The story of my first 50 miler – Eagle Canyon, 2017

You heard right. The title of this post is an accurate tease. I finally got to and completed a 50 miler ride. For those who know how long I have been drifting on the periphery of the endurance sport – doing an LD here and there – this was a major accomplishment for me. 

The background

Long story short of it I am catch riding this year due to Deli being out in rehab. Who knows if Deli will ever be able to do even LDs again? Her rehab is going well, but we’ve hit on the issue of saddles. So I’m in the thick of that again: finding a saddle that fits her given her health needs and fits me and is not super expensive. So far it’s been an impossible task.

In the meantime I’ve been riding and conditioning my friend “M” horse Duke. Duke is fairly new to her – a rescue with some possible harsh treatment in his past (he was likely a dancing horse). Either because of the sketchy past or for some unknown reason his brain tends to go to some unknown place when stressed and he pulls like heck. That, combined with becoming less aware of his surroundings – which can lead to more tripping/ignoring of aids – means riding him can be like being a freight train conductor. A freight train that can canter in place when agitated..! He is a little guy (mustang-arab cross), but very solidly built. Luckily he also has comfy gaits, so when he is hopping all over the place like a loon you at least are not being jarred everywhere.

Observe how adorable this guy is:

So I’ve been riding Duke 1-2 times a week and enjoying the challenge and getting to know him better. The good news is every ride came with some slight improvement. I hope I have been helpful overall, because there is some hope that Duke would be the mount for M’s kid, who has also done endurance.

Me on Duke on The Deschutes River trail.

Two weekends before the planned 50 M and I took Duke and her other horse, Pepper (who has completed Tevis) for a long conditioning ride. We ended up doing almost 25 miles out in the Colombia Gorge area. The general idea for Duke was that because of his pulling and general athleticism, his first ride should be a 50 rather than an LD. We did NOT want him, with his pulling and competitive anxiety-brain to get the idea he couldn’t take care of himself. This conditioning ride clinched it, as Duke still had plenty of juice after that ride despite doing it at an endurance pace. The only downsides of this ride were that he got some girth galls and some filling in his front legs after the ride – two things that were good information to have. Plus, that conditioning ride was almost 100% hard rock footing so I wasn’t too worried about a little filling. We could work with that by doing more aftercare on his legs.

The weekend in between (when Duke was resting in prep for the 50 miler) I went and did a 30 mile LD at Grizzly Mountain on another borrowed horse. This time a gaited TWH named Royal for his first endurance ride. I had a lot of fun with him – it’s always interesting to ride a gaited horse and to compare with the strengths and weaknesses of a trotting horse. I also survived the cold nights of that ride, despite sleeping in the back seat of my car for convenience sake.

At that ride I also tested my new Hit Air vest and my other riding gear I had planned for the 50 miler. I also got a cool completion award.

The journey into Idaho and Eagle Canyon

We got up quite early to head over to Idaho, with my husband dropping me off at M’s place at 4:30am. Our other friend “A” and her little mare Reba were there and set to go as well. Normally there are more early-season rides within the 4-6 hour drive distance for us in the greater Portland area, but lots of ride cancelations meant Eagle Canyon was the one.

We hit the road in good spirits towing M’s living quarters trailer and the three horses, with my companions loaded up on coffee (alas, none for me). Due to it being a Friday and a workday for me, I was on my laptop for a good portion of the drive working. Still, it was a nice change from my normal home office as I got to look outside and see the Colombia Gorge in all its stunning beauty roll past as we steadily chewed up the miles.

 

One of the views once we got to the "dry side" of Oregon.

About halfway there we stopped to let the horses out. Lucky for us there is a great rest stop with a gravel trailer turnaround and a grassy fenced paddock for livestock. The horses were happy to get off, pee, have some water, and run around and graze for about 40-ish minutes. At this stop they were butt-heads and did not want to be caught, but we managed it and were back on the road in short order.

The horses enjoying themselves at their rest-stop.

Then, soon after we crossed into Idaho, a trailer tire blew.

Epically. Taking the trailer fender with it, somehow, and flinging rubber all over the road.

Now that's an exploded tire!

We got to the side of the interstate safely (thankfully M’s truck is a gooseneck dually, so it’s very stable) but found we didn’t have the proper tool to change out the trailer tire ourselves. Not to mention, the destroyed fender was beyond repair and threatening to damage the other trailer tire. M called US Rider to get roadside assistance – something that should have been smoother than it was. It was stressful being on the side of a busy road with cars and trucks screaming past, feeling bad for the horses who were standing around. However, after M finally got it into the customer service’s head where we were (she was apparently very worried as to why we were on the side of the interstate! I don’t know where else you would expect someone to be when they have a tire explode?!) we waited for assistance. Luckily, the assistance that came, came quickly, was competent, and cheerful. He also helped us get the destroyed fender out of the way so we wouldn’t risk popping another tire.

At this point I think we were a little frazzled, but with the tire fixed we were free to move on. M decided – smartly – to go to the Les Schwab that was on our route to Eagle Canyon ride camp to get a replacement spare tire. We took this as an opportunity to offer the horses more water and lots of carrots and apples in the trailer. Luckily, the horses were traveling well despite the setbacks and we were not too far from our final destination.

The horses resigned to their fate as we wait at Les Schwab.

We finally got into camp with what I think was a collective sigh of relief. It had been a long day already. With the delays for the tire issues, it was a good thing we started so early! We still had plenty of daylight to set up camp. I ended up holding and grazing Duke and pepper while M and A set up the panels.

