Today's task...hunting for low traffic gravel roads

Seems like an easy enough task right? Not so much! I started with a series of roads that I remembered from my childhood which made a big rectangle of maybe five miles. Still pretty low traffic though more houses than way back in the dinosaur era...black top now except for one mile of very flat area, and no optimal location to pull off the horse trailer.

We have a gravel road that we cross when riding trails at the park so we drove over there and set the odometer and drove it. I can milk two miles out of that road and then when I turn around and come back four, and if I ride it twice doing intervals as this is the plan, I'd get eight miles. The pull off is on state park property so that may be the only problem with that one. Maybe if I call up the park manager and say I'm not riding on the park, but would it be alright if I park here? In most instances Doug would be in the parked truck so the worst result would be if someone came by and said move it I guess. I have a couple more spots to check out, and then we are going to start the training process for next year with different goals in mind.

*A better comfort level for Phebes on the road without the company of another horse.

*Work out our cantering bugaboo. She will canter on the trail but absolutely refuses to canter in an enclosed space. So once she is trotting consistently on the road we will work on opening up to the canter on one of the very flat straight stretches and see how that goes. I'd like to get her up to 1/4 mile sprinting, and eventually inch it up...up...up. Not because I plan to go fast next LD, but because I want all the gears working for "someday." If I can't do it myself, I may enlist the aid of a weekend clinic somewhere.

*Maintain a reasonable level of fitness for the winter so we can be ready again come spring.

*Beg, and plead for anyone who might want to...to ride at Henryville a few times as we close in on Spring again. I'd like to get some trotting in on those killer hills.

Phebes has been off about long enough. Have family obligations this week with Thanksgiving. Then back at it and onward into cold weather. ~E.G.

Mel...thanks for the Tom Ivers book info

I'm currently reading The racehorse owner's survival manual
by Tom Ivers
Published in 1989, Prober, Available from Equine Racing Systems (Fairlawn, N.J, Vevay, IN (RR3, Box 109, Vevay 47043))

Thanks Mel for the good book tip. I'm digging up some wonderful information to round out some of what I've read in endurance "how to's". I'm only a little way into the book and have four pages of notes! Phebes is still on R&R and I'm sitting around, reading, and regrouping for next year (ie. formulating some sort of improved plan as things have become static since the onset of DEER HUNTING SEASON). If you have any must read books on the topics of training the endurance athlete vs. the endurance horse, please share. ~E.G.

Listing some tack items for sale on the sidebar

Likewise if you have any for sale I'd be happy to post those up as well for you. ~E.G.

Working on lighter gear for next year.

The past two weeks I've done very little riding. Giving Phebes an opportunity to put on weight for a nice fat cover come winter. She went into winter last year a little lean, and was shivering at times. This year she will start out a little chubby. So since I haven't been riding I've been thinking about lightening up her load for next year. She really isn't a very big horse at 14.2 hands, very fine boned. Having given up the battle of ME losing weight, although I wish it to be so...I'm looking at changing out her gear.

Since my few riding lessons have me feeling reasonably balanced for the first time, I'm going to try an english saddle again. Have a 12 lb. Wintec VSD here with the X-Wide gullet in it. It is not the Euro-lite that I long for, but it is light, and should be easy to keep clean. Still have my skito pad which is very light. Need to invest in a good breast collar, and I'm lacking an English girth to fit it. Have been scratching my head trying to figure out how to get dee's put on the back of an english saddle. It doesn't look like this can be done easily, but apparently people do or they wouldn't have all their gear strapped on the saddle. I have a western cantle pack that is really nice, and if I had two side dee rings I could snap it on using the scissor clips. All I plan to carry in it is an extra boot, and soft yummy hay.

I'll ride it all winter and try to get myself as comfortable in it as I was the heavier saddle.

The treatment for scratches continues. Making progress again. This is the hardest stuff to clear up I've ever seen. Hoped to avoid giving her a drug for it, but may have to just go ahead and do it. She's had no lameness issue with it, just crusty scabby stuff. ~E.G.

Easyboot Gloves: All terrain, incredible hoof boot.

