Endurance Granny

LAST JANUARY UPDATE OF THE BBBDR

2012-01-29T18:38:00.000-05:00

16C Maggie 74 miles
14 C Nicole 14.8
9 C Kerrie 134.17
5C Caitlin 155.9 *
4P Aurora 98.7 *
2C Elizabeth 32
1P Deanna 78.81
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Remember! DO NOT POST ANY FEBRUARY MILEAGE on the BBBDR. Keep a paper tab and post up the mileage the first week of March. Let's see what happens! ~ E.G.

A Slump of EPIC proportion

2012-01-28T21:46:00.000-05:00

I'm experiencing an EPIC seasonal slump. Lifting a leg to move from place to place is more than I find currently appealing...it is like the motivation and life has been sucked out of me. I do well as long as I'm on track and inching forward. It is the backwards moments that really tax my mind. I'm not a person who enjoys the idle time of winter or rainy springs. I'd make a lousy vampire... The little things are keeping me somewhat glued into place. Got my trailer tags for the year, park pass and bridle tags came in this week. My gear is the cleanest I've seen it in two years ('cause we aren't working), I have the pads to test drive over park service road. Front concavity of hoof continues to make progress. The old bruising on her rear hooves has worked its way almost all the way down to the bottom of the hoof wall.

It would have been a nice sunny day to ride except for the gusty wind that had the horses running, snorting, blowing, with eye staring off into outer space at unseen demons. I'm over riding "crazy." Picking my battles seems to make more sense. So it was hoof trimming instead for the girls. Fitting pads to Journey's gloves on the fronts. Checking Phebes for scratches which have been problematic of late, but she looked okay.

I need a vacation. Somewhere sunny and warm and QUIET.

The Sisterhood in the Kingdom of Mare

2012-01-26T06:26:00.000-05:00

Journey and Phebes got off to a rough beginning. Journey whipped Phebes into shape in a hurry as to who was going to be the Alpha-Mare in a herd of two Alpha-Mares. It has been interesting to watch this dynamic over the months. Things have settled down to a "sister-hood" of late. Journey still wielding the power when necessary, but most of the time more like siblings in the back seat sticking their tongues out at each other and one yelling "she touched me!" Phebes gets chased. A LOT. But it is pretty passive now. She trots a circle and twirls her head at Journey until Journey is no longer enchanted by the game. Journey grooms Phebes against her will and Phebes stands there because she likes it, but gives snarky faces at Journey the whole time. The last time I took Journey for a ride (you know...back when there was no sheet of ice, or flood warnings) Phebes was upset that Journey was leaving. Phebes never gave a rat's butt about anyone's coming or goings before. And Cree? He is the center of the universe. A twitch of an ear, or a dirty look generally puts things back into place. ~ E.G.

Great Deal on a CREW BAG

2012-01-24T06:44:00.001-05:00

Tough 1 crew bag the price is nearly half the cost of other sources. If they make their crew bags as well as their horse blankets this is a steal!

The herd threatening mutany!

2012-01-23T18:35:00.000-05:00

The winds were gusting hard today. Sheet metal rattling on the barn, wind whooshing through the trees, tarps and pool noodles flapping in the tree of death. The horses were up. In fact so badly up I thought one or the other was going to crash through the electric rope fencing. I tried animal communication (desperate times call for desperate measures), arm flapping, petting and consoling. The horses continued to splatter through the mud like out of control tumble weeds! What to do? WHAT TO DO?

Three flakes of hay in three separate piles saved the day. Why is the simplest measure the hardest to conjure up?

Whew!

This was the first time I've seen Journey all torqued up and she looked like a little spotted arabian. Tail flipped up and giving it heck out there.

Weather of the Day

2012-01-23T14:31:00.000-05:00

Let's just all sing along! La la la la la la....

The ice has indeed melted, we had thunderstorms overnight (in January?) and now the creeks are flooded, and we are under a wind advisory with 45 mph gusts.

