# Endurance Journey Thread



## jillybean19

Hey everyone! I've been off the grid for a while adjusting to my new job and life. Many of you probably remember my endurance adventures last year with my horse Snickers and how I had to sell him when I graduated and moved for my new teaching job. I'm happy to say that things have become more balanced now and that I'm finally taking baby steps to get back into endurance! Though it looks very different this time.

With my return to participating in the endurance world (yes, I've been quietly in the background watching this entire time), I'd like to start a thread for us to post updates on our (meaning all of us, not just mine) endurance adventures and journeys. We all know endurance is a constant work in process to condition and achieve the next goal, whether that be to cross the finish line or maybe even to Top 10 or BC. I'd like to share my journey as well as share in yours  And, a new year is the perfect time to start!


----------



## jillybean19

I'm thinking a good place to get started would be to write an introduction about you and your horse as well as your goals for endurance  I'm working on my introduction now!


----------



## jillybean19

OK so for me....

I don't have an endurance Arabian anymore. In fact, I don't even have a horse that I thought would even do endurance. What I do have is this super awesome foundation bred sturdy Quarter Horse, my baby Flash. He's turning four in May and showing a LOT of promise mentally and physically though, so I think we may be able to give endurance a shot after all. Yes, we're taking it extremely slow, but I hope to do our first LD at Strawberry Fields in June. My plan is to get both of us in really good shape and then tackle the ride at a slow pace with lots of walking/jogging on foot.

I've been working a lot to get Flash exposed to the world of trail, though that doesn't take much. He's such a good boy and so smart - he's alert and thinks about things, but is about as close to bombproof as it gets. For our current "events", we are participating in ACTHA events and trail rides in as many new places as possible. I'm really trying to test his limits and his mind, but I never come away disappointed. We just did our first AOC a few weeks ago and placed fifth! We've got about 1-2 rides per month coming up, so I'm excited to practice and see his progress. In the meantime, we're doing flat conditioning working on getting him into shape (this horse gets fat on air) and testing how well he does when asked to cover distance at a little bit more speed. Right now, we're doing a lot of walking mixed with trotting, plus occasionally jogging in hand, but he moves right now and seems always happy to move right along! His readiness and willingness to just keep on going (at a trot) is what makes me think I've got an awesome endurance horse in there (maybe not fast, but a joy to ride and with the mentality to do great). Plus, this horse takes care of himself better than any horse I know - nothing gets between him and his food AND he drinks like a whale!

I'm really excited about our new riding territory. I'm in Las Vegas and have to board, so I was very worried about coming down here and especially when I moved my horse from the out-of-town facility to one closer in. However, I couldn't have picked a better spot. There's a bridle park with a full size arena, round pens, and an empty lot for "trial" riding across the street and it's lit until 11pm. With it getting dark before I can get out to see Flash, this meant I could finally work with him on a regular basis to fine-tune his training. Moreover, there are bridle paths along the roads so I can trail ride at night with excellent footing. Just before I left on Christmas vacation, we did a 9-mile ride and had a blast. Finally, there are a few ways to ride out to the desert to the north, where you can keep going for miles. If you head west, you get to the state park. If you ride in on horseback, you don't have to pay a fee and there are miles of horse trails within the park. There's also water, though not necessarily within safe reach of horse noses so I recently got a collapsable water bucket to scoop it for him.

Anyway, that's us for now. When I get home from visiting family, we'll get right back into conditioning as well as inventing as many scary things for us to tackle as possible in preparation for ACTHA. I'm also going to start my annual mileage log to track our progress  It's so exciting to be putting fresh batteries into my GPS after a year off!


----------



## Sharpie

Hmmm.... My endurance journey is coming along in fits and starts, not the least of which is an expected 9 month deployment next summer. That really puts a kink in the ride time.  Anyone need a lease? Lol.

That said, I bought my guy two years ago and he and Flash sound like they could be brothers! At nearly 9, my "for sale because he's too spooky" QH has turned into a nearly bombproof gelding. He's learned everything I know how to teach and has handled having a fair handful of other people ride him without batting an eyelash. Add that to a willingness to just keep going and a little bit of a competitive streak (his, not mine, and just enough to add some oomph) and I couldn't ask for more.

We attempted three LDs last season, with our only non-complete being the first one, which had many factors that went into it (heat, humidity, lack of experience on both our parts, riding someone else's ride, etc). Our last ride more than made up for it. We went from a non-complete to a completion to a "wait, are we done already?" that has me considering a 50 this April. He eats, and eats, and eats, and drinks well (though only after the first 10 miles when it's cool) and doesn't fuss about other horses coming, going or doing anything else. The only 'con' is that he wants to slow down and be the most pathetic "only horse in the world, may as well lay down and die" if he can't see anyone else out on the trail. I will have to get tough with him- the one and only time that happened I was too concerned I had broken my horse to realize he was playing me... up until the end when we saw other horses again, anyhow! Now I know that trick.

Given that both my horse and I are rookies and still learning, I expect we'll have quite a few more fits and starts and bumps along the way, but so long as he's healthy and sound and we're both having fun, it's all good. I've benefited from a lot of good, experience mentors along the way, so they've tried to keep me out of the weeds for the most part, and for the most part I've been able to listen and apply things well.

ETA: Tracking mileage sounds great! I wish I could do that. I just am too absent-minded about that stuff though. I usually forget to bring my GPS, and when I do bring it, I usually forget to turn it on! So I do pretty much all my riding and training with no GPS, no heart rate monitor, nothing fancy. Very low-tech. I usually remember a map and my watch at least though! I am going to try to remember to put my compass in my bag too, so it can just live there. I know how to use a map and compass, so it's good survival equipment for me.


----------



## jillybean19

We got back from our Christmas vacation early so I'm riding sooner than I'd expected. Flash and I have been exploring the bridle paths and trails around our area by night, so I'm definitely taking advantage of having daylight and other people to ride with to find new ones. My BO and another boarder showed up right as I was saddling up, so I didn't pass up on the opportunity to go riding with them today and found a new loop for us to condition on. Of course, that means we took it at a slower pace and mostly walked, but it was a good first ride after some time off. We went through the desert to the state park, then followed bridle paths back along the road. For conditioning, I have a number of things I record on my GPS to calculate how far and how fast I went to track our improvement and make sure I'm adding only distance or speed, not both.

Distance: 8.86 miles
Total time: 2 hrs 40 mins
Moving time: 2 hrs 37 mins
Moving average: 3.4mph
Max speed: 12mph

After January 1, I'll add my "Annual" Odometer which keeps track of my total mileage for the year  Tomorrow I plan to ride a similar route as we did today but with more trotting.


----------



## greentree

I do not want to hijack your thread, but where did you get Flash? I have a friend who breeds FQH, and she had a colt just like him, and called him Flash.......just curious!

Nancy


----------



## jillybean19

greentree said:


> I do not want to hijack your thread, but where did you get Flash? I have a friend who breeds FQH, and she had a colt just like him, and called him Flash.......just curious!
> 
> Nancy


No problem  He was bred in Marsing, Idaho. I'd have to look at his papers for the breeder's name.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## jillybean19

His registered name is Flashin Dry Jack and he's on All Breed Pedigree
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## greentree

My friend lives in TX, so not the same horse...just a coincidence!!! BOTH of the Flashes are really cute!

Nancy


----------



## jaydee

Not into Endurance - but nice to have you back and to hear that you're settled into the new home


----------



## jillybean19

Back from another ride! We did the same trail as yesterday, except backwards and with a few extra loops within the state park. The results are.... interesting haha. While I trotted as much as possible (with the exception of a walking warm up and cool down), there are still a lot of short walking breaks like when we cross the road and we took a number of stopping breaks for various reasons. These included: getting dumped toward the beginning of the ride on a rare spook, socialization break when Flash was nervous about a lady working in her yard but then we ended up talking for a bit, a water and snack break at the state park (the only planned break), and a "find-and-put-back-on the missing boot" break (luckily someone pointed me in the right direction as soon as I realized I was missing it). In total, we spend about 1/3 of our ride on breaks. Which is fine, especially since we ended up going a little further than I'd wanted to. I did learn some valuable things today, including that Flash's slower trot is around 6-8 mph (usually closer to 6), but his faster trot is closer to 9-10 mph (he doesn't really extend, but he sure moves those feet!). Today I let him pick the speed as long as he was trotting, but it's nice to know he's got a bit of speed in there for when I start asking for it. That won't be for a while and I'd like to keep him closer to 7-8 mph for now, though. Even more importantly, however, my confidence in Flash during a spook situation grew a TON today when I fell off. We were on a bridle path along a major road. Unfortunately, the city has not done a very great job with these paths, so this particular one didn't have a fence between us and the road. Luckily, though, it was on one of the wider paths so I didn't hit anything on the way down. I did a valiant job of trying to hang on to the reins but had to let go and hit the ground on my thigh (I've got a pretty good battle wound from it and I'm sure it'll look quite lovely once it starts to bruise). Flash went loping down the path about 50 feet and I was praying he didn't go across the street in front of us or take off into the street beside us, but then he stopped and looked back at me and waited until I caught up. What a good boy! There was a backhoe off to the left that may have spooked him but I'm not sure - either way, they nice gentleman that saw my riderless horse yelled at the operator to stop and they waited until I gave them the thumbs up to start working again. I have a lot more confidence now that he won't take off in a situation like that in the middle of an endurance ride. Funny enough, right before it happened I was thinking about a thread I read yesterday on the AERC Facebook page discussing horses getting lost on rides when they lose their riders and how important it is for them to learn to stop. I guess we've got that taken care of now!