Eagle Canyon is a smaller ride compared to some of the rides nearer to Portland, like Klickitat or Mt. Adams. The camp was an open field surrounding by green grassy hills, with snowy peaks visible in the distance. The grassy ground was scattered with whistle pig burrows and badger holes, making it a bit of a minefield, but we managed not to break any legs all weekend! The camp was in an area normally grazed by cattle too, so we had regular interactions with them as well.

With camp set up, A and I decided to do a quick scope of the trails and get Reba’s and Duke’s legs moving. We just did a quick couple of miles while M took notes at the ride meeting for us. From what we saw, the trails looked to be fairly sandy with some washed-out portions and badger holes that would make the footing somewhat challenging the next day.

Ride day

We got up bright an early ride day, though the 50s were scheduled to leave at a cozy 8am. My plan for the day was to leave after Reba and Pepper, as I didn’t want Duke to over-stress himself keeping up with that more-experienced pair all day. In general Duke tends to be more behaved – and keep his freight-train brain fade at bay better when away from his companion Pepper.

Duke ready to go.

 

M on Pepper and A on Reba leaving for their ride.

Happily, Duke was calm being left behind. We watched till everyone at the front left and then I walked him over to our makeshift mounting block. He was UP and cantering sideways from the moment my butt hit the saddle. But I was used to these antics of his and pointed him in the general direction of the start line. Later, the vet joked with me that he looked a bit “hot” starting out and I laughed about it.

Duke stopped bouncing around pretty quickly and we got to work at a nice working trot down the trail. Right away there were some sections where the trail cut across hillsides where I felt the need to slow down to watch for both ribbons and holes. Duke was already listening nicely, though clearly a bit concerned as to why we were going out into a strange place all alone.

Throughout the ride I was very thankful for Duke’s interesting gait – essentially he is gaited… when going downhill he can get into this smooth wiggly gait where he cruises nicely. It feels similar to the fox trotter gaits I’ve ridden, but I’m no expert. Regardless, it’s faster than a walk downhill and a whole heck of a lot more comfortable than his downhill trot can be since he tends to start dragging you down with gravity.

This ride was a LOT of up and down, so every little strength helped!

We fairly quickly caught up to the tail end riders and passed a good chunk of them. Duke got more excited to see he wasn’t all alone and we got a good pace in for a while.

One of the canyons views on the first loop.

Then we hit the ridge tops and got to experience the full force of the wind. I honestly think this was the most challenging part of this ride: the 35+mph winds that blew almost all day. Often we were pushing against a headwind. Sometimes it was blowing against us side-ways and my body felt like a kite on top of Duke. Sometimes it was blowing up Duke’s butt, which annoyed him to no end. There were several times throughout the day that he stumbled sideways in a big gust. Twice during the day I got off him and walked or jogged alongside him so that we wouldn’t be blown away.

The views were incredible... even as we were being blown around.

At one point in that long first loop (which was 25 miles) a huge tumbleweed soared up onto the hill and before either of us could react smacked into Duke’s hind end, getting tangled somehow in his tail and/or hind legs. Duke is not a very spooky horse. At most before I’ve had him do one of those minor flinch-spooks. Having a tumbleweed attack him?! That warranted an all-out bolt spook complete with jumping straight into the air and kicking out against the offender. He crashed off the trail and through the sagebrush, with me clinging on (having lost my stirrups in one of the jump-kicks) the best I could, half-slid off him. Somehow I managed to calmly repeat to him “easy, Duke. Whoa, Duke. Everything is okay.” Whether that or me getting a better grip on the reins, I got him to stop, unclipped my air vest, and got off. Remnants of the tumbleweed were around his hind legs and tail, though a lot of it had been crunched by his antics.

Poor Duke was shaking, eyes rolling, much sweatier than he had been moments before when we were trotting along at a working pace. I’m pretty sure he thought he was being attacked and needed to fight for his life for those brief moments. It took a little bit to convince him not to spin around me while I removed the offensive tumbleweed from his tail. Luckily he wasn’t injured at all, just shaken up. I’m impressed with myself that I stayed on, to be honest!

Taking him in hand because he was still shaking I walked back toward the trail. I think when he bolted we were actually at a flagged turn in the trail, so we missed it. I walked him for a bit and then got back on, thinking by this time that it had been awhile since I’d seen a ribbon. We eventually turned around and got back on track, but that whole mishap set us back in more ways than one: everyone we had passed had now passed us, and we wouldn’t see anyone the rest of the day.

Another upshot of the tumbleweed incidence is that Duke, who again, is not normally spooky, started worrying about all the sagebrush thrashing in the wind and particularly the bits of plant life flying around. He started spooking frequently. His brain was much less forward minded, which is saying something of Mr. Freight Train pony!

We came in from that first long 25 mile loop very happy to see camp. Duke took some time to pulse down, which I think was more from nerves of a bustling pulser area and not having buddies around more than anything else. I ended up pulling his tack and sponging him (sponging the belly/groin area was particularly helpful) before he drop to the required 60bpm. We then vetted in – with all As – and headed for our first rest and the longest hold of the day. Duke got a cooler because it was still windy in camp and as much mash as he could eat, while I ate and drank as much as I could stomach.

Duke being a good boy and eating everything in sight during the first hold.

Before I tacked Duke up I smeared his old galls – which had healed since that conditioning ride, but were still hairless – with goo to continue to protect him and rubbed his itchy face down with a damp towel. He seemed to have perked up from being somewhat demoralized by the latter half of that first loop.