I guess I'm gonna have to resort to doing dishes (right after I put my clean sheepskin seat and leather covers back on my saddle).

Happy trails (at least someone, somewhere).

~ E.G.

Back to Work MELTING....MELTING!

2012-01-23T06:35:00.000-05:00

So the ice persisted through yesterday with a THUNDERSTORM and subsequent downpour, and we are melting. I figure by Wednesday the flooding will be done and the trails will be accessible... since I'm working 12 hours straight and doing it again on Thursday. That has been the trend for the past couple of weeks. I get a weekend and it plunges to a deep freeze, or an ice storm, or a soaker, or, or, or...I just don't do cold and wet, or flooded, or dangerous. Life is short, no sense making it shorter. There is endurance tough, and then...there is stupid.

LSEGH moved manure mountain yesterday with the tractor. We have seeded the new manure mountain wanna be as of this morning. Hard to believe how much manure three horses make in eight or ten hours! I take about a wheelbarrow load out of stalls each morning. What do you do with your manure mountain? Ours rots down for the garden eventually.

Have a great week!

A PROTOTYPE (NON HORSE)

2012-01-22T17:51:00.000-05:00

A loosey goosey cuff bracelet using crochet. It should be made of string, and with a WAY smaller hook, but it is a quick easy project if I get to the WALLY and pick up the right materials...

2012-01-22T17:26:00.000-05:00

We have been awarded and we gratefullyaccept. Thank you very much. Love my peeps! Speech over.

~E.G.

♥

Inquiring Mind: BREED DIVISIONS

2012-01-22T12:21:00.001-05:00

In one of the older books I was reading about endurance riding, there was mention of an Endurance Horse Registry back in the day. I'm curious as to what happened to that organization, certainly it met an untimely death, but the idea behind it made sense. Cross breeding "proven" horses in endurance back when the competing animals were more diverse than they are today with the highest percentage of horses being Arabian, or Half Arabian. These horses more or less rule at the sport. But this led me to wonder something else. What would happen to the sport if BREED DIVISIONS were opened up. Breed divisions that would attract riders of all breeds of horses.

Now someone will ask why? Why should we consider this ridiculous idea of breed divisions? To excel at the sport as it stands, for the most part you need an arabian, and you need an arabian suitable (athletic, racing bred, endurance bred, well conditioned, and/ or just darned genetically lucky) to the sport, plus all that follows that goes into that. Those horses compete against their own kind, they excel, they pretty well do it best, or there wouldn't be so many of them in the sport. So again, why breed divisions? Because it would attract ALL BREEDS TO THE SPORT. It would not dummy down the sport, and it would not change the sport. What it would do is open the door for greater numbers to participate as they could choose to ride against their own breed for regional / National mileage or points. A plethora of Breeds would compete against there own to prove who had the best of the breed. Imagine going to a local club, or regional club and saying we have a platform of competition for you! Bring your best Paint Horses, Quarter Horses, Paso Finos, Appaloosa, Tennessee Walker, etc. and see how he stacks up as a distance horse against all those other horses of the same breed across the country. We have a venue for YOU. It wouldn't even be a bubble on ride managements radar as breed information is attached to your horse's record. It would not effect any other aspect of the sport except for being inclusive of those who prefer to ride "their kind of horse" against "their kind of horse for some breed recognition at the end of season."

Now someone will say that should be up to the breed registry or club. Folks, the breed clubs don't give a rat's petunia about our kind of rider for the most part. A few have a distance program, but mostly they do not. They want to prove those horses in the show ring, and register lots of offspring. It is your serious trail riders who might find this an exciting new venue for their horse.

See what happens when I get iced in? My mind starts chomping like a bear trap.

*sigh*

La la la, la la la.

I vacuumed the bedroom today.

La la la, la la la.
☺~ E.G.

Endurance Blurbs: Various interesting reads about riding long distance.

