Heat Training

June 23

I just pulled off my watch and it dripped it was so slick with sweat, hair plastered to my neck, and a rivulet running down my back, and sliding between my boobs.  Ahhhhhhhhh....Indiana in June, can't wait for July.  We continue with heat training, and heat training may be all we accomplish between now and Summer Breeze.  The Spotted Wonder worked off a very long longe-line today, cantering circles in both directions.  She seems to favor her right lead, and wants to switch up direction on me when on her left.  So guess what we did?  We worked the left just a bit extra.  When that became monotonous I dragged out two of the elevated poles and had her trot over those, reverse direction, then go over again, worked her until she'd popped a good wet sweat.  Hosed her down, and came on in.  Don't let me kid you an ounce, I have concerns about running at Clark in July.  WE HAVE NEVER DONE HEAT.  Tomorrow is the last day I can do anything with her until Friday.   If the thunderstorms hold off it will be hills in the heat tomorrow or cantering intervals or how about cantering UP HILL?

The weak link.  Train for it they say...we are trying.   It really wasn't terribly hot yesterday, 73 degrees.  Easy peasey...right?   Humidity was at 75%, and The Spotted Wonder was feeling it.  Four miles in, chugging along, five, chugging along, six, yeah still chugging, eight, sort of chugging, ten, sort of barely chugging, twelve, we bottom out completely and we are still four and a half miles from the horse trailer.  Dismount.  Hand walk.   Graze on grass.  Mount up, walk a mile, sponge in the creek, sponge sponge sponge, back to sort of chugging to the last creek.  Finally drinks at fifteen miles, and we ease on in.  Humidity is extremely difficult for Journey.  The half-arab in her never rears its pretty head and she is a small horse carrying close to middleweight (officially lightweight but by about a pound or so).   We have three weeks to prep.   It is going to get hotter.

On the positive side of things I discovered (thanks to LSEGH) Hammer electrolytes for the human half of the equation.   I took one yesterday prior to riding out, and though I sweated myself slick, felt no ill effects to the heat which has caved me many, many times, and a few times dangerously so.

Conditioning for the rest of this week will focus on the canter.  We've made great progress in that area by doing simple fartleks.  We trot awhile, canter some, wash and repeat.  She will get today off and we will hit the heat again on Tuesday.

I am not, a fan, of summer humidity.