I know that some of you use various kinds of hoof boots and struggle with boots coming off in muddy conditions. If so...I strongly encourage that you give the Easyboot Gloves a try. I've been hock deep in mud before and came out with my Easyboot Gloves intact. Last weekend Doug rode his horse Cree wearing the Gloves, he accidently stepped into a bog that literally sunk Cree up to his knees in deep sucking mud. Cree came out of the bog with boots (muddy) ON. I have done some tough training rides in them, cantering, trotting, and always MUD MUD MUD, the Gloves stay put. I have not had any rubbing issues from the gaiters either. The key is to get the right size for a snug fit. If you are marginal on fit, try the Power Strap to further snug up the boot. The Easyboot Glove is lightweight, easy on, and easy off unlike older models of boots. I can put four Easyboot Gloves on in the time it took to apply one of the older model boots. Taking them off is incredibly easy. Fold down the gaiter, twist, and pull the boot off. Clean up? I hose them down, and actually throw them in the washer on "gentle", they come out looking fine (please note that this is not in the Easycare line of instructions...but it works for me). To make them look shiny and new? Armour-All or other product intended for your vinyl dashboard, and they become all nice, and shiny again. It is my hope to have her booted all around next season and try, try, again. ~ E.G.

Lida & Doc's Ride Story: Cave Country Canter

Photos by: Lida Pinkham Cave Country Canter 2009 Mud & Rock...
I think Stacey summed up the ride pretty well. I thought it was a tough ride and I'm glad to hear others did too. Whew! Doc was a trooper. If I had really known what I was getting him into, I might not have done it. But I think we both made it out OK. Doc was pretty pooped yesterday. I actually caught him laying down when I went to check on him last night and that is a rare thing. I checked him all over, but aside from being a little stiff, he seems none the worse for wear.

Thanks to Stacey and Barney for letting us ride with them a bit. Doc blew through quite a bit of steam at the beginning of the ride. (No coughing, yeah!) Not sure how far we had gone, but after about 1 1/2 hours, he was pretty pooped and started to really slow down, so I told Stacey to go on ahead. I had a feeling we would be taking the rest of the ride slow. When I saw Doc's muscles quivering on a hill, I decided maybe I should let him have a break. So we stopped and hung out for about 10-15 minutes. I ate an apple, fed him treats, and let him rest. This really put us behind, but after that he really perked up. We had all A's at the hold after 19 miles. He pulsed down right when we came into camp. No waiting.

I thought the 2nd loop was a bit more challenging than the first. There was really only 1 place where it was flat and I felt I could really move Doc out. It was a short stretch along the Ohio River - beautiful, but also VERY HOT! Doc was really dragging on the way out, but then we had to turn around and head back and boy did he perk right up.. We're headed back - yeah! Just when I thought he was all out of energy, he cantered for quite a ways on his own. Little buggar!

As we were heading back, I was watching the time and wondering if I would make it back in time to complete. I thought I had to be back by 2:00 p.m. and as I watched my watch 1:45, 1:50... I didn't think I was going to make it and then 1:55 - ahhh the end was in site. We popped out of the woods and I saw the camp sites. I hopped off Doc and walked back in. We pulsed down at 1:58 - just 2 minutes after we got back in. Turns out we had until 2:15 p.m. Nothing like getting in just in time. :-)

So did I pick 2 tough rides to start LD with or what - Spook Run and Cave Country. The mud was unbelieveable. I have not seen anything lilke that mud. I love the way Michelle described it on Jacke's blog... She called the mud "bogs". Doc's easy boot gloves were incredible. The front 2 never budged an inch. One of the hind boots came off on a hill on a log. I think he just slipped and twisted it off somehow. I was able to put that one on and it stayed put the rest of the ride. The other came off in one of the boggy muddy places and I heard it come off and was able to stop and retrieve it. It was too muddy to put back on and I knew we were on the home stretch, so I just packed it away. So I lost no boots. I am impressed by these glove boots! I could see if you were serious about making time, you might want the glue ons, but I think these are going to be good enough for as serious as I want to get.

