Happy Camp, Moorpark, CA
with Cynthia & Rebecca.
I am going to start this note with a big thank you to all of the
fabulous folks I have already met, who have welcomed me into this sport and the
world of endurance with open arms. You are all incredible ambassadors for your sport!
Happy New Year and may you always be on sure footed and happy horses, and may
the trails rise up to meet you. See you out on the trail in 2014!
Starting with a quick
sidebar: I’m the type of person that likes to belong to the organization
that governs whatever I’m going. And so in that vein I joined the AERC and
since I’d also like to join a State group I joined the California StateHorseman’s Association and will be participating in their Endurance and TRAP
(Trail Riders Awards Program), which basically keeps track of all my time on
the trail (and time helping to maintain trails). It’s my idea that as a newbie,
having the help and support of these groups can only help me, and at the same
time I’m supporting the sport, trail maintenance and so on. And I got my AERC
member number today so I'm good to go.
New Years Day Ride: So the plan was for me to ride the Grey
gelding, Everest, again at Happy Camp in Moorpark, I was looking
forward to moving out a little quicker on this ride. His owner had checked in with me about pushing him a bit more because in a few weeks he will be doing a 30-mile
ride, and I can help the efforts to make sure he takes those 30 miles in
stride. We were going to get out the heart rate monitor to watch his rates
during the ride and go a bit farther this time.
But the night before his owner calls me and she is having to
back out of the ride, BUT has already arranged for me to ride another woman’s
horse. Sounds good to me, I’m just going where the trail leads right?
So I meet Cynthia Binder and Rebecca where their
horses live and helped load up. I’m to ride a seasoned, ½ Arabian, ½ quarter
horse named Orion. They let me know that he has carried many new and experienced
endurance riders, tell me a little about him, and mention that he has won many
awards, including championships in dressage. See him on YouTube this year. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tft5wnk4LGk#t=0
Now since I am a newbie, I don’t know anyone. I don’t know
“who folks are," or who the veteran riders are. Well, after the ride, I looked
up Cynthia & Rebecca on the AERC site (all members records are tracked,
reported there along with the horses), and realized that I had just been out
(yet again) with some riders who have been doing this a long time. Talk about a
wealth of knowledge. Miles and miles, and so many different rides, year after year. I am in good hands yet again.
I really think this is exactly where I am supposed to be,
cause I just keep getting connected with exactly the “right” folks. Loving it.
Ok back to the ride.
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| That me on Orion (the bay) and Rebecca on her cute young Mustang. Orion was munching on some grass along the trail. |
So – the first thing I’m really excited about is that Orion
is a “self loader” into the trailer. I mean the polo ponies would mostly just
walk on up and in the trailer too, but this guy, you just toss the lead rope
over his neck while I'm standing on the ground next to him, and he just walks
up and into his spot. Easy peesy mac-n-cheesy. That’s what I’m talking about!
Any horse I get, I want to know how to train them to do that. And the same
getting out. I go in, let him know it’s time to back up, and he just does it.
And the next thing I was excited about was the saddle. I was getting to
not only ride on a true endurance saddle (a western style one – with a rounded
pommel, no horn) but one with sheepskin on it too. OH baby that felt good. And with
sheepskin all the way down the stirrup fenders, I liked that too.
So Cynthia was on her - “forget about it” – Arabian stallion
Jimmy. I say “forget about it” cause you will not believe that he is a
stallion. And Rebecca was on her young, still green, but going good BLM Mustang.
We did a lot more trotting this time at Happy Camp than my last ride there.
Good for me to get used to that, to gauge my own fitness and to just practice
getting in the rhythm of trotting for a long time, up hill. Orion has one of
the nicest trots I’ve felt; all his gaits are super smooth. And while he is
perfectly happy to cruise along at whatever speed I ask, he does not hesitate
to kick it up a notch.
GEAR ADJUSTMENT: Ok so I love my helmet and Da Brim (sun
brim) set up. But on this ride the wind kicked up quite a bit when we hit the
upper portion of the hill. And while I knew the brim was totally secure on my
helmet, I quickly learned that I needed to tighten my helmet chinstrap. I felt
like the helmet was going to take flight a few times. It never was going to
impact my vision, and since I knew the plan was to dismount for Chalk Hill
where I could adjust my helmet, I just coped with a helmet that wanted to fly
for a bit. I thought of it as good training for me, a slight equipment
malfunction. And I’ll have to consider if the shade provided by the brim is
worth the “tug” on my head during high wind events.
So we reach chalk hill. Remember, the last time we rode down
it, me on the young horse that had never done it before. But, this ride the
plan was to ground walk down the hill. It gave me another good chance to wear
in my Ariat shoes – they did great, and the traction felt secure for me on that
narrow, rocky, sliding at times trail – and to start getting used to walking
down steep trails with a horse – something I just have never done. But I got a
bunch of rocks in my shoes. Yes, I need a pair of half chaps (planning on the
fabulous fringe ones that a lady custom makes, just deciding on the color) that
will help with the rocks I think.
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| My no longer new Ariat riding shoes after a walk down Chalk Hill. |
Once we came down the hill, and I had adjusted my chinstrap,
Cynthia offered Jimmy to me to ride for a bit. Ok, sure I’ll ride a stallion.
“The way Orion is a Mack truck, Jimmy is a Cadillac,” she said. Immediately I
felt that difference. Nothing flighty or nervous, he was just “listening” for
me to tell him what I wanted. Right away things were a tad off for me, my
stirrups were too long. I could sort of manage, but I didn’t feel secure with
him at his nice trot, and rather than mess with the stirrups, I just went back
on Orion. Which by that time, Cynthia had said I am welcome to ride him at
Cuyama in March. I could go up with Rebecca since she is taking her young mare
up and it will be good for her to be with a calm, older horse. Again, just
amazing ambassadors for the sport.
We do some cross-country exploring, find the year round
water spot, let the horses canter up a few spots and finish up about 10 miles
or so. A great fun ride.
So if everything pans out I’ll be on Orion at Cuyama doing
the 30-mile ride with Rebecca mentoring. In preparation I’ll be working on
trotting more and longer, getting all my own gear squared away (I need a better
chapstick with sunscreen) and finding out the preparation procedures from
Rebecca and how I can help.
Goals – 300 miles this year (20 miles logged so far), loss
10 pounds before Cuyama, work my trotting muscles a bit more, and find the
perfect undergarments for riding & trotting long distances – standard underwear
just doesn’t cut it.
Happy Trails in 2014.
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