Distance: 11.5 miles
Total time: 3 hrs 8 mins
Moving time: 2 hrs 11 mins
Moving average: 5.3 mph
Overall average: 3.65 mph
Max speed: 17 mph


----------



## phantomhorse13

I am heading into my 8th season of endurance riding. While I have done some other disciplines along the way (gaming, hunters, jumpers, eventing, dressage, flat racing, harness racing), I found my niche on the trail and haven't looked back. I thought I was super lucky to have found my ideal equine partner.. then I really won the jackpot and found a human one who also does endurance!

We have 4 horses, all arabians.

I have been competing with Dream, a 2000 model mare, since I started endurance. I am so incredibly lucky to be blessed with such a level-headed, willing, talented partner. I actually first saw her as an embryo under a microscope at a breeding farm I worked for years ago.. never would have known at the time she would come back into my life. But since reconnecting, we have never looked back. She has carried me countless miles, down all sorts of trails. 2013 was a tough one for us, as she had several injuries that sidelined us the majority of the season.

Here we are during the Ride Between the Rivers (WV):










Sultan, a 1999 model gelding, is my DH's main horse. He is generally a laid-back kind of guy, though is the troublemaker of our herd. He likes to show off, will do anything for a cookie, and is a big ham in front of a camera. We had some saddle issues with him, but seem to have got that figured out. 2013 was his best season yet, finishing his first 100 miler and getting his OD Triple Crown for the second time.

Here we are during the Lick Ridge Challenge (PA):










George, also a 1999 model gelding, is Sultan's 3/4 brother. They were born 2 weeks apart and have been together literally their entire lives. My DH went to buy Sultan and was told it was both boys or none. He didn't know what a favor that breeder did for him! George is the boss of our herd. He has a mischievous streak that can make him a bit of a spook if you aren't paying attention, and he particularly likes to antagonize my DH that way. 2013 was fantastic for him, with his first 100 mile completion (the last 18 miles of which he was wearing no girth) and several top 10 finishes.

Here we are, along with DH on Sultan and a friend on her youngster, at Mustang Memorial (NJ):










Gamer, a 2007 model mare, is the newest addition to our herd. I was lucky enough to be present at her birth (her mom is Dream's half-sister):









She came back into my life last spring. While we def have some past to overcome, she is intelligent and interested and VERY food-motivated! She was basically feral when I got her, so we have been doing a lot of work on the basics. I hope to get her going well under saddle and out on trail seriously this year. If the universe is kind, we hope to get to some CTRs and LDs this season.

Second "trail" ride:


----------



## phantomhorse13

Jilly, very glad to hear you are not any worse off for your unexpected dismount, and very cool that he stopped on his own and waited!! I think that is everyone's nightmare.. bad enough to come off, but then to see your horse disappear into the distance (or into the road, etc).


DH and Sultan and Dream and I got out for our first ride of the New Year today:










Its hunting season (muzzle loader) and we had some friends out hunting, so DH and I actually spent some time intentionally crashing around in the woods trying to spook deer. Ironically, this was the first ride in as long as I can remember that I didn't see a single one!! :lol:


Upon returning home, it was that magic day for Dream - FREEDOM!! [For those who don't know, she has been rehabbing from an injury since August and been either stalled or in a very small paddock since it happened.]










As I had hoped, having her out for a ride before turning her loose kept her from acting like an idiot. After our normal post-ride cookie stretches, she simply moseyed away and started grazing. WOOHOO!!

2014 mileage
1/01/14 dream 5.48 miles 4.7 mph 5.48 total miles


----------



## Eole

I've been on the endurance/CTR scene since 2007, as volunteer, organizer, and did my lay-judge training.

We have 4 horses at home, 3 of them are arabians. Two of them I train in distance riding. I've done LD's in 2009-2010 with my mare, but I've trained every year "as if" I was going to compete, even when health and family matters got in the way of actual competition.

My mare Alizé is a 2000 model as well and has been my partner in adventure since 2001.
I'm training towards at least one LD 25 this year and a 50 the year after. It's really the training that I like, having a goal, a plan to condition, logging the miles and seeing the results both physical and in our relationship. 

Then I ride Eole, 12yo and had him as a colt. He is fairly green in every aspect and I have to put a lot of time in this boy if we want to go anywhere. He's absolutely perfect in size-hooves-conformation. It's the attitude I'm still unsure, a little too unpredictable. Time will tell.


----------



## phantomhorse13

Got Dream out again this morning, before the storm started. I figure any miles are better than no miles as I start bringing her back into work. Trying to get her up hills where I can, but unfortunately the best hills in the area are sheets of ice currently, so not safe to ride on.





















Weather is going to be miserable for the next week or so.. snow tonight, then horrendously cold (highs in the single digits), then more snow coming Sunday/Monday followed by more single-digit weather on Tues/Wed. I will actually be happy to be at work and inside!!


2014 mileage
1/01/14 dream 5.48 miles 4.7 mph 5.48 total miles
1/02/14 dream 5.07 miles 5.7 mph 10.55 total miles


----------



## TrailDustMelody

May I join in this thread? 

My horse, Lia, is a 1995 Arab mare and my first horse. We both really like trail riding, so when I learned about endurance riding I knew I wanted to try it with her. Since she's older, I plan to just try some LDs, but I'm sure it will be loads of fun for us.  We just started really conditioning this month; I don't have a truck and trailer yet, but I have a few friends who have started hauling me out and might even be able to take me to rides later in the season.

We rode about 12 miles on the 1st, and though Lia was uncharacteristically jiggy, it was good to get out on the trails and get a feel for where we'll be doing most of our real conditioning. She was a little back sore after this, probably from being tense, so after having yesterday completely off, I did some light ground work with her today. We did some light lunging in the round pen for about 20 minutes just to get her to stretch out a bit, and then a 30 minute trail walk plus practicing staying calm while her buddy ditches her, haha. She did pretty well. It was good to just have a calm session focusing on listening and all that good stuff. When we got home, we did some leg stretches, "carrot stretches", and practiced her tricks (paw and smile). Her back seems to be normal now, so I plan to hit the arena tomorrow. All in all it was a good day!


----------



## EnduranceLover6

*H*

TrailDust---I don't see why not...after all, endurance is about doing distance as a team. Plus, if your anything like the rest of us you'll be hooked after your first ride :lol:

I am definitely a newbie when it comes to competing endurance myself, but I've been involved in the endurance crowd fairly heavily the past few years and have loved every minute of it. 

I did my first 15 mile CTR on my Morgan/QH in 2011. I raised Brimstone's Tazmanian Devil (aka Taz) out of my QH mare and took him to college with me the year I left home. He was my rock. Shortly after our ride I decided to sell him because I was convinced I needed an Arab to do endurance. If I had known what I do now I would have never sold him, but tis life.

Taz
View attachment 346650


In the process of selling Taz I found Magnific AF (aka Maglet). I came across a Craigslist ad with a gorgeous 4 year old Arabian gelding who was looking for a home due to his owner's health issues. I later found out that his owner had Lupis and was downsizing her herd. I traded a saddle for him and was tickled that I had just scooped up my dream endurance horse. After a year and a half of consistent groundwork, desensitizing, and training I realized that Mag was not the horse I had hoped for. I was scarred emotionally and physically after many accidents and my confidence was shot. After being thrown into fences, trampled, flipped over on, (the list goes on and on...) I was afraid that he would put me in a wheelchair for the rest of my life. I decided to sell him to someone who could "start fresh" with him and who had better resources to work with him over time. It hurt to have to sell another horse in such a short period of time but I learned a valuable lesson about how to accept defeat and be content about my decision for my own safety. 

