# Northern Highland



## QueenofFrance08 (May 16, 2017)

Well because it's been so long since my last ride post (LOL) it's time for another! This weekend I took a mini vacation and headed across the border to Wisconsin to try out one of their rides. I left DH at home with the dogs and horses and Stitch and I loaded up in our little stock trailer and drove 6 hours out Thursday to Northern Wisconsin (almost Michigan Upper Peninsula). The camp was beautiful, it was a private property with camp being in fenced in pastures that the resident Scottish Highland cattle normally live in. There was currently only 2 cows at the farm who terrorized the horses (by standing around and eating ha ha) the whole weekend. There was a cabin where the vets stayed and volunteers had access to with a real bathroom and heat which came in handy for Friday! I set up my tent and Stitch's pen and headed over for the spaghetti dinner hosted by the local fire department. After a delicious dinner I stayed for ride meeting even though I wasn't riding the next day and met a few WI riders before heading to bed. 

Friday I woke up at 6:45 and had a hard time getting out of my warm sleeping bag but I felt guilty for not being out helping already as the 50's left camp at 6:30. I got dressed and grabbed a granola bar and headed up to the vetting area. I was surprised to find the vet (an endurance veteran) was much different than the MN vets I was used to. She didn't really care to have a scribe (our vets usually refuse to do a vet in without a scribe) and was certainly not as picky as most of our vets were. I met the other ride manager (who was also a vet and the second ride vet for the day) and she took me out to do a surprise pulse and respiration check for the CTR riders. I got to hold her adorable 8 month old son while she was taking pulses which was fun! Unfortunately while we were out it started raining and we had left all rain gear back at camp (I had left all rain gear in our big trailer but the other ride manager had offered me a spare jacket). We got back to camp and I was instantly assigned to help the other ride manager and one of the husbands who was back at camp while his wife rode catch 2 rogue dogs that had gotten out of their trailer while their owners were out riding. They were small little (under 20) lb dogs but they were mean! We tried lureing them back to the trailer with food but that was worthless. They were too busy running around and growling at us. We finally were able to open the truck door and one jumped in after 15 minutes of chasing and then we were able to shut the second one in the trailer shortly after. It took about an hour in total running around in soaking wet grass in the rain! My socks and shoes were soaked through and I didn't want to change because I only had one dry pair of shoes left and it was still raining. We spent the rest of the afternoon helping with vetting and making food and making up placing lists and watching the rain from the big cabin porch. I changed my shoes around 5:00 pm and shortly after my friend Toni arrived and I ended up moving all of my gear over to her spot soaking my dry shoes and socks in less than an hour. Toni had graciously offered to let me stay in her trailer for the night which was amazing since the rain continued throughout the night. Stitch was happy to have a buddy (she knows Toni's horse Nevaeh because Toni comes to most of the MN rides) and I was happy for a dry bed! We went to the potluck and had jambalaya and delicious deserts and I won one of the raffle prizes (a makeup bag). We went to Toni's friends campfire and stayed up a little too late telling stories with those guys before heading to bed. 

I woke up around 5:30 for the 7:00 30 mile LD on Saturday morning and started scrambling to get Stitch ready. No matter how much time I give myself I seem to be running late. We headed out on the trail and managed to stay with a group of 3 other LD riders for the first 7 miles before they left us at a water stop. I was pretty worried because Stitch has never been on trail alone and she wasn't necessarily thrilled to be by herself. She kept trying to turn around and I was concerned we might run across one of the local black bears the Friday rider's had seen. I was hoping Toni and the other CTR riders would catch up with me (they had left camp at 7:15) so we could ride with them (that was originally our plan, I would go slow the first few miles and they would catch up and we would head out with them) but somehow we managed to finish the rest of the 19 mile loop on our own. Stitch was so upset she wasn't eating on the trail (VERY unlike her) which was worrying me but at least she was drinking. We came into the hold (back at camp) and she vetted in well with a little screaming for the surrounding horses. Toni and friend Laura were 5 minutes behind us so I knew I could ride the rest of the ride with them. The 50 minute hold went by way too quickly and Stitch and I headed out on the 11 mile loop by ourselves. She was clearly upset to be alone so I took it easy and Toni and Laura caught up with us quickly. We had a good time and stayed with them for the rest of the ride. They were really far ahead of their optimum time (which ended an hour before my maximum time) so we took it easy and walked a bit of the trail as it was soggy and torn up from the riders the day before. We got back and Stitch was pulsed down to 60 almost instantly. She managed to knock me over while I was trying to pull her bridle off (my legs were a little wiggly) and she was a complete turd for the vet!!!! Last weekend she was so tired after the 30 she stood like a rock but apparently that wasn't the case this week! One of the 50 mile riders walked by and told me I better enter her in a 50 next time because clearly a 30 wasn't enough for us. Toni and Nevaeh hadn't even started vetting in (they have to wait 10 minutes to get pulse taken after coming in) when I started walking Stitch back to the trailer and Stitch was not happy to be leaving her buddy. She was screaming her fussy little head off and I had to walk her in circles the whole way down because she kept trying to run ahead of me. I tied her to the trailer and gave her a hay bag and she started rearing! I put her in her pen and she ran circles for awhile before finally starting to settle down. Toni came back with Nevaeh shortly after which made the diva happy. I started packing up as soon as I came in since I wanted to get home that night preferably before dark. We hit the road around 3 and made it back home at 9:30 where thankfully DH took care of Stitch for me and let me get some food and a shower. 