I started off the second loop on foot, expecting (and I wasn’t wrong) that Duke was going to be unhappy about leaving the comfort of camp. Starting this loop Duke would have gone further than he ever had before.

Once I got back on Duke and had convinced him that yes, we were heading out again, I found this loop very enjoyable. This was the prettiest of the loops, with the beginning winding and following a lovely creek. There were also lots of wildflowers and tall grass alongside the trail. And the best part: a good portion of this loop had us in the canyons and protected from the worst of the wind. We settled into a steady pace again, with Duke trotting along on a loose rein for the most part.

Other than another exaggerated spook at a clanging metal sign and a nerve wracking moment where we were riding down a hill that some local folks were using as a shooting range for some semi-automatic rifles, this loop was scenic and more fun. That is until my left calf started hurting. Bad.

I think (which has now been confirmed by consulting with my masseur at home) that I pulled or tore a muscle in my upper calf when clinging on during that bolt-spook. When posting the particular way my muscle was flexing in relation to the stirrup and the rest of my leg gave me some very sharp terrible pain. It was all I could do to keep trotting at times, and I was always happy for the downhills because it meant I could throw Duke into his nice speedy downhill gait where posting was not needed.

 Despite how pretty that loop was (and that it was only 14 miles), it felt like it took forever. The last five miles of that loop I felt like we were going at a snail’s pace and that it was my fault due to the painful calf. Duke didn’t seem particularly motivated for speed either, and I think at one point he was feeling a bit depressed about being all alone. I had to get off and walk at several points to stretch the leg out. I tried to time it with when there was long great, at least, so I could pull grass and hand it to Duke as we walked. He also drank great on this loop after not having much interest for that first loop. I’d been giving him electrolytes every 10 miles or so since the start of the day and I think that helped.

At any rate, I came into my second check feeling more than a little haggard, questioning whether I was capable of doing the last loop of 11 miles in time as I was defiantly the turtle and the day seemed to be zipping by.

Both M and A were already finished with their ride and actually hanging out in the pulse area with their ponies when I arrived. Duke, seeing the company, pulsed down much more quickly and both M & A jumped to help me with getting him taken care of and vetted. Without a doubt they saved me from crashing and burning! Duke vetted in again with all As – he was looking much better than me at this point! It was a short (30 minute hold) and I was so grateful that M & A were there to badger me to eat and drink and take care of Duke’s needs. They also told me I had plenty of time – slightly less than 3 hours – and described the trail on the last loop to me. It sounded like I could do more cantering if Duke was up for it and make good time.

I brace myself and got back on when the time came. Luckily the break had done my leg some good and even though I hadn’t felt hungry, being badgered to eat had been good for me. I felt some of my energy return, at least.

I left for that loop with people in camp cheering for us. I asked Duke to canter and we cantered out of camp to the whoops of riders who had already finished long before us. What a rush! Duke had no issues leaving camp at this point. In fact, I felt completely synced up with him by now.

It’s an odd thing, but the last loop was my favorite loop. I know I should have been exhausted – and I was still in pain and worn out from that – but Duke and I hit some kind of groove that last loop.

The light was getting softer as the sun sank. The wind had died down, and with it, Duke’s spookiness. As promised, there were long stretches of good footing and when I asked Duke to canter he obliged with his lovely smooth ground-eating pace. Cantering was the perfect break for my calf and we cruised along watching the clouds make patterns on the endless folded hills, birds flying. I felt like we were the only living beings in the world with a purpose at that time. Duke whinnied at every cow we passed as if to say, “how’s it going, neighbor?”

You can see the mountains in the distance!

In another amusing moment there was a point in the flat valley where we rode past a (still!) large tumbleweed along the trail. Duke spun his but around at it and kicked out with a squeal. I think he was very proud of himself for “killing” a tumbleweed on his own terms that time, because the rest of that valley he felt puffed up, his neck arched despite a loose rein, like a stallion strutting his stuff.

And Duke – he was amazing! Horses are such incredible animals. I thought he would be super tired but he perked up for that last loop. He literally felt stronger that loop than the preceding one! And I know, even though I was doing my best, that I wasn’t riding optimally with my injured calf. Duke didn’t seem bothered. For such a little horse he carried me all day without complaint.

When the footing got more technical and we had to trot I actually dropped my stirrups and rode without them. At that point muscle soreness from exertion was not any kind of concern of mine compared to the stabbing of my poor abused calf muscle.

On those moments when I had to pick up my stirrups I sang to Duke (and probably a lot of whistle pigs who were embarrassed for me) to not focus on the pain. I sang the Teenaged Mutant Ninja Turtle theme song the most… because we were Turtles!

We cruised into our final vet check with a little less than an hour to spare, plenty of time, really! We were the true turtles, with the ride meeting already in progress when we arrived. Duke vetted in great, with the vet making the comment that he looked even better than he had on the last check.

With A & Ms help we got Duke settled and I limped over to catch the tail end of the ride meeting and my completion prize (a hoof pick). All the Idaho riders were very kind and congratulatory on my first 50. Duke deserves the most credit, honestly, and I’m immensely grateful I was given the opportunity to ride him.

The conclusion

Other than the pulled calf muscle (which I really think happened during the “tumbleweed incident”) I found 50 miles is enough to give me rubs where I’ve never had rubs before. Next time I will employ some body glide or something similar to myself and not just my mount!

