Training ride - learned so much!
Phantom, sorry your horse is laid up right now and hope she is better soon.
I went on a training ride with my endurance buddy yesterday. OMG we had a blast and laughed like fools a few times. We hauled 100 miles to a park that used to have endurance rides years ago. Miles and miles of trails in all kinds of terrains.
Lee Ann had been to an endurance clinic with Darolyn Butler and she had all kinds of hints and tips. One was wearing a fanny pack with water bottles attached in case one becomes separated from their horse they will have water on them.
Ok...I trot myself to Academy and purchase a deluxe fanny pack and I can tell you I am at this moment in my life THE LAST person on earth who should frame their backside with a fanny pack!! :shock::shock::shock::shock:
My fairly new Justin Gypsy's toe came loose so I replaced them with Ariat riding shoes and now I need half chaps. Anywhoo...Tractor Supply switch the Gypsy's for the Ariat's and I bought some
pink Anti-Monkey Butt powder :lol::lol::lol:, zinc oxide (otherwise known as diaper rash ointment!), another water bottle with a koozie thingy on it.
Ok...we are ready to ride. We tack up - heart monitors in place, watch monitor was working, GIANT fanny pack like a rocket pack on, socks rolled up over my pants - folks, I was a fox! I think Biscuit looked away so I wouldn't see him roll his eyes at me. Ok...my two water bottles of frozen water were HEAVY. I discard one water bottle, zinc oxide, a few Fiber One bars to lighten the load and off we go. Ok...the pack is throwing me off MAJORLY :evil:. A few times the bottle went under my backside. It was hot...it itched...it was unbalancing me. Biscuit was thinking "darn...she needs to shut the heck up and just ride" :wink:
After 3 miles or so I took off the fanny pack and strapped it to the cantle of the saddle. I couldn't stand it another minute!
The ride was fantastic and Biscuit is in pretty darn good shape. He was trotting fast and had a heart rate at its highest of 125 and he pulsed down nearly immediately each time. He pulsed down as fast as his Arabian buddy, Legato. We only rode 13 miles but we got to use our Garmin's to find our way back to a waypoint and navigate by directions on the Garmin to "go southeast"!!! Also found out that Biscuit's has a wonderful sense of direction and once went the wrong way and he stopped himself, looked around and then turned around! I had to laugh at him. His name is now Biscuit Navigator Garmin....I think that is a great name for an endurance horse!
We had a great time and I am pretty darn sure we are ready for a 25 miler and hopefully sometime next year a 50 miler. At any rate we are having a blast training for it!