I never thought Stitch would be a 50 mile horse but now I'm starting to think she may have it in her (at least in the spring or fall when it's not so hot for her stocky self). We finished an hour before maximum time for the first time and probably could have been 40 minutes faster if we would have actually tried on the second loop instead of moseying with the CTR riders. I'm going to see if she can do 2 LD's (back to 25 miles) at our next ride and go from there. We wouldn't try until next spring but it seems like 30 isn't enough for her anymore!

Now for pictures!


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## carshon (Apr 7, 2015)

I love your posts! I am sure my horse could do an LD but I don't think I have it in me! So happy to see you doing well in your endurance rides


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## QueenofFrance08 (May 16, 2017)

@carshon I didn't think I would have it in me either! I couldn't move for DAYS after our first 12 mile ride! Thanks for commenting I'm glad to know someone reads these and likes them! I feel like I'm writing a novel!


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

great story!!!




(if you could put in paragraph breaks . . . . though)?


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## QueenofFrance08 (May 16, 2017)

tinyliny said:


> great story!!!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


There are on my computer. Maybe there's another bug in the system?


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## QueenofFrance08 (May 16, 2017)

Well I apologize everyone. I am an accountant and not a writer. 

This is why I never started a journal. I'll keep my ride posts to the book of faces with short blurbs.


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

That would be a shame. it is a great story. as is. paragraph breaks are just a suggestion, and I'm sorry they didn't carry through when it posted. the system does wierd things sometimes.


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

What a fun adventure. I've always thought I'd like to do endurance, but my mare is too spooky to go off-property.

I am interested in the temporary pen you put up, however. We take my daughter's horse to shows and clinics, and don't always have a paddock to put him in. I've thought of just using step-in and electrobraid type fencing, but do you use a charger, and if so, what kind?


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## QueenofFrance08 (May 16, 2017)

@Acadianartist I do use step in posts and electrical fence tape (leftovers from the last pasture we fenced). A lot of people have battery operated chargers but we have a solar charger that we use on one of our fences so I just unhook that and bring it with me. I might look into a battery operated one (as a back up if nothing else) but the solar ones hold power for a long time even if there is no sun.


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## knightrider (Jun 27, 2014)

@Acadianartist, I have a battery powered charger. I've had it for 5 years and it still works great. It uses 2 D batteries and the batteries usually last about 2 years. I use it to go camping and go about 6 times a year, sometimes for 6 days. The whole system of fenceposts, electric braid, charger, testor and handles cost about $200.


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## phantomhorse13 (Feb 18, 2011)

Congrats on another successful ride! As always, some parts go well and some parts show you what you still need to work on. Stitch was great to tolerate scary cows and bigfoots tied to trees , but she needs more practice being by herself. So guess you will be ditching DH more in future! :wink:


Hope you have dried out and aren't feeling too crunchy. Do you use electrolytes for yourself? I have found they make a _huge_ difference in how I feel after rides.


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## QueenofFrance08 (May 16, 2017)

@phantomhorse13 I try to drink a few Gatoraids after the ride, does that count? I know a lot of our rides are sponsored by a company that makes people electrolytes and they usually have samples but I haven't tried those. I need to get better about taking care of myself, I usually forget to eat anything until after the first loop....


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## AnitaAnne (Oct 31, 2010)

What an exciting ride! Miss Stitch was showing out but finished well anyway  

That cattle is SCARY! Big horns, big belly :rofl: 

Plus Bigfoot :rofl: 

The pictures are great and I love reading about your adventures! Don't change to FB I don't have it :frown_color:

So a 50 in the spring? WOW 

:loveshower:


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## QueenofFrance08 (May 16, 2017)

@AnitaAnne Those cattle were terrifying! Thankfully they're quiet, chill big oafs! The first day they were hanging out right by the vet check and we had some funny trot outs (super slow towards the cattle, flying back away from them). 

Bigfoot was great! The beads were part of the completion prizes on the first day (apparently ride manager's daughter lived in New Orleans for a few years) so some of the more creative riders helped decorate him on the second day. 

Yeah I'm thinking we are going to try a 50 where we did our first LD. It's pretty similar to what we ride on at home and it's still pretty cool that time of year so hopefully that will make it easier on her. We're getting faster but that's what I worry the most about so I'll have to see how she finishes this year out. Never thought she might be a 50 mile horse but she seems up to the challenge!


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## lsdrider (Jun 27, 2012)

Looks like a great place for a ride! Horses gotta love all that grass in their pen.

I bet your horse is ready for 50's - yes speed kills. Fancy and I did BTB LD's this past weekend. Yesterdays first loop was very / too fast. She met Dr. Rae's approval at the finish so we will be doing her first 50 in two weeks.

Someday a destination race in your neck of the woods will be in order...


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## QueenofFrance08 (May 16, 2017)

@lsdrider Dr Rae was the vet at Northern Highland! First time I met her, she's amazing! Our vets here are much... Picky-er! More like I need to do a destination ride in your area! I have Shore to Shore on my bucket list! I think we're going for back to back LD's this weekend at Charity Cup and see how she does with that.


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