I actually was not as sore as expected, which I guess is a good sign. But despite my efforts to stay hydrated all day I certainly got dehydrated. That was the worst of it – and I think the strong wind contributed to the dehydration. I love Ms living quarters – I was able to rinse off in her little shower and feel like some semblance of human again afterward. Though cold water on rubbed-raw thighs and bits is a new and different kind of ouch that I will try and avoid in the future!

I’m pretty bummed that the photographer abandoned their post before I got to them. I guess that’s the hazard of running as the turtle. Regardless, I would have liked a photo of my first 50 to keep next to my favorite photo of Deli and I at the Mt. Adam’s LD.

After the ride I put sore-no-more clay on Duke’s legs and put standing wraps on his fronts. His back felt good, happily.

The next morning Duke was still feeling perky, his back good, and he was totally sound and pushy about wanting his food (he ate wonderfully all weekend). Pepper and Reba – they had gotten 3^rd and 4^th in the ride – were also perky. We packed up camp and hit the road without too much fuss.

Ride camp the next morning (many people had cleared out!).

The ponies at the rest stop (Duke in the foreground, then Pepper, then Reba).

Duke looking great the day after his first endurance race.

Lucky for us the drive home was uneventful, including the stop-over at the same rest area. I was very tied still and napped for part of it. It would take a couple days to make up my water debt, but otherwise I recovered pretty well.

So that’s it: I now have a 50 miler completion on my record! I can’t wait for the next ride and am so thankful for my friends and teammates support me the way they do. The endurance community is the best niche in the equestrian sport, hands (and hooves) down!

Last time: Friday Prep For a Stress-free Endurance Ride(PNER Convention Notes)

Friday Prep For a Stress-free Endurance Ride (PNER Convention Notes)

“For a Stress Free Ride: the Friday Pre-Game” presentation by Karen Leiman at the 2017 PNER Convention. Leiman showed the audience her step-by-step routine when setting up camp and prepping for the following morning. 

What follows is a rough bullet list of her step-by-step. The hope is that this will give those new to the sport some structure and possibly give old hats some other ideas!

Electrolyte the horse the night before (Thursday) – it helps get the thirst going early on. Include lots of water in the feed you give them at this point.

Give one more walk-around after loading horse into trailer before you set off!

Hauling to the ride:

• 3-4 hours away, she won’t get horse out for a break. Going further than that, she gets the horse out for a rest break.
• When you stop and get the horse out, let them pee and offer them some water.
• This lets them now they are not going to be stuck in the trailer – they will be given a chance to get out and drink.
• First thing when unloading, whenever you arrive – offer them water!

After arrival, Leiman does a warm-up ride. The purpose of this is to:

• Confirm horse isn’t lame
• Confirm has all equipment (like your sponge, bags, etc.)
• Work up a tiny bit of sweat
• She goes about 5 miles

After the pre-ride Leiman focuses on her saddle packs:

• Include a whistle and extra boot
• Electrical tape can fix everything!
• She keeps her water bottles out at night handy on the side of the trailer – they will get cool at night and remain handy.

Electrolytes:

• Mixes pro-biotics with the electrolytes after the pre-ride.
• Adds additional lyte salt (which is additional potassium)
• She use olive oil spray with her electrolyte syringes to keep them working smoothly (and so they last longer)
• She also does one syringe of electrolytes every 10 miles or so during the ride (on a 50)
• Electrolytes go in the saddle bags

Packing the vet-check box;

• Towel for wiping itchy horse faces!
• PNER Handbook – has contact information for everyone you could need!

For feed:

• She takes a container of soaked oats to the vet checks.
• Soaking her carrots in water as well (all cut up)
• She does not feed beet pulp on ride day. Does not put electrolytes in the AM feed either – because it’s more likely the horse will eat it!

After everything is set up, sit back and relax or socialize with your fellow riders!

Chilling pony at the EDRA Grizzly Mountain ride this year.

Last time: Choosingthe Endurance Horse (PNER Convention Notes)
Next time: Ride report!

Ultralight Trips: Packing Without a Pack Horse (PNER Convention Notes)

I really enjoyed this educational talk by Kim McCarrel and now I am even more interested in doing packing trips with horses someday. I can’t think of many things more enjoyable than enjoying a point-to-point trail, exploring new trails, seeing beautiful views, and relying on my partner. Kim McCarrel has been an avid trail rider for over 20 years and has ridden the horse trails all over Oregon and SW Washington. Her trail guidebooks are “must haves” for Pacific Northwest trail riders – I enjoy her guide book for my area. It’s very comprehensive and packed with information! You can learn more about Kim and her books at her website. I’d highly recommend it for trail riders in the West! 

If a backpacker can carry everything they need for the trek on their back – so you should be able to carry everything you need on your horse as well! The challenge is carrying horse feed and gear along with everything you will need on the trail. If you are an experienced trail rider, your horse is in good shape, you can ultralight camp.

The main things you need to consider for ultralight packing trips are: perfecting your high-lining skills, the ability to plan your trip carefully, and embracing “leave no trace” principles.

High Lining – the most efficient way to secure your horse on the trail!

• You will need tree savers, rope, and the skills to tie the knots (quick-release bowline, alpine knot, and the prusik knot).
• To set your high line, use a branch to push it as far up the tree as possible. Tie prusik knots on your line before you leave home (you can tie it on with baling twine which is cheap and weights almost nothing). This knot allows your tie-loop to slide anywhere along the rope that you want, but the knot will stick in place when your horse pulls on it.
• Bring more rope than you think you need, and ensure you have rope without stretch (bring at least 100ft of rope).
• On the first tree tie a quick-release bowline knot (instructions on how to tie a bowline at the TrailMeister website)
• On the other end, put in an alpine knot – hook a carabiner to it and block and tackle to get the rope as tight as possible.
• Finally, tie your horse so its nose is close to the ground so that they can lie down, eat, etc.

