miles down.  We did a pulse down and trot by (had to take a few extra minutes to bring his HR down, but no big deal).

Armadillo Run; First Loop

Swing back up (okay, so not gracefully, I didn't tighten my cinch quite like I need to, so, saddle rolled, and I about fell off...from a MOUNTING BLOCK...in front of the RM!  Lovely).

Back out for loop two.  We're chugging along, and we tuck in behind a junior on the CUTEST mule and his sponsor at some point, and keep on going.  I get a little concerned that he refuses to drink at ANY of the troughs.  He thinks the herd he needs to catch is ahead, and he cannot seem to settle down enough to drink.  The humidity is sky high (at some point my mentor mentioned it was like 90% humidity) and I'm dripping sweat.

He's still chugging along, happy to go, ears forward.

Telling the photographer this isn't our good side.  Look at him!
Photo by John Nowell (picture purchsaed)

 Before I know it, we're almost back to camp.  Hop off, loosen cinch and walk in.

Armadillo Run; Loop 2

Pulse through fine (5 minutes to get him to drop), and head off to see the vet. 

And that's where the wheels came off.  Jugular Refill and Skin Tenting, C's.  And, at our trot out...slight gait aberration.  I was told to go back to the trailer and see if we can't figure out why he's slightly off.  Maybe some hoof boots?

I'm basically resigned to pulling, then see my mentor and her husband, and a lightbulb goes off as I go over to ask if they might have any boots for him.  We go to check, and immediately her husband sees the problem.

Remember when I said trust your instincts?  Yep, should have used the bell boots I didn't buy!!  He'd torn up his heels.

I briefly considered borrowing a pair, and then said "No.  That's not right."

My first instinct was the right one.  Pull.  For his welfare.  So, we did.  And I have zero regrets about it.  I laugh and realize I'm going to be chasing those last 5 miles for my LD patch for who knows HOW long.  Who cares.  My ride record is crap, but I'm having fun overall, and learning as I go.  And, I didn't push nor ask him to do anything.  He willingly gave.  And as humid as it was, things could have gone south, so I'm grateful we did the smart thing and pulled.

Our vetting in on Friday night.  As usual, all A's for Socks the Fox!!

And after 14 miles.  Those C's worry me.  But, the humidity probably had a large hand in that!

I spent some time at camp relaxing.  Waited for my new friend and her reiner turned endurance QH to come back to camp.  They looked great when they came back in!!!  And my friend D on her horse finished as well!! 

Overall, it was a great ride.  I had a great time!!  Socks had a great time!  I actually didn't hurt at all as I packed up camp on Saturday evening.

Storms were rolling in, and Joe had to work on Sunday, so I knew I wasn't staying for the breakfast on Sunday morning.  The drive home was painless and easy, though the last few hours were a little hard as I was getting tired. 

Once again, if you're ever in Texas in October, come do the Armadillo Run ride.  The ride managers are simply the best.  And it was at this ride in 2014 that I FINALLY started feeling comfortable in my endurance tribe.  Why?  Because this ride manager, who also is the in/out timer at most of our rides, called me by NAME because she RECOGNIZED me.  And as such, this ride has earned a place in my heart. 

Good job Socks.

PS-He now has TWO brand new pairs of bell boots in my tack trunk.  I'll NEVER make that mistake again!!