2012-01-21T21:00:00.000-05:00

Riding for condition. Jenni Smith details her journey to the 2011 Tevis Cup. She discusses the finer points of preparing for Tevis. But for our purposes here, a ride longer than 50 miles. (Please let me complete a 50 someday!)

Over on Merri's blog....I loved this story. It is about the great Witezarif. Actually my deceased mare had Witez lines, good old CMK / Polish lines. She is the reason I hoped that Phebes would shine in the sport. The genetics were all there, good conformation, the heart to RUN. But the likes of Witezarif are a rarity in the sport world. Chris Martin has his own little rarity in MONK (another CMK horse). It is a wonderful story of an incredible horse. I hadn't read this before Merri, thank you so much for posting that up. It was a wonderful find for me.

This next one is by Janine Elsner. You will have to scroll down the page to find the piece on conditioning an experienced horse for the Tevis.

This story is written by Chris Martin on his last Tevis ride. I've linked it before, but it kind of gets to me so I'm posting it again.

Diana MacDonald on everyone's favorite topic LSD.

We are iced over....La la la...la la.

2012-01-21T09:17:00.000-05:00

1/3 inch of glaze over ground, vehicle, roadways.

La la la.....la la la....

Supposed to thaw out tomorrow, but the creeks may still be problematic.

INDIANA ENDURANCE RIDE CALENDAR for 2012

2012-01-21T05:31:00.003-05:00

It is looking GOOD!
CHICKEN CHASE 1 & 2 on April 21 -22, contact:Amy Wallace-Whelan 606-638-4852 (arabsrun@lycomonline.com) for ride flyer, entry form, . Distances of 25 mile (LD) and 50 mile (E). Ridecamp on private property with no camping fee.

MAUMEE VALLEY May 11 & 12th, contact: conniecaudill@yahoo.com for ride flyer, entry form, and camping information. Distances of 25 mile (LD) and 50 mile (E) . To be held in the Hoosier National Forest with ride camp at MIDWEST TRAIL RIDES.

Top of the Rock June 1-2,contact: Lois McAfee ride manager (loisjmcafee@yahoo.com) 812-725-3211.Ride distances of 30 (LD)and 50 (E)miles both days. Ridecamp on private property with no camping fee.

SALAMONIE STOMP July 28-29, 2012 contact:Maureen Fehrs 218-879-1964 (mfehrs@aol.com) fax:219-879-1964. Location:Salamonie State Park, Lost Bridge West, Andrews, IN.

***Kentucky(not INDIANA but close!) Stampede on October 13 and 14, 2012. Contact: Amy Wallace-Whelan 606-638-4852(arabsrun@lycomonline.com) for ride flyer, entry form, . Distances of 25 mile (LD) and 50 mile (E) both days. Knott County Kentucky, near Soft Shell.

SPOOK RUN October 26-27. Contact: Lois McAfee (loisjmcafee@yahoo.com) fax:812-294-3081 Where: Clark State Forest, Distances of 25 LD 50E and 100 miles (on the 27th). Contact ride manager concerning camping, and location.

Please always check the ride calendar at the American Endurance Ride Conference website for the most up to date information/ cancellations, or date changes. Thanks! ~ E.G.

BBBDR Friday Stats

2012-01-20T18:42:00.000-05:00

#16 C Maggie 74
#14 C Nicole 14.8
#9 C Kerry 78.77
#5 C Caitlin 135.1 (current leader in Cavalry)
#4 P Aurora 92.4 (current leader in Pioneer)
# 2 C Elizabeth 32
#1 P Deanna 76.55

REMINDER: February will be a black out month. Tally your miles on paper, keep good track and post February results up the first week of March.

~E.G. who is waiting for an ice storm to roll in...