Planning Your Trip

Careful planning is needed for any ultralight trip. Considering where you are going to get water is key. Will you find it along the trail? Is there water that you can camp next to (it's absolutely crucial that you have water where you camp)? For grazing, the rule of thumb is that your horse needs to graze 1.5 hour in morning and at night. You can also carry pelleted feed – but that’s a challenge because of the weight and bulk of that kind of feed.

Leave No Trace Principles

These principles are paramount when you are in the back-country. Essentially: leave the area the same if not better than you found it. This goes beyond packing out your trash, but pertains to your impact on the land overall. With land and trails for horse use disappearing it's also important to consider what other trail users will think about your presence. Some important considerations include:

• Meadows – these are sensitive ecosystems, especially when they are wet. Don’t take your horse out into a wet meadow as your horse will damage it. Instead, allow them to graze in dry meadows.
• Cat holes – bury your waste when you’re out on the trail. 6” deep, using a trowel (they make folding ones). And carry out your toilet paper. Never build your hole close to water closer than 200ft (which is about 70 steps).
• Streams and lakes – only water your horse where the trail crosses the body of water or at a bank that is rocky or sandy because horses will tend to stir up sediment.
• Manure – never make camp closer than 200ft to a body of water. Use cathole shovel to scrape away everything on the ground where you are high lining (pine needles, branches, etc.) and when you are done scrape the pine needles and forest stuff back to where horse was. Fling manure into bushes, not open areas. This leaves the area nice for successive campers and keeps the horse area clean.
• Fires/campfires – often they are not allowed, but if there is no burn ban… clear all burnable debris within 10ft of the fire ring. Only used downed wood. Use rocks to line fire pit. You can get several layers of aluminum foil to help protect the ground from the fire. Fire cloth is also a thing (Norco may carry it, but it can be heavy).

The equipment and supplies you will need (and suggested supplies):

• Water purification – McCarrel uses Sawyer water filter system – and it weighs nothing!
• Cooking – McCarrel uses a Jet Boil system. You can get lightweight pans that nest inside each other. Remember: the kind of cooking equipment you have will dictate what food you can have! 
• Sleeping considerations – You will need some kind of protection depending on your preference. A bivisack (props up over your head), or a lightweight tent will work. Everything McCarrel carries for sleeping weighs around 6lbs!
• Clothing and toiletries. This includes
• Food – You will bring lots of freeze-dried if you use a jet-boil; almond butter is great and pack-able; tortillas – to make sandwiches with; nose feed bag if your horse is getting pellets; sporks!
• Baby wipes are the best thing ever on the trail as you can give yourself a “bath” after a dusty day on the trail.
• Human first aid kid – benadryl, triangle bandage, and general supplies.
• Collapsible water bucket.
• Cigarette lighter and matches.
• Though she doesn't carry one herself, carrying a gun was discussed when it came up from commentators in the audience. What if you need to put your horse down on the trail?

McCarrel then did a show and tell of her pack and bags, pulling things out and showing how she balanced her load. It's very important you keep track of side-to-side balance (ie. drink out of your water bottles evenly).

Front pack. Put the heavy stuff in the pommel bag because horses spines are not connected to their hips. They can carry more weight over their shoulders. Also put things up front that need to be accessible in your front packs. The list of things she carries in her front back include: horse pellets; water bottles; carry GPS always, with extra batteries; folding saw; a flashlight with battery outside of flashlight to conserve the batteries (flashers are good in an emergency); camera; leatherman; salt (for your horse); and a good headlamp. Also include clothing that needs to be easy-to-reach, like a poncho (this covers more than just your jacket, and may be easier to put on).

Rump pack. In her back pack she carries: air mattress (she has self-inflating pad); fleece, waterproof jacket, and clothing are all fitted around sleeping bag; horse first aid kit with banamine, bute (in a powder form), topical analgesic, fly spray (you can soak paper towels with fly spray in baggie as well). Also include a horse brush hoofpick; shoelace for tack repairs; little kitchen garbage bag to line your helmet with to serve up your horse water! The things found in the rump pack can be bulky (the sleeping bag especially), but they are lightweight.

McCarrel also spoke about riding the Metolius-Windigo Trail, which is located in Central Oregon. She has a new book out describing the trail, it's camps, and different challenges. This article goes into more detail about trekking on this scenic trail. The photos she shared of her packing trips on this trail were gorgeous and it's gone on my bucket list!

Other resources include the Trail Meister website. You can find horse trails and camps through this site, along with lots of helps with how to tie different knots.

Anyone want to go packing with me sometime?

Last time: Essential Oils for Horses (PNER Convention Notes)

Mt. Adams LD follow up thoughts...

Oh yeah, we had fun.

Deli's back is just about 100% better after the soreness from the ride. And her first rides afterward (I gave her a good chunk of time off) she felt great. We obviously still have a few things to fiddle with, but hope to improve with each LD we do.

