Now, I offered to help as much as I could with Dez, but, I also understand sometimes having someone underfoot is a hindrance, and many people have their routines down pat, and can just get things done faster if they do it themselves.
ANYWAY...so for River Run this year, I was invited to crash on the couch in what we affectionately dubbed "The Land Yacht"; C.B.'s beautifully large Trail Hand. So, while I initially yielded the couch to L.B.'s use, she decided to try camping in her own trailer, so I happily flopped on the couch for the weekend.
I got Tilly and Socks set up in their pens and then moved in to the "Land Yacht", and waited for D.C. and R.C. to show up.
When they did, the people doing parking THANKFULLY put them about 2 trailers over from ours, which made things VERY easy. I kept offering to come and help, and did they need me to do ANYTHING at all? Nope, they had things in hand. I did come over in the afternoon once they were settled in and braided Dez's mane.
As an homage to Strider, Dez had to wear the rainbow rubber bands. He looked completely disgusted with me, and R.C. laughed about it. What can I say? I love my "skittles" look, and I wanted that small piece of Strider with me.
Dez vetted in just fine (I had been warned he could be a stinker for the vets. Instead, for ONCE I had a horse who was better behaved than Strider about standing still!). All A's down the board.
Ride meeting was uneventful, and we gals (C.B., T.M. and L.B. and I) sat around B.S'ing at the Land Yacht that afternoon and evening. It was one of the few times where I've sat around, talking horses AT ride camp. And about life...equine beliefs...one of those "campfire" moments endurance riders talk about? Sure. I'll take it.
So, up early on Saturday, and once again, I was at a loss. No horse to run through all the protocols. I didn't need to get up at 3 or 4 am to electrolyte and toss more hay and check water buckets and feed a wet mash to.
I did, as is normal, ALMOST forget to feed myself. I can't seem to escape that aspect of endurancing. I wolfed down my grub, grabbed my hip belt and then raced over to R.C and D.C's trailer to help get Dez dressed for the day.
The original plan was to ride with D.C, but R.C said she woke up with a horrible migraine, so she wasn't going out. He and I got Dez dressed before he had to head out for his 50. Wished him and Tivio a safe ride, then I waited a little bit.
I opted to walk over to check in as I was a little worried about this impending "pulling" and "blisters" I was warned about.
Once that was over, I headed back and begged L.B. to help me mount up, which she graciously did (THANK YOU!).
At that point, I was planning to ride out with C.B. on "Naughty Pony" (his real name is Sugar), T.M. on Sunny and then myself, on Dez.
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| (L to R; C.B. on Sugar, T.M. on Sunny and myself on Dez) Photo courtesy of L.B. (THANK YOU!!) |
That was the PLAN.
So, Dez wasn't BAD, but he definitely knew something was up. The fog was a blessing in disguise as, when we were leaving camp, 2 people asked to pass us, and Dez could see them, and wanted to catch them, instead, I insisted on circles, turning and standing still, basically "No, listen to me" moves to refocus and redirect him. Once they were lost in the fog, he didn't fuss AS much, but he was "up" and ready to go.
The loop for this year took out out of camp and up to "Skyline" at the Land Heritage Institute. As we went up, Sugar started being a bit naughty, and we thought perhaps Dez and Sugar were feeding energy into one another, so I decided it was safer for C.B. if I peeled off and went on.
I mean, is it any WONDER with THIS face of impatience to "GO FAST NOW!!" would be inspiring another horse to want to go fast now, too?
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| NOT happy at NOT getting to dictate our speed! Photo courtesy of John Nowell (purchased) |
His rainbow reins.
Maybe THAT is why Dez was so upset? LOL!!
His tack didn't match!! POOR DEZ!!!
No, but seriously....this face....
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| Riding defensively. Or is that DEZ-fensively? Photo courtesy of John Nowell (purchased) |
Let me say just how magical that was. I was on a horse who was quite happy to move out, wasn't hard to rate, and was consistent and forward, but not a freight train like I had been warned.
Now, we DID spent the first 3.5-ish miles with him being a booger about quickly dropping his head and ripping the reins through my hands. The first few times, I thought he was dropping to grab a bite to eat ("Grab and Go"), but I realized he wasn't taking a SINGLE bite. So, after I figured out what he was doing, I looped the reins, and would just let him "run into" my hands when he tried it.
I think he was trying to get me to loosen up so he could set the speed. I just wasn't going to do that. I was very serious about NOT allowing him to run himself into the ground. I wasn't setting out to turtle, but I wasn't adverse to the idea of taking it either if that's how things happened.
Overall, he set about a 6.5 mph pace.
When we finally saw someone on the trail (by the bike path before going down into the woods by the river), he was quite happy to catch them, and then leave them behind. No tantrum, no fuss, no muss.
It was at some point in these 9 miles, while I carried on an almost steady stream of conversation with him, that he became "Dezzie" to me.
"Easy Dezzie. Don't go so fast down that hill please. Dezzie, take it easy. Come on man. DEZZIE!!!"
We went through the "lollipop" on trail without any issues, but he wouldn't slow down (much) as we went by the bucket to grab our token. So, I ended up with about 4 pipe cleaners, and I wasn't sure what on earth to do with them while I attempted to steer and put them some place safe.
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| As you can tell, my body is more relaxed, and we're chugging along happily. Photo courtesy of John Nowell (purchased) |
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| This may be one of my favorite ride photos ever. Look at the extension on Dezzie! His head isn't giraffed! I'm smiling! Loose(ish) rein even!! Photo courtesy of John Nowell (purchased) |
So, with 13 miles down, we make our way in to camp. I'm getting blown by as I walk behind the bunk house, so I can't really dismount safely as all of a sudden he's like "OMG!! MUST GO NOW!! HORSES GOING FAST!!!!" *sigh* He'd been so VERY calm up until that point.