Determination

2012-01-20T07:03:00.001-05:00

Determined, capable, single-minded, persistent, consistent, endurance tough all attributes of an endurance rider. Willing to crawl out of bed in the dark to cram in a training ride, or come home from work mind or bone weary to do the same. Having the stick-to-it-ness to build up a sport horse, sometimes from the ground up. Riding long and slow for a year, or two to have a horse that can really hang with it. Endurance riders are an amazing example of people willing to push the boundaries of their own personal capability to see "what is next." Yet willing to set all their hopes and dreams aside for the sake of their horse. Good people. I'm trying....I'll get there. (30 miles and counting...) ~ E.G.

The Inner Child

2012-01-19T18:56:00.000-05:00

Sometimes people get out of touch with their inner child. They are the saddest people I know. They have forgotten the glee of adventure, the wholeness of the moment, and the joy of just being. I feel that is the one attribute of distance riders that I most admire…the inner child alive and well, that wholesome sparkle in their eyes that says I can still have fun! The seventy-eight year old that says... I'm climbing up and we are going!The sixty-something year old that gave me a wicked grin and raced me across a snowblown ridge line one wicked winter day. Me barely hanging with them….by the seat of my pants thank you much! The ability at times to throw caution to the four winds and JUST DO YOUR THING. To be present in the now with your horse. The dropping blood pressure, the tension seeping out of your body, the smell of sweat, and leather, and the gentle rhythm of the horse. It is mindful, it is wonderful. I have a hectic life, don’t we all? Those special times with my horse I get to be ME. I have nobody to please, no person to make judgment, just my furry one and myself, the wind in our face, snow on our lips, or the sun shining in our eyes, and my inner child smiling broadly upon her back. People, life gets no better than that. ~ E.G.

Winter is here...la la la la....winter is here

2012-01-19T06:46:00.000-05:00

Sound a little frenetic? This type of weather drives me BONKERS. I'm not a shut up in the house kind of gal. But on the other hand I do not enjoy loosing the feeling in my fingers and toes by going out.

*miserable sigh*

We are not getting much done, and the forecast for my next two days off is more of the same when the weather man/woman says "wintry mix". Our big creek was in flood stage this week, which cuts me off from trail usage in both directions.

La la la...............la la la.

~ E.G.

INSPIRATION

2012-01-16T05:27:00.004-05:00

Next long ride...think about Ashley. Endurance tough.

January so far....

2012-01-15T17:58:00.001-05:00

Distance:	43.33 mi
Time:	9:55:31 h:m:s
Elevation Gain:	4,313 ft
Avg Speed:	4.4 mph

Nothing to brag about, but we are getting a few rides in between rain, snow, and ice. Couldn't cross the creek today for our LSD as it was pocketed with ice on the far half. Average speed continues to be glacially slow... But 4.4 falls pretty close to what LSD should be in the early stages, and teaching her the learning curve in a safe and sane way. I'll take it. Now if I can just handle the next two weeks of January weather!

Repeat after me: "There is no race. THERE IS NO RACE!"

~ E.G.

Sunday.........Spiritual

2012-01-15T16:20:00.001-05:00

We think the Arctic blast is over...

2012-01-14T18:13:00.000-05:00

The last two days were so cold! Our temperatures took an Arctic dip into the teens and low twenties, with swirling dusty snow. Journey is definitely not a cold weather horse. She is super-picky about hay and wastes more than she eats, hence she does not generate much heat through her daytime digestion. By the time evening rolls around she is one hungry horse! We've tried grass and she snarls her nose at that, we've tried timothy (good quality empty the wallet as you pay kind of timothy), she eats the seed heads uses the rest to sleep on...what she was used to having, and is not getting is alfalfa. I don't like alfalfa now that I've read up on what it does to the Calcium / Phosphorus ratio. Alfalfa as a daily feed is bad business. I learned that the hard way. So she isn't getting it unless it is low percentage to grass actually at a ride or on LSD rides during her break. But I digress...it has been super cold and we have been on hiatus. All I'm really hoping for is to hold the condition I have through this month, and cross my fingers for two or three rides on any given week. I really feel like I have to keep her somewhat tuned up so that when the trails dry out we can get on with it. I've got so many things that I have to figure out yet that have nothing to do with riding.