Mag








That same summer I had an awesome opportunity to work for Dian Woodward and Christoph Schork in Moab, Utah at Global Endurance Training Center. I spent close to 2 months out in the desert riding endurance horses and crewing at rides, even getting the opportunity to crew for Christoph and his friends at Tevis Cup in 2012. Dian taught me a lot about breeding, genetics, feeding, etc and even let me cover one of her mares with their stallion before I left (what a rush!). Christoph taught me a lot about trimming and booting, so much in fact that I now trim and boot my own horses with confidence. There are too many memories and friendships that I made out there to describe in a short story, but all I can say is that I would go back in a heartbeat. 

Riding along the ridge (Moab, Utah)








Road Trip!








Christoph teaching me to glue on Easyboots








Scribing for the vets








Crewing at Tevis








Christoph & Dian








After selling Mag I took my time searching for my next endurance partner. My confidence was boosted by my trip to Moab, riding some pretty hot and unpredictable horses helped me find my fire again :wink: I searched and searched and turned down SO many horses it was depressing. At the near end of my search, just when I was about to give up, I found Selena. Now, if you couldn't tell by my previous horses, I am really not a mare person...but there was just something about Selena that told me she was the one. She was sassy and didn't trust anyone...unless you had food...then she would be sweet enough to come get it from you and then run :lol: I bought this little mare for $800 and prayed that I wasn't making a mistake. The day I went to get her it took us over 2 hours to get her on the trailer...eventually having to blindfold her to get her loaded...dear lord :shock: The first few months were a little rocky for us, she had to learn to trust me and I the same. After our initially bond I have never felt unsafe with her...she is solid, kind, loyal, and oh so forgiving. I took her to our first 15 mile CTR together in April (the same one I did with Taz) and she surprised me by taking 2nd place with a score of 97/100! Our second 15 mile CTR in June she took home 1st place with an almost perfect score of 99/100. I cried and cried and cried out of pure happiness. Yes, I know only 15 miles...but to me it was so much more than that...it was conformation that I had found my partner. We then attempted our first LD in October and Selena once again took my breath away and placed 1st out of 20 riders with a time of 3 hours and 38 minutes. Words can't describe how much I love this mare. The saddest part is that about a month ago I found out about her past from her original owner/breeder. Turns out she was starved almost to death and beaten consistently both over jumps and in her daily environment. Her owner states that she came off the trailer back to her home as a rack of bones with swollen welts all over her body from being whipped. I cried that day too...how could this mare ever be a part of something so awful, yet have the courage to forgive and trust a complete stranger? Horses are amazing...and Selena was truly a diamond in the rough for which I am grateful to have found. Last year we covered 468.09 trail miles and this year I hope to do the same. Hoping to do a couple more LDs and then maybe attempting a slow 50...then I can call myself a true endurance rider :wink:

Selena!








OH! AND I ALMOST FORGOT!
This is my newest edition to my endurance addiction...my 3 month old filly Velencia (aka Vee). She was bred by my uncle and grandmother who live in KY and I'm headed to pick her up in March! Trying not to jinx myself...but I'm hoping she might be my future Tevis horse


----------



## phantomhorse13

Weather finally cooperated to be able to get out. Ground is still frozen solid though, as temps still haven't gotten above freezing. Rather scary when 27F seems warm (but I guess compared to -50F, it is)! 

Decided to see if I could keep boots on, to give Dream a bit of help in terms of the footing. She tolerated the application of the boots with her normal stoicism, but she certainly looked bemused.










And yes, those are 2 diff types of boots.. they are my old and my new spare tires. :lol:


It's still hunting season here (muzzle loader and archery), so I stuck to places that I was pretty sure wouldn't have people lurking in them. Also tried to avoid places I knew would be skating rinks (and with all the rain we had before the polar vortex, there were a lot of icy places).





















More snow is due tonight, then temps rise and more rain is coming.. so no idea when I will be able to get out next. In theory, Sunday is supposed to be dry...


2014 mileage
01/01/13 dream 5.48 miles 4.7 mph 5.48 total miles
01/02/13 dream 5.07 miles 5.7 mph 10.55 total miles
01/09/14 dream 6.04 miles 4.7 mph 16.59 total miles


----------



## phantomhorse13

Got some horsey time this morning, though have to say it wasn't anything like I had anticipated!

We got some snow overnight and are in danger of getting freezing rain later, so I went out to the barn as soon as the snow stopped. I had JUST put Dream into the crossties when what sounded like an invasion of large trucks came up the driveway.. surprise! The power company is trimming trees today! :shock: Luckily Dream couldn't have cared less, despite the variety of strange, often loud sounds coming from literally right on the other side of the door.

The power company people were much more interested in Dream as we went riding by than she was with them!











Got a bit from the house and realized that even though there wasn't much snow at all, it was enough to be slippery as hell. Looked very pretty, but even the flat grassy sections had Dream slithering all over the place.











Decided that it wasn't worth getting hurt, so turned around and came home via the paved road. Not the ride I had hoped for, but better than nothing I guess. The power company was still in the driveway cutting trees when we returned, so I decided it would be a good learning opportunity for Gamer.

The herd was as far away from the horse-eating machinery as possible, of course, so I had plenty of room to do some groundwork in the pasture. Gamer was a bit concerned at first - esp the first time the chipper turned on - but she settled down nicely and was soon ignoring them.











She even finished up with some liberty work - heading right AT the truck! [Forgive the horrible video.. as you can see I am much better at getting things in frame when they are in front of me, not jogging beside me! :lol:]

Gamer 1-10-14 - YouTube


Overall, not a bad way to spend the morning.

2014 mileage
01/01/13 dream 5.48 miles 4.7 mph 5.48 total miles
01/02/13 dream 5.07 miles 5.7 mph 10.55 total miles
01/09/14 dream 6.04 miles 4.7 mph 16.59 total miles
01/10/14 dream 2.51 miles 3.8 mph 19.1 total miles


----------



## phantomhorse13

Got Dream out for a ride yesterday. The wind had helped dry things up a bit, but the footing for the most part was still sloppy. I figured if we were going to be walking, we may as well be walking uphill.

Headed over to some trails I haven't been on since last season. This was the same area they had been logging, so the trails had been a big mess last I was there. However, the logging is done and I am guessing hunters wanting to use ATVs had gotten the trails cleared of the scrap downed trees, etc. The footing is much rockier than it used to be from the soil being so disturbed, but I had booted Dream expecting that.




















Despite having had success keeping the boots on during previous rides, I did lose one this ride. Poor boot didn't stand a chance when Dream, in a sudden burst of excitement, asked to move out going up the climb the second time and I let her.. the cantering wasn't so much the issue as the crow hopping in terms of the boot staying put. When I went to replace it, I realized a screw had come out totally. I put it back on anyway and amazingly, it stayed in place for the 3 miles home!











Should just need another screw and washer and be as good as new. And only 3 weeks till the farrier comes and everyone gets shod!!

It's raining yet again today, so won't be riding. Have Thursday off, so hoping the weather cooperates (though right now it's supposed to snow, so doesn't sound very promising at all)..


2014 mileage
...
01/09/14 dream 6.04 miles 4.7 mph 16.59 total miles
01/10/14 dream 2.51 miles 3.8 mph 19.10 total miles
01/13/14 dream 10.03 miles 5.0 mph 29.13 total miles


----------



## phantomhorse13

Snuck in a ride today, before the incoming snow and cold makes the ground horrendous again. Still very muddy, but at least passable.. hope to get out again Sunday before the next big cold snap, but will have to see how much snow we do or don't get tomorrow. :evil:

Heading for the hill:










Going down the far side of that hill:










Heading for home as the flurries start:










Dream actually worked up a sweat today!! :thumbsup:

2014 mileage
...
01/10/14 dream 2.51 miles 3.8 mph 19.10 total miles
01/13/14 dream 10.03 miles 5.0 mph 29.13 total miles
01/17/14 dream 11.21 miles 5.7 mph 40.34 total miles


----------



## Houston

Hope you guys don't mind if I join in!

For months (surely going on a year or so now :shock I've been wanting to get more and more into endurance. I've got several books, have done a lot of reading, and did some vet scribing at a local endurance ride so I could get a feel for the atmosphere. 

But I have yet to actually partake in an endurance ride... so if all continues to go well I will be doing my first 25 mile LDR in March! 

Me and my girl Dory have just started doing some conditioning rides and she is doing great so far. We ride along the _mighty_ Rio Grande river... although right now the might Rio Grande is bone dry (as it is most times of the year in this area). Good footing, although there are some rocky/hard areas. My mare gets a bit ouchy in her front feet on rocks, so she also got shoes for the first time today. No more ouchy! So far so good. 