I hear T.M. call out as she and Sunny came in to camp behind us while I'm loosening Dezzie's girth.
We make our way over and start sponging and scooping water on them. I left the tack on, and figured, "Well, let's just go on over to P&R." He wasn't breathing hard, he wasn't hot nor excessively sweaty and the water coming off him was cool.
Sure enough, he was already down within parameter as we entered the box.
Vetted through with all A's EXCEPT a B on an upper quadrant (I believe. Not totally sure as his owners have his vet card).
Took him to his trailer as D.C. came out to check on us and help get Dez set up for his hold. Now, we had lost a LOT of time in the vet check line as there were only 2 vets and the line was stacked up, so Dez really only had about 20 minutes of a 45 minute hold to rest and relax.
DISCLAIMER; had his scores been any worse, I would have waited and allowed him to relax and eat longer.
So, dropped his bit, hay, mash, water and D.C. asked how our ride was going. I made sure she was okay, asked if there was anything else I could do for her, or for Dez or for her girl before I ran back to the Land Yacht and crammed some food in my mouth.
And in a flash, our hold was over. Once again L.B. helped hold the stirrup and Dez while I mounted up, and T.M. and I went out together.
The boys paced beautifully together, leap frogging as to who was leading and who was following. Dezzie stayed in gait for the most part, but, when he asked to canter, I allowed it, as long as he wasn't reckless. I know that when the muscles get tired, they will ask for a different gait, and he wasn't asking to walk, so canter it was. Both T.M. and I flew along, laughing and having a good time, chattering happily.
T.M. and I stopped near the Corn Crib on the trail to both stop, re-hydrate ourselves, grab a snack, and allow the horses to graze.
Now, Dezzie is a funny FUNNY guy! As we're there, he refuses to stand still and graze. So I'm constantly doing circles, TRYING to get him interested in the grass. A group of riders comes around the corner (it's a bit of a blind turn), and T.M. and I made sure our horses were facing that direction as we could hear them coming, and we didn't want our boys startled. They asked to go by, and of course, we told them to go on by.
Here's where Dezzie showed off his prankster side. He FINALLY dropped his head, and started to "graze". Suddenly, T.M. starts laughing hysterically.
"What? What's so funny?!"
Takes her a moment to catch her breath she's laughing so hard, but finally, she spits out; "HE'S FAKE EATING!! He's hovering over the grass, his mouth is opening and closing, but he's NOT EATING it!! He's FAKING!!!"
And we both just lose it, laughing.
At some point, he finally snatches a mouthful of grass (probably in disgust), looks at me, the grass hanging out of his mouth as if to say "Look. I ate. CAN WE GET ON WITH IT NOW?!"
T.M. and Sunny are good, so we set off down the trail again.
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| After 20ish miles, Dezzie FINALLY drank, and we're fixing to wrap up our LD!! |
So, while T.M. and I are at the troughs, we catch up again to the group who had passed us. I try to get Dezzie to stand still enough so I can sponge out of the buckets left out for us to sponge out of (another reason I LOVE this ride is because there is so much water available on trail to use). I manage to awkwardly get the job done.
One of the riders mentions to me "Oh Arabs!"
"Actually, Paso Fino!"
"OH! Really?"
"Yep!!"
We then ask, as is customary and polite, if it's okay if we ride off.
"Sure, we'll pass you later!"
I turned to T.M. after we left and said "I don't think so. Our boys are still bright eyed and bushy tailed. I'm not going to push, but I suspect they're not going to pass us."
(FYI and spoiler alert. They didn't.)
T.M and I finish our LD handily, come in, strip tack, slosh water on our boys, and head over to the pulse box.
And once again, right within parameter within 5 minutes of coming in to camp. Wasn't a doubt in my mind!!!
We vetted through once again, smiles and cheers all around for having gotten our horses through the ride!!
AND....when Dezzie earned his completion, I earned my 250 LD mile patch!! THANK YOU DEZZIE!!! That makes that patch extra special. I've had 4 amazing horses carry me through so many miles...it was a small milestone, but it felt good to FINALLY achieve it!
(Here is where I would put in our placings and time....but...AERC, despite having the ride results, STILL has not posted them....*sigh*)
I felt surprisingly good after 25 miles, considering that -I- have not been riding like I normally do to condition MY body to the ride. Spent the rest of the afternoon at the Land Yacht, and occasionally popping in over at Dezzie's trailer to make sure he was okay, and if I could do anything to help and to check in to see how R.C. was doing on his 50.
D.C. mentioned that she and her husband would evaluate him later that evening, and if they thought he was up to it, would I like to pilot him again on Sunday through another LD?
OF COURSE!!!
So, we whiled away the hours, talking...and then attended the ride meeting/awards dinner.
I mention this, only to say that while we were at the dinner, we heard some people mention there were some loose horses in camp. C.B. had the forethought to go check on all of ours, which we really had blocked in QUITE well. However, that's all we heard about it.....
Now....I'm sure you're wondering how Sunday turned out, aren't you?
Did I take Tilly out for an Intro?
Did I ride Dezzie for another 25 miles?
Did I pack it in and head for home?
Did I stay up most of the night because I was coughing so badly and there was a "dance party" happening in what sounded like camp until 2 am?
The answer to all these questions....on the next post.
Well, okay, ONE spoiler...
I did stay up most of the night and go wandering around camp, fully intending to bang on someone's door and tell them to turn their music down because it was SO FREAKING LOUD!! Except...I realized it wasn't coming from anywhere in camp.
Now....what about Sunday.....?
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