FEEDING FOR ENERGY EXPENDED (how to feed post ride to refuel, but not have hoof issues).
CONTAINMENT (electric pen? I have reservations about that with her) (or get a high tie or portable corral?).
GAITER RUBS (we had one on our last long ride, think I got the velcro too snug).
FEEDING AT THE HALFWAY (again, she isn't a good eater, takes a good hour to relax and start eating).
SPARE BOOTS (Journey actually needs boots, where Phebes did not. So I find I'm needing spares to have a clean set of four ready at all times).
GLUE ON PROTOCOL (I'm considering Goobering on shells and not using gaiters on LD's).
FEED PAN SET-UP for the halfway. This sounds like a no-brainer, but want to make sure she won't be one to catch her halter in things, and if she prefers buckets to flat pans.
ELECTROLYTES (What kind, how much, and will they upset her?).

Doesn't sound like much, it is just the matter of getting down to doing each and sticking with it until I've found the answer, while finding the time to get in a ride here and there.

BBBDR BLACK-OUT DATE

2012-01-14T10:38:00.001-05:00

Call me evil (been called worse *LOL*) but I want to put a little "twist" into the BBBDR for the month of February. TRACK YOUR MILES on paper at home beginning FEB 1st. DO NOT POST YOUR MILES until after the last day of February, so it will be a black out for the entire month. First part of March put up your February miles. I think this will make things ummmm.....interesting! You might want to note where you rode (trail, arena, roadways) just keep it generic enough that you are safe from any nuts out there. We will be having periodic black-outs...and I'm thinking on some other "stuff" to spice things up for bonus miles! Distance ride meets SURVIVOR...well, maybe not that bad. Ideas can be emailed to me privately and nothing will be a "must do" for anyone. More of an "is it worth it to you" deal.

But first up, the FEBRUARY MILEAGE BLACK-OUT.

If you haven't been riding this would be a good time to slide in under the radar with some mileage and level the playing field.

Thoughts of total rebellion or wicked (but safe) bonus ideas can be sent to my email: jackereynolds@yahoo.com

Crosspost on MONK

2012-01-13T12:09:00.001-05:00

MONK goes to Abu Dhabi....

Invitation for the H.H President of United Arab Emirates CupFEI CEI 3 ¶160Km, in Abu Dhabi on 11th February 2012

We received the invitation last Friday which was the 6th.. We had until Sunday to decide if we would accept or not. The invitation said that horses would ship out of New York. We did a accept with the condition that MONK would be shipped out of the West Coast. Today we got a email giving a possible itinerary shipping out of LA on the 2nd and arriving in the UAE on the 4th, with stops and short layovers in Chicago, KY....

The invitation is for the topped ranked riders on the ranking list who have not been invited before. The invitation is for two horse and rider teams, plus one groom per horse.

Luckily MONK is in excellent condition. We are headed for Reno this weekend where he will have 3 days of sand work. Just some easy work along the shores of Lake Washoe...

Needless to say we are very excited at this opportunity and will keep holding our breath until we are on the plane.

See you in Abu Dhabi........

**********************************************************************************

And the MONK fan goes crazy!!! Just don't sell him Chris... Go MONK !☺

Weekly Update of the BBBDR

2012-01-13T09:54:00.000-05:00

Current Stats in the A.M. of January 13, 2012:

#1 Deanna/Pioneer 71.2 miles. (current leader)
#2 Elizabeth/Cavalry 32 miles.
#4 Aurora/Pioneer 69.2 miles.
#5 Caitlin/ Cavalry 108 miles. (current leader)
#9 Kerrie/ Cavalry 78.77 miles.
#14 Nicole / Cavalry 14.8 miles.
# 16 Maggie/ Cavalry 71 miles.

If in error, let me know...I'll fix it. Pulling number off the BBBDR blog (last entry).