I have yet to even remotely tire this girl out. :shock: Today we did a total of almost 10 miles and most of it was trotting- I needed a walk break for a few strides and she wanted to keep going! I swear she can trot all day! 

I use Endomondo on my phone and computer to track our rides. So far we have done:

1/12/13: 4.99 miles, 5.6mph
1/14/13: 6.44 miles, 5.2mph
1/17/13: 2.21 miles, 3.9mph then a few minutes later went back at it, 7.49 miles, 6.8mph (total of 9.7 miles for today).


----------



## greentree

Houston, Dory sounds like a great endurance partner! You should be in good shape for that LD in March. Will you be back in Houston then, or still out west? 

Nancy


----------



## Zexious

phantomhorse--I love the 'ear shots'  Keep'um coming!


----------



## Houston

greentree said:


> Houston, Dory sounds like a great endurance partner! You should be in good shape for that LD in March. Will you be back in Houston then, or still out west?
> 
> Nancy


She is surprisingly me with how willing she is to keep going on the trail. Seems to enjoy seeing new things which I love about her! 

In March I'll still be out West. Hoping to do the 25 LD at the Corralitos Ranch!


----------



## Houston

Something seemed off with Dory today. Was extra quiet and felt different, so we skipped the lesson and took it easy today, just did 2 miles at a slow walk. Thought she might be a little sore from coming into more work. Turns out she has a little stone bruise on her hind foot! :?

The barn owner, who pointed it out, said to give it a few days. I'm unfamiliar with stone bruises, about to read up on them. Anyone have any information on them? How common do you see them in your endurance horses?


----------



## phantomhorse13

Houston said:


> Turns out she has a little stone bruise on her hind foot! :? The barn owner, who pointed it out, said to give it a few days. I'm unfamiliar with stone bruises, about to read up on them. Anyone have any information on them? How common do you see them in your endurance horses?


Unfortunately, they are all to common in this area, due to the rocky nature of our soil. 

How fast they heal depends on how bad the bruise is and the horse.. hopefully yours isnt bad and your girl will be good as new in a few days!


----------



## phantomhorse13

Got Dream out for a bareback mosey around the property, as the snow stopped just before it got dark. Footing was the best its been in a long time, so hoping I can get out tomorrow for a real ride!











Dream in the snow - YouTube


2014 mileage
...
01/13/14 dream 10.03 miles 5.0 mph 29.13 total miles
01/17/14 dream 11.21 miles 5.7 mph 40.34 total miles
02/03/14 dream 1.67 miles 3.4 mph 42.01 total miles


----------



## Horsesaplenty

Jumping in...not finding a lot of time during the week to condition...plus it's just nasty nasty here.

Mainly get to ride on the weekend and sometimes just Saturday. Got our new Sensation treeless in and tried it last weekend. No soreness and he seems much more willing to move and also seems a little smoother in his transitions. I plan to use it on the 25 miler next week and see how he goes. My main problem is that my knee is having issues holding up. It seems I'm having an ITband issue...PT starts tomorrow on it. I am having a hard time by the time I get to mile 6/7. They are giving me some pain meds for it too.

Our last ride was almost 8 miles in a couple of hours...we were doing some trotting, but also a good bit of walking and working on our cues...


----------



## Smokeyhorse

Jumping in also, I get to ride on weekends due to having a little one. We rode 19 miles on Saturday in about 5 hrs with several stops. The hubby has exact on his phone. Our first LD is I. April. I ride a paso/ssh, he rides a TWH.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## Zexious

Phantomhorse--Is that a halter, or a really fancy bridle? :O


----------



## phantomhorse13

Today was an unexpected treat.. I had planned to spent the morning with the farrier and the afternoon/evening at work.. but the riding gods smiled down upon me and I got to ride instead! The farrier had a truck issue and had to reschedule for next week. Work called and told me not to come in, as people were canceling left and right due to approaching storm #2. I almost cartwheeled out to the barn. :happydance:

Today was the perfect winter riding day. It was 19 when I left the barn, 23 when I got home. The sun was shining and there was very little wind. Yesterday's storm #1 left 4ish inches of snow, so the footing was better than its been in months. I didn't bother with the boots and off we went.




























2014 mileage
...
01/17/14 dream 11.21 miles 5.7 mph 40.34 total miles
02/03/14 dream 1.67 miles 3.4 mph 42.01 total miles
02/04/13 dream 11.57 miles 5.3 mph 53.58 total miles


----------



## phantomhorse13

Zexious said:


> Phantomhorse--Is that a halter, or a really fancy bridle? :O


Really fancy bridle with a rope halter under it. 

Dream goes in an s-hack from Taylored Tack (which is owned by my friend Mandy, who hand-makes everything she sells!):


----------



## AnitaAnne

Subbing - very interesting to hear of everyone's endurance beginings! I hope to add mine in oneday...


----------



## Sharpie

Smokeyhorse said:


> Jumping in also, I get to ride on weekends due to having a little one. We rode 19 miles on Saturday in about 5 hrs with several stops. The hubby has exact on his phone. Our first LD is I. April. I ride a paso/ssh, he rides a TWH.
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


Are you going to the Barefoot Run at LBL?? If you are, I hope to see you there!


----------



## TheOtherHorse

Jumping in too... I took the month of January off, and am ready to get going again! However, the weather has other plans... I've been out for short bareback rides in the snow a couple times this week, but no conditioning yet. The footing is sloppy mud over frozen ground, I don't want to risk an injury trying to do too much. I am getting antsy to get in some real riding! Last year I switched horses, and am now riding my husband's ranch bred paint, who was doing surprisingly well conditioning last year. My plan is a LD this spring and hopefully a 50 in the fall.


----------



## Smokeyhorse

Sharpie said:


> Are you going to the Barefoot Run at LBL?? If you are, I hope to see you there!


We will be there! Not sure which day I am going to ride yet. I have reserved the campsite already, ride manager said they full up fast.

On the taylored tack, I just bought the whole setup. Not only is this tack gorgeous, it is super functional and very well made. Mandy was also a pleasure to work with. Highly recommended here as well!.
Love the earshots phantom!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## Zexious

Phantomhorse--I love it! That red is stunning! /Goes to creep around your friend's page.


----------



## EnduranceLover6

I'm glad some of you have been able to ride! I have been the ultimate slacker on these threads lately...so busy with college & LIFE. I haven't ridden outside much this week due to the weather, but Selena & I did have a couple great lessons in the indoor--which I totally count towards my conditioning :wink:

A picture of us during our dressage/jumping lesson...as if we didn't feel small enough already!








Hoping to get riding outdoors once all this snow melts and the roads thaw...of course we have a snow day today with 14+ inches...Grrrrrr

*AND*.....30 days until we drive out to pick up my filly! I am BEYOND excited!


----------



## Zexious

^Yay! That's very exciting! She's adorbs.


----------



## Houston

Phantomhorse13 that is GORGEOUS. But brr!

Still having a few chilly days but it's slowly but surely getting warmer out, which is a good thing. I hate the cold!

Warmer=more sun=more daylight=more ride time!

Did a bit more than 15 miles within the last week and have been able to go out farther and farther. Dory has been fantastic about not freaking out about new situations on the trail; a couple a weeks ago a huge horse rig zoomed by us, guess the driver got excited, and honked and waved. She tensed up but didn't spaz out... I was actually surprised because it scared me more than it did her! 

Been using Endomondo on my phone and we are up to about 55 miles this year so far. Ordered a Garmin so soon I'll really have a better idea on our time, distance, speed, etc.

This week the barn owners are gone for a few days and I'm not too sure I want to go miles out on the trail when there is no one to call for help if something goes wrong. :lol:
So we are working on arena work, mostly trying to get her left lead down. Not 100% but there is progress!


----------



## Sharpie

We got our first significant snowfall last night, but it was warmer today. I rode out for the first time since his shoes were pulled. Just a little 2 or 3 miles around the block to get my fix, so to speak, nothing major. I was worried that his feet were bothering him for the first mile as he was being so slow and careful, but then all of the sudden he was fine and wanting to trot and run. Then it dawned on me- my horse is from South Texas! That was probably the first time he's ever been ridden in snow, on packed snow, on ice, and with clumps of snow falling out of the trees all over! Apparently he decided the snow wasn't really too bad, since after that he was fine (though appropriately cautious on the one really icy and nasty bit). He was panting and warm even with the light workout through. I hope he sheds out soon, he's too fuzzy for temps above freezing!

I also did his feet and tried on the new pair of EasyBoot Edges I got. Three out of four feet went on fairly easy, the last is a little snug to pull on, but popped into place when he stepped down. He's never been booted before and was a little concerned, but got over it within a few minutes. They stayed on all feet while he trotted a few circles on the lunge, so that's a promising start. I hope I have his feet sorted by the LBL ride! Do non-endurance riders obsess this much about their horses' feet?