Doc was a great partner for the entire trip. Except for his extra enthusiasm for the first 20 minutes of the ride. I don't think I could have asked for him to do anything better. I even rode most of the ride in a rope halter so he could eat and drink more easily. He was drinking out of muddy hoof prints like an old pro. I think for next year, we need to work on getting more miles under our belt and picking up the pace just a wee bit so we don't cut it so close at the end. :-)

So Doc & I have our first 60 miles toward the first mileage award, right? Don't you get something for 250 miles. :-) Maybe that can be a goal for next year.

(Congratulations on another 30 miles Lida & Doc)~E.G.

More results on Cave Country Canter

Stacey Johnson also finished the 30 mile LD on Barney in 12th place. I understand that Lida Pinkham also finished on Doc but haven't got her placement as yet. Congratulations both of you! ~E.G.

Cave Country Canter

Michelle Detmer's 50 mile ride story follows from the Cave Country Canter:

I am so blessed to have 2 great horses! We got 11th and 12th place!!!! We thought for sure we were last. But when we came in they said, no there are others behind you?!

I believe there were 21 riders, at least there may have been one or two more. Some were pulled only a few were behind us. We still went our own speed and were mostly alone (me and Sabine) 95% of the time. We started at 7am and were done around 4:45pm. There was tons of mud! Or I guess I should say bogs. Mud puddles at least have a bottom. This mud was like quick sands in spots, and it sucked you in. I know because I got personal with a couple of them. My boots came off in them. First one of my renegades. I search for a good 15 minutes. But unfortunately had to leave it. Then I foamed on an easy boot at the start of the second loop. So I had one renegade and one easyboot. They stayed on the entire loop until about 3 miles from the end and the easy boot came off. I looked for it for a few minutes but no luck. At the last hold I realized the one renegade I did have was broken. The cable broke (it can be replaced) I just wasn't able to do it there.) So I had no boots for the final loop. Which really didn't matter anyways because there was only about 4 miles of gravel road the rest was muddy bogs thru the trails. The footing was really difficult. The leaves are all down covering the trail. There are big rocks, naturally strewn about on the woods trails, but you can't see them much for all the leaves. And where there weren't big rocks there was the muddy bogs. Just a little portion of it was gravel roads and more so on the first two 19 mile loops. The last 17 mile loop was mostly in the woods and that portion was not terribly rocky just muddy - you couldn't ever sustain a trot for very long. We mostly walked it because the footing forced us to. I was happy that the horses still had the desire to want to move out, we just didn't let them.

I'm not complaining because the weather was absolutely perfect, the scenery was breath taking. We rode along the ohio river with cliffs and caves on the other side. Beautiful woods and forest, and another river as well. And we finished!!!!! Stormy trotted out great on the final vet check even with going 17 miles barefoot, and a good portion of the other loops with just one boot. I didn't bother with trying to boot her backs.

Jazz wore her new renegades and didn't ever loose them!!! And those bogs were just like glue. Sabine liked Laura's Bob Marshall and felt comfortable riding Jazz. It was a great day. We stayed for the awards and then left around 7:45pm. The horses still look great today but I plan on giving them a couple weeks off. I'm at least going to try. We aren't going to any more rides this year.

Sabine brought a camera and took some pictures, out on the trail as well. (I'll send those along when I get them).

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Wishing my Endurance riding friends a good ride at Cave Country Canter this weekend.

Lida, Stacey, Michelle....best of luck ladies. Ride far--ride fast---and by all means KYTITA! Have a safe and happy finish. Look forward to hearing how you all did, and please, if you have them, share photos, I'd be happy to post them up here. ~E.G.

Will the scratches NEVER go away?

I've tried about six different remedies so far. It isn't getting any worse, but it isn't getting any better either.

We've done: Desitin, Desitin with triple antibiotic + antifungal + steroid, antifungal shampoo scrubs, spray on antifungal, drop on antifungal, antibacterial ointment with tea tree oil, furacin + DMSO. The horse is over it to the point she doesn't want me picking up her feet, and I am over trying to pick up the hoof, hold the hoof, and get whatever preparation on the scabbed up areas. Okay (deep breath) I've vented.

Any new and improved ideas? ~E.G.