Problems we encountered that we need to fiddle with:

Back soreness. Likely from exertion (especially trotting downhill and me being less balanced there), being weaker on one side, and possibly compounded by cramping from the cold. Planned solution? More practice trotting downhill for both of us, increasing strengthening exercises for Deli (especially these canter exercises my trainer friend suggested). For the cold, I just need to get a cooler on her ASAP when we stop if the temperature is at all cool and ride with a rump rug on cool parts (even if I have to keep it rolled up). There is also a possibility the saddle is an issue and I will continue to be vigilant in that regard. I am planning on playing with the rigging and the pad(s), and thinking of bolstering the front even more. Since it sits a little downhill already, it may have thrown me off more than expected on those gradual downhills.

I am also going to try and determine if I can get off and jog besides her for some of these long gradual slopes. It's a big IF with my knee and hip issues, but I thought I'd try anyway.

As for the cramping, she definitely did stiffen some in the brisk cool wind. It might have been better to come in hot, knowing I had a cooler in the pulse-in area, rather than jump off before the finish line and walk her in. Hmmm. Maybe more electrolytes?!

Also: bring liniment next time!

Skin flaking. Actually, this problem was not as bad as I expected it to be. Her armpits flaked some, as did everywhere where I had tack on her body. She has such sensitive skin and I'll take the dandruff-ick over the inflamed raw sores any day. I also didn't give her any anti-histamines after the ride because the insects were non-existent. In retrospect a single dose might have helped her sensitive skin after the fact even if she wasn't bitten up.

Stocking up and space. Due to Deli's lymphangitis she gets fatleg if confined at all, so I bandaged her hinds after the ride (and overnight the night before). The next morning her front legs were a bit stocked up too, which is less common for her. Tying her to the trailer is not ideal for this horse. She needs as much space to move around as possible AND standing wraps. I am planning to collect supplies between now and the next ride to set up an electric corral for her. While not my ideal choice, since I do not have a rig of my own the electric corral will be the most portable and least PIA when bumming rides. Deli is respectful of electric tape so it should be okay. and I can build her something a bit bigger for less money than corral panels.

By the way, can I just say how impressed I am with Deli for not killing herself tied to the trailer overnight?! That was my backup of a backup plan as I had thought to borrow a corral and/or electric pen, which ended up not actually existing when i arrived. We did not practice the tying overnight-thing before trying this at a busy ride. And we were camped right next to the trail! She did paw some and stuck her fat face in my riding-buddy's business (since I tied to her trailer and Deli was in reach of the back of her truck), but otherwise she did pretty good. I just plopped an entire bale of hay down in front of her, which also served as a barrier between her and the sharp bits of the trailer side.

I just had to keep the mantra in my head from my friend and trainer who helped me with Deli in our first years: plan and do what you can and for everything else, ENDURE.

Here are some photos of our vet card:

Deli pulsed in really well (though she was anxious for her vet check-in!). I was also very happy with her CRIs, since her fitness was a big question mark for me. I think we can get them even better with work. Probably she just has that Arabian metabolic advantage.

The B in gut sounds is something I wasn't super worried about day-of because she ate really well most of the day and into the night. She did eat a few mouthfuls of grass on the trail and carrots (fed by hand). Her hydration did perk up on the second loop because she drank so well after the first. On the first loop she just sipped water when offered.

Also for checking her mucous membranes and capillary refill, she would not let the vet do it. However, all the vets at the ride let ME show them her gums and hydration so it wasn't a big issue. Deli does get more fussy about her face being handled by strangers in hectic environments, so I think this is something we will need to practice more at rides.

Mt. Adams is well run, but it is a HUGE ride and the pulse-in area and vet checks were BUSY. Deli did pretty well, but I'm curious to see how she does at a smaller ride. Also the 30 minute hold felt so short, and I think we even left after our release time(?)

So those are my closing thoughts. She felt good when I went out for 5 miles today. She's going to get a good amount of work this week and then another whole week off because my husband and I are going on our first vacation in years to Yellowstone. I am hoping to get to another one of my bucket-list rides in July and try another LD with Deli there.

Last time: We completed our first LD!

Mt. Adams 2016 – we completed our first LD!

We did it! I didn't jinx it! Deli didn't injure herself the day before! She got in the trailer! We arrived intact and rode 30 miles!

Deli and I COMPLETED our first limited distance ride yesterday! We completed 30 miles at the Mount Adams Endurance Ride.

I am so very happy with Deli and had a blast on the trail. The Mt. Adams ride is beautifully run. Which is a good thing, because it is a BIG and BUSY ride (with 68 riders, I believe, in the LD and… 30 started in the 100 miler!). The trail was well-marked and the scenery was absolutely stunning.

At home, waiting to leave.

Deli felt great all day. We dealt with some over-excitement on her part, which was expected for her first ride. She got fairly strong at points (though never out of control) and I was glad I opted for her snaffle bridle over the side-pull. Her power-trot was exhilarating as we wove our way up and up through the forest. It threatened to rain all day, sprinkling on as at times. When we climbed through an old burned out area, the mist crawled in between the blackened trees. At one point we got a close-up view of Mt. Adams’ snowy base. The first loop was long and involved a lot of passing and being passed by other groups of riders. I rode all day with my friend Vanessa and her horse Jinn and had a great time with them.

All vetted in on Friday! With her whole bale of hay...

Deli ties to the trailer overnight for the first time. And Jinn is CUTE.

 Our only trail “mishap” was Deli having a freak out about the first bridge we encountered. She ended up crashing into a downed tree with her hind legs and giving me a brief heart attack. So I hopped off, let folks pass, and examined her for injuries. Miraculously she was totally fine and it was easy to mount again on one of the many downed trees in the forest.