----------



## liltuktuk

Well I'm a little late in the game here (I've been hanging out in the 2014 mileage trail riding thread...). But I'm planning on riding in my first LD ride memorial day weekend at the Hector Half Hundred. 

My ride is a 2000 model mare, Amira. She's a fiesty thing that loves to trot and rarely has a slow down button. She's competed in two LD with her previous owner, so she'll at least know what she's doing...

My other little guy is Maverick, my almost 10 month old Arab/paint/quarter/? cross who I picked up off craigslist. He's a cute little ****** that I'm hoping will also enjoy/excel at endurance. He's already got a trot like my mare so I'm excited to see him grow up and progress.

So far I'm around 50 miles for the year. Cold weather and working a standard 9-5 job that leaves me getting home when it's already dark out has hampered my riding. But I'm looking forward to spring and longer daylight hours. And hopefully I'll be able to start getting my lazy butt up earlier and switch my hours to 7-4...


----------



## Horsesaplenty

Zero riding since last week...rain, rain, rain, and more rain. Have a ride this weekend in TX. I'm waaaaaaay over this weather. I would love some dry warm days.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## Zexious

liltuktuk--They are beautiful. I know it's a few months away, but I can't wait to hear how you do at your LD!


----------



## TrailDustMelody

liltuktuk, wow, gorgeous mare! I love the plaits in her mane. Are those fishtail braids? Now I want to try that on my mare.


----------



## liltuktuk

TrailDustMelody said:


> liltuktuk, wow, gorgeous mare! I love the plaits in her mane. Are those fishtail braids? Now I want to try that on my mare.


Thanks and yes they are! I've found that they look really pretty and tend to stay in a lot longer than normal braids. But then don't leave them in too long or they are a pain in the butt to get back out!


----------



## phantomhorse13

liltuktuk said:


> Well I'm a little late in the game here (I've been hanging out in the 2014 mileage trail riding thread...). But I'm planning on riding in my first LD ride memorial day weekend at the Hector Half Hundred.


Oh, we hope to be there as well! Looking forward to seeing the real trails this year, seeing as the national forest was closed last year during the ride. Looks to be a nice one.


----------



## prairiewindlady

Ok I'm tardy to the party, but would love to join if I may.  

I have been wanting to get into endurance for a while now, but for the longest time did not have an appropriate horse. My first prospect was diagnosed with heaves, another had stifle issues and a 3rd ended up being unsound for endurance due to past episodes of laminitis. Anyway I took these horses, fixed them as best I could and rehomed them. I was beginning to despair that I would ever find a suitable mount when I came across a craiglist ad for an Arabian mare for $200. The post mentioned she had been used for "long distance rides", which piqued my interest. However when I went to see her, I was unprepared for what I found. The mare (advertised as 14.3h) was barely 13.3h (if that) and at least 200lbs underweight. I'd give her a body score of 2. 
A friend reminded me I didn't need any more horses with issues but there was something about her that tugged at my heartstrings. I couldn't just leave her.
_Posted via Mobile Device_

(NOTE: Edit in progress...sorry hit "submit" too soon!")


----------



## prairiewindlady

(Continued from above - accidentally hit submit before I finished!)

Anyway to make the long story short, this is "Willow" the day I brought her home.










And this is her after 3 months. She still has some weight to gain but already looks worlds better. 










I recently began riding her and we are planning to attend our first fun run in July. Originally I had hoped to make it to Sandhills in April but I don't think either of us will be ready by then










I am looking forward to joining in this thread and getting to know everybody! Ride on! 


_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## liltuktuk

phantomhorse13 said:


> Oh, we hope to be there as well! Looking forward to seeing the real trails this year, seeing as the national forest was closed last year during the ride. Looks to be a nice one.


I never ridden in that area, but based on photos I've seen I bet it'll be gorgeous. Hopefully the government doesn't shutdown this year and close the park again!


----------



## Houston

Had some great rides this week and got to play with my new Garmin Forerunner. Did 20 miles total within the last 4 days (total of 76mi this year so far). Had a nice 10 mile solo conditioning ride yesterday averaging 7.4mph where we passed two loud wooden bridges, several bikers, and crossed a busy road. Zero issues (well, aside from a small spooking episode, but this is 100% excusable seeing as there was a _gigantic_ tumbleweed stuck to her tail! Had a good laugh when I realized what happened :lol Woohoo!

Dory is getting fitter and fitter and taking everything in stride. Love my girl! She still has plenty of energy after 10 mile rides so it may be time to bump it up to 15 miles soon!


----------



## phantomhorse13

This weekend has been.. interesting. Like the chinese curse interesting.

First more &%$^ing snow came.. then even more. Friday it finally stopped snowing, but I was stuck at work all day. Came home to see insanely big icicles and snow that was trying to slither off the barn roof. Went out to beat it with a shovel, not wanting any of the horses hurt..but apparently I was too late. As I went out to check the water tank, Dream wandered over and I noticed blood on her face.. lifted her forelock to find:










:shock: :shock: :shock:

Said some not-so-nice words, and even more not-nice words when I realized I didn't have any sterile suture and would need to call the vet. Not how I had planned to spend Valentine's Day evening!! But we got lucky the vet was on her way home (she lives not far from us) and she swung over and fixed Dream up.











Saturday, it snowed again. :evil: Were only supposed to get 2-4, but got more like 6 or 8. Driving to and from work was not much fun, with people off the road all over the place. We have over 2 feet of snow on the ground and places are drifted deeper than my waist (ask me how I know that..).

Today it didn't snow, but in preparation for the next storm (coming tomorrow), we shoveled off the shed roof and moved hay and DH got out the skid loader to push back the plow piles (most of which are easily taller than I am now). Then DH took the skid out to break a path for us to ride on. It couldn't go thru the places that drifted, so not a very long path.. but a rideable path!! 

To celebrate, we hopped on bareback and took a spin. The temp wasn't too bad and the sun was sort of out, but the wind was ugly and all the path is in the open. Our weather station said it was 28, but with a windchill of -3. 






































riding in the snow 2-16-14 - YouTube


2014 mileage
...
02/10/13 dream w/sultan 5.54 miles 6.4 mph 59.12 total miles
02/16/14  dream 1.20 miles 3.0 mph 60.32 total miles


----------



## Houston

OUCH! An icicle did that?!

Reason #958 why winter is my least favorite season!


----------



## Smokeyhorse

We got to ride yesterday, was about 50 degrees here! We just messed around, did several 1000ft pulls.


Earshot

2/9 19 miles
2/15 4 miles 11.5mph never broke gait
2/16 16 miles av 4mph
Our first LD is in April, my husband and myself have been exclusive trail riders until now.....
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## Smokeyhorse

_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## phantomhorse13

Today I got all 3 horses out! The weather was the nicest its been in weeks (mid 20s, mostly sunny, lighter wind). We are expecting another storm overnight, so I wanted to take advantage of being able to ride when I could.

Took Dream out first, as I knew she would be most reliable to break trail.



















She was not all that enthused to be plowing through the at least knee-deep and sometimes belly-deep snow, but she was cranked up when we got to the places that my DH had opened with the skid loader yesterday. The stitches in her head didn't seem to detract from her crow hopping and head flinging. :wink:


Got George out next and he was nuts. It's the first he has been out in many weeks and he was like riding dynamite. He couldn't figure out if he wanted to spook or buck or run or perhaps do all 3 at once. :shock:




















Last out was Sultan. He was also wired for sound to start with, but settled down when he realized we were making the same circles on the second lap. :lol:




















2014 mileage
...
02/17/14 dream 7.02 miles 5.1 mph 67.34 total miles
02/17/14 george 5.01 miles 5.5 mph 72.35 total miles
02/17/14 sultan 5.00 miles 6.2 mph 77.35 total miles


----------



## Horsesaplenty

Just got home from Racing Stripes so Luka will be off for a few days. He did amazing (minus some race brain which I will NOT tolerate. We are just starting so I'm making sure I keep at the, "Human in charge and horse is not"mantra lol


----------



## phantomhorse13

Got out again today, despite the weather being spastic. The snow was supposed to stop mid-morning, so when the sun came out just after 10, I went out to the barn and got Sultan ready to go. Wasn't I shocked when about 100 yards after leaving the barn, the snow started again, along with a horrendous wind. But I was already on and figured what the hell. So on we went.

The storm overnight did a very good job of erasing the trail I got blazed yesterday:










Sultan was less than impressed about trailblazing, not that I could blame him with snow pelting him in the face some of the time. The wind had also kicked up more drifts - at one point I had to pick up my feet as the snow was collecting in my stirrups!! :shock:


After Sultan, I got on Dream and DH came home for 'lunch' and rode George with us. The snow had stopped but the wind kept on roaring (came in after the ride to look at the weather station and it was reading 25 mph sustained with gusts to 35 and a real feel of 5. :evil. Places Sultan had blazed open only an hour before had already filled with snow..




















riding in the snow - YouTube


Tomorrow we have a freezing rain advisory already, though I have to work anyway. A thaw (with rain) is supposed to be coming Thursday.. we shall see.


2014 mileage
...
02/18/14 sultan 5.09 miles 4.8 mph 82.44 total miles
02/18/14 dream 7.27 miles 6.6 mph 89.71 total miles


----------



## phantomhorse13

Today is proof mother nature is just messing with my head.

We were supposed to get an ice storm this morning. Well thankfully it didn't ice, but was snowing instead, with no wind and temps in the low 30s. I decided to suck it up and get Dream out before work, despite the snow/ice pellets falling from the sky.



















Dream was so happy to try to eat the small patch of grass visible from where my DH plowed the lawn in front of where the trailer is parked. It was almost sad, she was so enthusiastic.

But then comes the kicker.. as I was untacking, the snow stopped and the sun came out. Now that I have to go to work in a few minutes, the sky is crystal clear and the sun is shining and its 42. Least I don't have to worry about dying on the way to work, but really?? Maybe it will have all melted away by the time I am done work..

2014 mileage
...
02/18/14 dream 7.27 miles 6.6 mph 89.71 total miles
02/19/14 dream 5.29 miles 5.0 mph 95.00 total miles


----------



## Horsesaplenty

Phantom, and here I am complaining about riding yet again in the mud  It was 78 yesterday and beautiful...and I couldn't ride


----------



## phantomhorse13

Horsesaplenty said:


> Phantom, and here I am complaining about riding yet again in the mud  It was 78 yesterday and beautiful...and I couldn't ride


Mud isn't my favorite thing either.. but not being able to ride is never fun. I think I would fall over from heatstroke if it was 78 at this point! When I left work last night, it was "warm" enough that I didn't even need to put on my heavy jacket. Car said it was 35. I don't want to live in a world where 35 is warm!! :shock:

Course now everyone is joking about how we will all be complaining when its hot as hell come summer.. never happy! :lol:


----------



## greentree

I DID nearly have a heat stroke yesterday!! 75! Thankfully, it is back to 39 this morning.

I just found out that the ride in April is a fundraiser for out therapeutic riding center that is just over the hill from me....so I am even more motivated, and DH is thinking about doing an intro on Sissy. 

The question is...should I work on getting Alaska( PB, 11 yo, broke at 3, spent the next 7 years raising children) ready to go, or just put a little work on Tootsie (NSH, 12 yo, been everywhere, done everything, 1 LD on very tough ride). I will probably only do LD. 

Yahooooo!! Let the games begin!

nancy


----------



## Horsesaplenty

I dont mind the heat really...just hate sleeping in it  . Greentree, take who you think will do better on the ride and who you will enjoy riding 
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## greentree

That would ALWAYS be Tootsie, lol.... she has so much carriage training that she responds instantly to my voice, and she is SO easy to ride. Her sister, Majorca, was probably at the Racing Stripes ride with you!!!

I think we were the turtle at Lone Star when I rode her, maybe we can do that in KY, too!!

Nancy


----------



## greentree

Went and checked AERC, and yes, we were turtle...

I was BAD, I ordered the HRM GPS today. Got the Garmin310xt. We will see if it is over my head or not!!! 

Rode about 5 miles, mostly on the road, at a walk, so her legs do not swell. Pretty uneventful, but 12 turkeys flew across the road in front of us! She broke a sweat under the girth. It was hot...51. 

Nancy


----------



## phantomhorse13

Today mother nature smiled on us. The sun was shining, it was in the upper 40s, and we just won't mention the gale-force wind because at least it wasn't ice cold. The sunshine helped to melt the ice and we were able to get off the property for the first time in forever!!

Snow, which is now wet from all the melting, was still high in places, so it was slow going.. but at least it wasn't going in circles around the yard!!















































Maybe, just maybe, we can get out again tomorrow.. depends on how badly things freeze overnight again and if it warms up tomorrow before the rain starts.. fingers and toes crossed!!


2014 mileage
...
02/20/14 dream 2.30 miles 3.4 mph 97.30 total miles
02/22/14 dream 12.90 miles 4.8 mph 110.20 total miles


----------



## Houston

Another good ride on my mare. Went a little more than 10 miles today with an average of 8mph. 93 miles total for this year. 

She started out quite hot and just wanted to go... so we did something different and did circles, figure 8s, many transitions, etc until she decided that my idea of going at a steady pace was _much _easier than her idea of wanting to run like a maniac. I'm glad she's enjoying the trail and is very eager to go the fitter and fitter she becomes, but we need to have some structure! After she got the picture, she settled down and we started going at a comfortable rate.

Our average pace over 10 miles keeps increasing. While this is ok, I need to make sure she doesn't race race race all the time. March's endurance ride will be our first. I want her going strong and steady... speed demon not allowed!

A photo of the goof being bored while I stop for a pic.









It's getting warmer and warmer outside and my mare still has her winter coat on. About 70F. Felt good for me but I'm sure my mare could have done without the extra fluff! Today she sweat more than she has in quite while so I added a little electrolytes to some yummies to be safe and she slurped them down.




greentree said:


> I was BAD, I ordered the HRM GPS today. Got the Garmin310xt. We will see if it is over my head or not!!!


I love my Garmin310! Eventually I might get the HRM to go with it, but it's a handy little thing.


----------



## Sharpie

I finally got to ride today! We only rode for a couple of hours, and most of that in the field by the barn, but still, it feels really good to ride again. PonyBoy was fluffy and sweaty and not at all excited about working on the flat, which is not all that strange for him. Happy to go on the trail, but as quiet and lazy in the arena as you could wish for without it being a problem. He's gonna be my great 'anybody' horse one day. We mixed in some good trot and canter, and his easyboots stayed on well- no shifting or issues, though I need to get some hoof protection for the rears. I wanted to go out on the one mile dirt/gravel road loop we have that has a good hill, but he was too sensitive in back to want to trot out, so we just walked. All the trails around here are nasty mud right now, so no good for anything but slow work. 

I messaged a fellow around here who does barefoot trimming and hoof boots, so hopefully he can come out and hook us up soon.


----------



## greentree

I had a wonderful day!! The weather was perfect, and Mary came over, so I took Alaska, the fairy princess horse, up in the woods for a ride. We have worked up to 1 1/2 hours. We kept looping around, up and down, then went out to the road. She has never seen traffic, so I am hoping to meet a car or two while we are out. I think we have seen one.This is part of the herd enjoying the sun!! Alaska is the front chestnut.

Nancy


----------



## greentree

This evening I put the dressage saddle on Tootsie and worked her in the arena. It has been 6 months or so since I did any schooling on her, and she was really good. I will probably do the LD on her, since she has the base Alaska doesn't have. I enjoy riding Alaska, though, and I will get her legged up for a fall ride. 

DH calls Tootsie "America's Favorite Horse", from when we were traveling a lot to shows, and everyone at the stops would admire her. 

BWF Tootsie+/


----------



## EnduranceLover6

Just read through and all caught up on everyone's excitement! 

Dawn--I totally must have missed that Dream cut her forehead open. I would have fainted  Hope she is healing fast! 

Not much trail riding going on in my neck of the woods, other than the occasional 2 mile bareback ride I get on my lunch break lol :lol:

Today I had a friend take a conformation shot of Miss Selena Mare so I could see how much her muscling has changed since I bought her...pretty neat to compare!


----------



## Sharpie

Whelp. Did a 30 miler today. Wasn't the plan.

We went for a ride this morning, just an hour and a half or so, figure somewhere between 7-10 miles, but at the end of it, we came across a group doing field trial events with their dogs and horses. It sounded interesting and they welcomed us to come out with them, so we rode the next mile or two back to the barn, gave the horses lunch and chilled for an hour or so. 

Then we rode back out to their camp and joined them. We rode another almost four hours, mostly trotting with some cantering mixed in. Those guys can MOVE! It was cool to see the dogs working too. I don't know if I can walk tomorrow though.

My horse and my buddy's did great though! You'd never know they had time off. The only 'issue' was that they're still in full winter fur and it was something like 60 degrees today! I was definitely worrying about the (relative) heat and them working too hard, but neither got too badly sweated up or soaked, so we just stayed conservative and ended with tired, but sound and hungry ponies.