Deli vetted in great at the first check after 16 miles – all As and A minuses. We walked out of camp on a loose rein for the second loop and when I asked to pick up the trot again she was totally game. We were able to find a bubble for a bit in the second loop, and I think this was my favorite time. With a loose reins we mostly let our horses pick the pace, which was typically around a 7mph chugging along trot. At points they picked up the ground eating 10mph trot. For the most part we did not go fast, however, as I had plans to not push Deli too hard. She came back into the camp after another 13 miles still happy to trot forward, ears up. Of course I question her soundness and ability with all the injuries she’s had, so I was very happy with how she moved all day.

The trails (ridden on Friday).

She ate up those hills and seemed to be enjoy the experince! It wasn’t until the last few miles I felt she started to “guard” her right hind a little. She was still moving cleanly, but it did feel like that weak leg was getting tired faster than her other three limbs.

We pulsed in fine and got a completion, ending up with a 43^rd place out of 60.

The “bad” things mostly related to her after the ride. The wind was brisk and cold when we pulled tack, and even though I got a cooler on her ASAP she started to cramp along her back and topline. She got Bs on her back on the final vet through and the vet commented that she was stiffening up in the cold. I also thought she was a bit back sore beyond just cramping, to my disappointment. The saddle has been a big question for me (due to that edema – which ironically we had no issues with for this ride) and I hate that she has a sore back. This saddle we have is the MOST comfy I have ever been in tack. In fact, I feel pretty darn good today. A bit of muscle soreness, but no un-right pain (though  I am personally very sleepy from two nights with poor sleep).

The next hour she was eating and drinking great, but she definitely seemed to be stiff and uncomfortable on her topline and generally cramped up just standing around. She was shifting about on her feet. As Deli seemed most comfortable sedately walking around camp and grazing, that’s what we did for about an hour or two after our ride. When she seemed a bit looser I tied her back to the trailer with her bale of hay and a bucket of carrots and went to pass out for a bit in our tent with my husband (who crewed for me like a champ all day).

She did fine overnight but, unfortunately, her back was still sore this morning. I got some advice from riders more experienced than me: that it might just be all the downhill trotting or the exertion (and not the saddle?). If that’s the case the soreness should be gone by tomorrow or the next day. If not, something else may be going on. She didn’t feel fussy or sore-backed at all while I was riding. In fact, she seemed to enjoy herself. Particularly when we were in that bubble I could feel that delightful curious spark she has, wondering what was around the next bend in the trail.

After the ride, trying to keep warm!

My husband was so helpful and wonderful all weekend.

Ride camp this morning.

Deli was perky this morning! Demanding her mash.

She also led a good portion of the way! My submissive weenie of a pony is turning into something else… and I like it! Her worst spook of the day was right when we were coming back into camp from the first loop. Go figure.

I’ll probably post more about the ride later because I’m still mulling over my experiences.

Last time: Conditioning update for May 2016.

Klickitat Trek Intro Ride - Part 1

I took Deli to the Klickitat Trek endurance ride near Glenwood, WA this past weekend – arriving on Saturday and doing the 13 mile “intro ride” on Sunday. This was a test of sorts for us. She did fine at the Grizzly endurance intro ride, but there were definitely some things I knew we could improve on – namely getting worried when other horses zip past, and not getting too strong. Even though she was never uncontrollable at Grizzly and remained rate-able even when excited, I did want her to pay a little more attention to ME.

Hanging out at the start. (Brian gave her braids.)

Some of my valuable mentors in this sport have indicated that endurance is as much a mental sport as a physical one, and Deli’s mental health is very important to me. As is her physical health.

As anyone who reads this blog knows well Deli has had quite a few serious injuries. She has come back sound again, but I know these injuries do add up. That’s just the nature of a living body – and my body’s own creaks agree! So this little trail ride was also a test of her soundness, how our tack worked, how our boots worked, and all that stuff. In part this is because the trails I have access to at my current barn do not have a lot of areas to move out, and Klickitat had easy, mostly flat, trails.

On Saturday Deli got off the trailer and was immediately interested in eating. Ride camp was a bit cramped, but we found a spot and set up a fairly ghetto high line. I need to learn how to tie some knots to make a high line more effective! This was Deli’s second time camping and first time on a high line – she did great and camped overnight without issues despite never having been tied to anything overnight. In true Deli fashion, she made quick friends with the horse we traveled with – a spunky little mustang gelding named Primo. Primo’s owner was doing her first LD on Sunday so we were definitely a camp of “greenbeans”!

Deli's primary concern is always stuffing her fat face.

With green ribbons on Deli’s crupper and on my helmet, we started out Sunday morning as chill as possible. Her boots were a pain to get on – I made the mistake of believing my trimmer that a smaller size than I thought would work for Deli’s hind feet. I got them on, but it was more difficult than I ever want to wrestle with on a regular basis. Deli has never tossed a boot even when I have been adding pads (for when we ride on asphalt a lot).

Ride camp is always a bit stressful on race mornings – lots of horses screaming and being excited. Deli was bunched up when I mounted so we meandered to the “start” line for our trail ride with my husband snapping pictures of us. We stood around in the start area and Deli quickly lost her bunchy-ness and got bored as I chatted with people. And  my husband took pictures of us. The awesome, kind, ride manager Marilyn matched us up with an experience endurance rider who was taking her horse on a “test” ride as well as he was coming back from an injury.