It was a heck of a test for the Easyboot Edges I have though- and they passed! They stayed on with no rubs or issues through fields, mud, streams, forest and swampy parts. It was a good day!


----------



## greentree

So, Sharpie, we will see you at LBL in April, right??? Sounds like the horse is ready, and you should be able to do a trot out for the vet by then!!!

My waist is sore this morning from schooling in that flat, slick Stubben dressage saddle! I rode Tootsie again yesterday, schooled her for 25 minutes, took her out on the trails for 45 minutes, came back and worked some canter circles for another 20 minutes. She worked up a pretty good sweat, even though it was 10 degrees cooler than Saturday, and the wind was howling. 

My HRM should be here soon...21st century, here I come!

Nancy


----------



## Smokeyhorse

We will be at LBL too! Today it was low 60s here, we did 14 miles, several mountain pulls. I checked heart rates today, pretty good but not quite ready. 


_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## phantomhorse13

so jealous..


----------



## Smokeyhorse

Yeah it was a nice weekend for sure, suppose to be 15 Wednesday night. That's frigid for Tennessee! We don't do cold or snow very well
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## Smokeyhorse

I'm jealous of people who get to ride more than once a week
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## Sharpie

Definitely planning on LBL- the only question is which distance! At the end of last season, I was thinking 50, but I am not sure we're going to be ready for that. Then again, PonyBoy was bright and frisky today, so perhaps my concern and worry about loss of condition over the winter wasn't quite as big a deal as I thought it would be. I'm a bit sore, but nothing debilitating or that a couple Ibuprofen didn't bring down to a reasonable level. A couple more long rides in the next few weeks might convince me to go for it though. We'll see. If not, I've got a couple 'green beans' who want to come out and do the 25 that I would be happy to help introduce and guide on their first ride too.

Our new saddle (an older style Wintec Endurance) seems to be working okay- no soreness when I palpated his back today, even after me trying to sit a trot half the ride yesterday and doing a poor job of it, especially after I got tired. It is tough to try to match pace with those TN Walkers, but fun and a good workout too! Decisions, decisions!

I hear you Smokey! I only get out once, MAYBE twice a week. If I'm lucky!


----------



## Horsesaplenty

Spent the morning yesterday with my friend and trainer working on moving Luka's body. He's loosing muscle tone along his rump..traveling at a shashay pulling himself along instead of pushing himself along. So we are working on getting that rear engaged. He's killing my knees going downhill because he's bouncing heavy on the front instead of sitting that rear down and going down slowly. So for now, that's what we'll be doing in the arena. I've got to get all that down before we can start working on his lead changes.


----------



## Zexious

Smokehorse--Love the ear pics. Don't worry, I'm jealous of'um too


----------



## greentree

Smokeyhorse, where is this place you ride? It cannot be too far from me...

Horsesaplenty, good luck with that work! I have a gelding who drags his rear toes for no reason. 

Sharpie, YAY!! I will be easy to find...S L O W, in the back of the pack. I need to get over to LBL and at least get a feel for the place! 

My GPS, according to UPS, is supposed to land here today!! I will probably be starting a [email protected]@!! does this thing do....thread. That sucker better have good instructions!!

I am going to ride today, since it did NOT snow like they said it would, and it did NOT get as cold as they said it would, and the SUN is SHINING!!

Nancy


----------



## Smokeyhorse

I am about 1 hr southeast of Nashville off 24. We ride I'm the Monteagle mountain/McMinnville area.


----------



## Eole

GreenTree, did you order the 310XT? I have the 305 and it's a really fun tool to use.

I enjoy reading about everyone's rides. It will be many weeks (or months) before I can do any real training. Meanwhile, I take dressage lessons twice a month and get in shape with cross-country skiing and Pilates. Might just as well enjoy the winter... :wink:


----------



## greentree

Smokeyhorse, thanks! I live just north of Bowling Green. Not too far. 

Eole, it came YESTERDAY!! I tried to hook it up before I rode yesterday, but the light was fading TOO fast, and I had to look at the directions at every step, sot through parts, etc., so I gave up and rode! 

I am sure I will have plenty of frustrated questions about it in a few days!!!

Nancy


----------



## cobra

Smokeyhorse said:


> I am about 1 hr southeast of Nashville off 24. We ride I'm the Monteagle mountain/McMinnville area.


Sounds like you are close to where i am.....i'm about an hr south/southeast of Nashville. I hope to join this thread next year, when my boy is old enough. I have a coming 3 yo reg. arabian colt who i plan to train for endurance.


----------



## TheOtherHorse

Is anyone else getting really irritated with this worst winter ever that will not end!?! 
Our weather has been awful, with more on the forecast. I haven't done anything but ride bareback in months. The footing is slick surface mud over frozen ground. And I just realized the ride I'm planning this spring is in 10 weeks and I haven't done a conditioning ride since early December (good thing I'm not planning on the April ride!) Usually by this time of year it is spring here. I guess I'm going to have to start hauling out to condition on graveled trails... if only they would stop salting the roads so I could use my trailer without rotting the frame! :-( Come on spring! I need to ride!


----------



## greentree

TheOtherHorse, which ride are you planning? It is a little irritating, but better 34 than 106 for me. I do not know where Crestwood is.

Cobra, HOW is that cute boy of yours doing? 

I heard there is a "downed tree marking ride" tomorrow at Mammoth Cave. It is the Back Country Horsemen putting it on. Is anybody planning to go?

I could not find anything about it on their website, but I don't think I can go anyway. I MAY go up to Mammoth Cave today, if I can figure out my HRM/GPS.

Nancy


----------



## TheOtherHorse

greentree said:


> TheOtherHorse, which ride are you planning? It is a little irritating, but better 34 than 106 for me. I do not know where Crestwood is.


I'm just northeast of Louisville. Planning on doing the LD at Indy Run in May (previously Maumee Valley). 

I could handle the cold if the footing were better! I just don't want to risk injury riding fast on the slick stuff around here. It is a thin layer of mud over frozen ground, nothing to dig into for traction. Yuck.


----------



## greentree

Cool! I have been in the Central region for so long that I forget here I have to check rides in more than one region!! Iwill check on that ride.

I rode 6.16 miles before my battery died on the GPS, so I probably did 9.5 miles today.


----------



## TheOtherHorse

greentree said:


> Cool! I have been in the Central region for so long that I forget here I have to check rides in more than one region!! Iwill check on that ride.
> 
> I rode 6.16 miles before my battery died on the GPS, so I probably did 9.5 miles today.


It is actually put on by DBDR, so lots of KY people go. Easy drive from Louisville. It is at Midwest Trail Ride, which I have heard a lot of good things about, but haven't been yet. That is the main reason I chose that ride, I like to check out new places. I've heard that the ride is very well run and worth the drive. Hope to see you there!


----------



## phantomhorse13

Today the temperature was above 15F and the wind was under 20mph!! 

:happydance:

So despite the snow/ice mess that is the ground, I rode Dream and ponied George. I thought we would be just going around in circles in the yard, but parts of the yard were skating rinks, so I actually wound up doing my circles on the neighbor's property. Went up their driveway and then cut around a cornfield, then back to the driveway. Their cars were at the house (which I rode by every lap), so I can only imagine they thought I was crazy, as I lapped their field 7 times. But it was better than nothing!!




















Tomorrow it may or may not snow a ton (nobody seems to know if the storm is going south or going to hit us), so everyone please send 'go south' vibes!!


2014 mileage
...
02/22/14 dream 12.90 miles 4.8 mph 110.20 total miles
03/01/14 dream w/george 11.10 miles 5.9 mph 121.30 total miles


----------



## cobra

greentree said:


> Cobra, HOW is that cute boy of yours doing?
> Nancy


He is doing well, had a visit from the vet a wk ago and had his annual shots, coggins, and his teeth checked - wolf teeth removed as well. Plan to start him under saddle this summer/fall after he turns 3. Provided all goes as planned, next summer/fall we will be hitting a couple LD's. Will try and get some recent pics up soon.


----------



## Sharpie

Rode today! Tried new Renegade Vipers and they were awesome, especially as the color is bright enough to see if they're still on easily. The EasyBoots, well, not as much. Not sure how/why but one twisted 180 on his front foot, and then some time later tore off and disappeared never to be found again. Oh well, but Jayne moved GREAT in them, better than he has maybe ever, so I'm getting another pair of Renegades, may they last better than the EB did. It only had like 50 miles on it!

I also brought a Garmin eTrex along for the ride and have spent the last two hours trying to figure the darned thing out, lol! But, now, I think I kind of have it. It looks like we went about 14 miles, including some stretches of cantering, which was fun.