Klickitat REALLY has some good water crossings – something Deli had next to no practice with. Historically she is a PIA crossing small streams so another reason I wanted to do this ride was to conquer some water crossings. The loop I did had multiple deep FAST streams/culverts to cross, and the water was a glacial milky color. Our riding buddy was kind enough to walk us through the first few crossings and I was VERY happy with how Deli did. I only used my dressage whip once to tap her on the whole ride!

Investigating things before we start off. It's veeeerrrry suspicious!

We trotted quite a bit at first, finding Deli’s normal trot pace was no match for our gaited buddy’s natural pace. I was shooting for consistency in Deli’s gaits in this test ride and I think we did really well. Honestly – she was in heat and LAZY all weekend. This is typical of her when in heat, especially when it’s warmer out. And no, I’m not complaining about her being in heat. I realize I have it rather easy compared to some people with more bitchy mares!

The trails were a mix of 2-track roads and single track winding through brush and open evergreen forest. There were lots of wildflowers and a multitude of birds and other wildlife to be seen. We ended up moving out pretty briskly during the first few miles while riding with our buddy who is clearly a hotter horse than Deli. This ride also confirms what always seems to be the case with Deli: she starts kinda slow and is happier to move out more as the ride goes on. This is, I think, part her temperament (she wants to conserve energy as much as possible when she’s not having an anxious fit) and part her appreciating a good warm up. As already mentioned she HAS had a lot of injuries and is 16 years old now, so the warmup theory makes sense.

She really is a lazy horse despite people with warmbloods and quarter horses always considering her to be “hot”. Moving out when asked and not needing to be constantly harried should not be an indicator of a hot horse, in my opinion!

The things that spooked Deli the most? The check-in humans we rode past (and gave our letter to), the lime arrows on the ground, and… water troughs. Overall she spooked very little and never very dramatically. She did seem a little confused by the ride-and-tie folks we encountered – WHY, she asked, are there horses just being left tied randomly?! What the heck is going on? At one point there were a bunch of big black cows on and beside the road and Deli was absolutely fine with them. Just walked past, looking at them curiously. So I guess our cow-chasing recently has made her realize cows are nothing to be afraid of – which was an issue at the Grizzly intro ride last year.

A section of very beautiful trail.

I was prepared to get off and wade the water crossings but she was so good there that didn’t happen. I did, however, end up getting off to lead her at one point. It was at a MUD crossing where the footing was deep and slick. Deli did have a bit of a meltdown here when she started sinking and slipping. When I felt that she was TRYING to be good, but shaking in fear, something clicked in my mind. Maybe her being a PIA when crossing the little ditches we have done in the past was a MUD issue rather than a WATER issue! She was so willing to trust me and forge the actually intimidating water crossings (that had rocky bottoms) that there was suddenly a stark difference I hadn’t noticed before. And her being adverse to mud – not just stubborn, but nervous and worried – also makes sense given her many times having bad mud fever and celluitus. She may have a pain association with mud

A note for the video below: someone has commented that she is very “looky” here, which is often associated with spookiness in horses. However, this right here is what Deli is like when happy and relaxed on the trail. She is a curious horse and really loves looking at the scenery and checking things out. She’s the kind of horse that will want to explore deer trails and other things. You can tell she’s not nervous because she is walking out confidently on a loose rein here, whereas when she’s nervous her stride contracts. All the trail pictures were taken with my cell phone, so I didn't try and do anything while trotting.
 

At any rate, I hopped off and found the least mushy path to lead her through and she followed me willingly. At this point we separated from our buddy because I was worried we were holding them back with our slower pace and walked and jogged with her in hand for a bit to see how Deli did with that (absolutely well behaved) before finding a stump to mount her again.

For a time we rode in our own little bubble again, enjoying the beautiful scenery and wildlife as we alternated trotting on a loose rein and walking with her nice forward walk on a loose rein. We were able to get a nice consistent 6mph(ish) trot with her head in a lovely neutral position (near wither height) pretty reliably. Occasionally we sped up to absolutely FLY with Deli’s super fun superwoman trot (which clocks around 14-15mph) and earlier when catching up to our buddy we even did some hand galloping (clocked at 21mph) with the excuse to see if our boots would go flying off at that speed. Deli’s speedy trot does tire her out more and I discovered she appreciated some walking breaks after doing some flying. I think with some more conditioning she will be able to do a nice easy 6mph trot for a long time, however. It seemed very energy efficient and she was very relaxed just clopping down the trail at that speed.

All done! Deli back to eating and drinking...

At different points we were passed by riders going either direction. Ride-and-tie was sharing the loop with us, which was more great exposure for Deli to ride past and around runners. We had one spook when a rider appeared behind us suddenly, but it was just her being a little startled. She was also fine being passed by faster riders, not needing to “catch them”. There was some worry on Deli's part when a rider ran up close to her butt from behind. I find that rather rude, to be honest, but I still think its good exposure for Deli. She is a very submissive horse and it makes sense that she would get concerned with a horse getting that close, but I’m happy to say other than getting a little “up”, she calmed down quickly and we resumed our consistent trot pace.

As another test, I trotted her the last mile or so of the trail, getting a pulse right after I hopped off and loosened her girth. It is a good sign, I think, that she was down to 54bpm at that time. She vetted in great and I spoke with the vet, Dr. Foss, about what he thought about her doing an LD this season. More on that later!

Altogether we averaged around a 5mph pace for the 13 mile trail, finishing the trail in just under 3 hours.

Relaxing back in camp.

Next time: Klickitat Trek - Part 2: my final thoughts on Deli’s future as an endurance/trail horse and my thoughts on our tack “test” at the Klickitat intro ride.