It was quite warm, and pony is quite furry. When we came in, his pulse was 64bpm, but after a quick hose and walk over to his lunch and me putting away some tack (maybe 10min?) he had dropped back down to a happy 48. He'll never be an arabian with their low pulses, but it made me happy that even though he started higher than his two riding buddies, he dropped more than they did in the same period of time.


----------



## Horsesaplenty

Did a 24 mile Natrc ride this weekend. VERY hilly area for where we live. But with those 10 min holds they have for pulse and respiration checks, he easily made good marks. He was at 49 bpm and 16 resp pm. 

I don't know how some of you ride places like that, up and down....flat a little....up and down....flat a bit, etc. Can't get any decent pace going. But it was still a good conditioning time for Luka and I.


----------



## Zexious

phantomhorse--Looks like I'm not the only one who is over the snow xD


----------



## TheOtherHorse

I'm FINALLY back to riding regularly. The footing has even dried out in some places, so I have a path for trotting/cantering laps around a field. Of course, it is raining today now... but its a start. My poor cowpony is a bit out of shape from the long winter. We have our work cut out for us...


----------



## phantomhorse13

DH and I got out to ride yesterday. Mother nature is perhaps thinking spring, as the weather went from cold and windy to sunny and warm literally overnight..










If you look closely, notice I am riding in a tshirt!! The footing was a lovely substance we have labeled "slud" (slush on the top, mud underneath). It ranged from not much as seen above to still 4-6 inches of slud.











But the sun was shining and it was almost 60. We laughed about the irony of riding thru slud while getting a tan!




















I can't express how happy I was to NOT be riding in the same 1 mile circle!!! :lol:

Had hoped to get out tomorrow, but forecast is rain and more @%$#ing snow this evening.. and back to high of 21 with winds 30+mph tomorrow.. :shock:


2014 mileage
...
03/05/14 dream w/george 20.19 miles 7.3 mph 141.49 total miles
03/11/14 dream 10.39 miles 5.3 mph 151.88 total miles


----------



## greentree

Did your 310 come with that nifty strap, or did you find that somewhere else? I guess I need to call about my GPS if yours doesn't reset to that screen.

Glad you got to wear short sleeves, too! I got some sun on my neck, wish I had been wearing a tank top!!

Nancy


----------



## phantomhorse13

greentree said:


> Did your 310 come with that nifty strap, or did you find that somewhere else? I guess I need to call about my GPS if yours doesn't reset to that screen.


I actually bought that strap at walmart for $10!! its a generic "sports strap" for watches 16-20mm. In the past, I have gotten ugly rubs from the plasticy straps the garmins come with, so didn't want to even risk it with this one (though I have to say the strap seems thicker than my others.. so maybe that wouldn't be an issue).


----------



## greentree

Oh great, thanks!! I will look for one. Mine turns to the outside on my wrist, so it requires two hands to read....annoying!

Nancy


----------



## Eole

Horseaplenty, the NATRC ride you describe is exactly like where I live. Hills, short ups and downs with little flat here and there. Good conditioning but I cannot teach my horses to keep a steady trot for more than a few minutes. And every event I attend is all flat trails. Don't we all have our training challenges...

About the Garmin, I have the 305 and only problem is the "start-stop" button is easy to hit by mistake while riding. I've lost info like this more than once. Is the 310 the same?

Snow storm yesterday and another one heading our way tomorrow. -20C this morning. I envy anyone riding in a shirt...:wink:


----------



## phantomhorse13

Eole said:


> I have the 305 and only problem is the "start-stop" button is easy to hit by mistake while riding. I've lost info like this more than once. Is the 310 the same?
> 
> Snow storm yesterday and another one heading our way tomorrow. -20C this morning. I envy anyone riding in a shirt...:wink:



I haven't ridden with the 310 enough yet to know, but I did sometimes have issues with hitting the buttons on my 305. Will let you know how it goes!


While I may have been riding in a tshirt 2 days ago, today its a balmy 14F with 30+mph winds.. meaning the windchill is somewhere around -20F. :shock: Needless to say, I am not riding today!!


----------



## greentree

I used to hit the buttons on my Timex ALL the time, but only when I NEEDED it, like timing a lap.....never just trotting down the trail!

I rode the fairy princess horse today with the 310. We did 2 miles in the woods....good to know I have not been lying about my mileage, lol!! THis mare does not walk as good as her mother yet. Her mother walked about 5 mph, always like she had someplace to GO!! Alaska walks about 3.5, but is still a little unsure, so maybe she will relax and speed up. Todays lesson: how to walk on rocks, and there are KITTY CATS in the woods!! 

Her HR was not being picked up most of the time, but we did not even trot more than 20 steps, so no big deal.

Nancy


----------



## Horsesaplenty

Need to get out today. To darn pretty to stay in, but have a ton to do around here and company coming for dinner...isn't that always the case it seems. Things are finally drying out though! So excited about that.


----------



## greentree

The wind is HOWLING here, and I worked on cleaning the barn most of the day. So, I worked my upper body. I was going to ride, but I was tired of the wind!

Nancy


----------



## phantomhorse13

Had been hoping to get some riding in this weekend, but yet again momma nature had other ideas. It wasn't too bad Saturday morning, but by the time I left work it was overcast and the winds were howling. Sunday the temp plummeted and the wind was still roaring, with real feel in the low single digits.

Today wasn't very warm (a balmy 24), but the wind had dropped to a gentle breeze, so it was rideable. We got so lucky the big snow storm went south, so we had some clouds in the morning but the sun was actually breaking thru by the end of the ride. DH had to work, so I rode Dream and ponied George again.

Footing varied from frozen snow/ice to frozen mud (the only good kind!). 




















After I got done with the ride, I decided it was time for Gamer to remember she wasn't feral. I brought her in, tacked her up, and took her for a 2 mile walk (in-hand) around the fields. She was wonderful for the tacking up, but was a touch distracted for the start of the walk. Some ground work got her focused and she was soft and relaxed by the time we got back. I actually got on and off her a couple times from various places and she didn't bat an eye.










:clap:


2014 mileage
...
03/11/14 dream 10.39 miles 5.3 mph 151.88 total miles
03/17/14 dream w/george 15.66 miles 6.2 mph 167.54 total miles


----------



## phantomhorse13

Weather finally cooperated and I got some much-needed saddle time in on Sultan. Says something about how ugly the winter has been when 34 with only a light wind was exciting ride weather.. our normal high for this time of year is 50!

Once nice thing about the raging winds lately was that they did a pretty good job drying up all the melting snow. The snow is gone most places, with only the big plow piles or protected north sides of slopes hanging around. The ground isn't totally dry, but it was dry enough the overnight low froze it into something that was almost nice footing!




















When I came home on a trail I hadn't attempted to travel all winter because its generally wet (therefore would be a sheet of ice), wasn't I horrified to find this: 










Who needs a nice wooded trail anyway?! :???: *sigh* The downside to riding on private land.. nobody to stop the landowner from making "improvements." :shock:


Once I got back, out came the clippers and Dream and George got clipped for the upcoming ride. Seemed insane to be clipping a horse when it's still so cold outside, but the weatherman swears its going to get warmer after today..




















Of course their blankets went right back on after the clipping was done. By this time last year, everyone was nekkid. This year, they are still in their middleweights!


2014 mileage
...
03/17/14 dream w/george 15.66 miles 6.2 mph 167.54 total miles
03/27/14 sultan 12.04 miles 6.7 mph 179.58 total miles


----------



## greentree

I got the Garmin fixed! It works really well now. Now that my endurance training has been derailed for a bit due to vaccinations. Three horses reacted to them, Tootsie, the worst (of course!!). It also cost me an arm and a leg, so it will be a month or so before I recover from that, since diesel went UP 20 cents!

I will just be riding my gray mare and my fairy princess horse here at the house, getting them prepared for endurance!! The gray mare is for sale if anybody knows anybody. 

Nancy


----------



## phantomhorse13

greentree said:


> The gray mare is for sale if anybody knows anybody.


What are the details on the mare? I have a friend looking for a biggish (like 15-16h) husband-safe trail horse.


----------



## TrailDustMelody

phantomhorse, I just want to say that is a super awesome clip. I have zilch experience with clipping (besides taking scissors to my mare's fetlocks, lol) but I just thought that clip looked really neat.


----------



## greentree

phantomhorse13 said:


> What are the details on the mare? I have a friend looking for a biggish (like 15-16h) husband-safe trail horse.


I SWEAR I responded to this! Lost in Cyberspace, I guess. Sorry!

Lucy is NOT that. Even standing NEXT to her, I would swear she was 15 h, but she sticks at 14.1 3/4. She is quite the sensitive type. 

She is really nice to ride, and would be really lovely as a dressage or sport horse, as well as endurance.

Nancy


----------

