5 Q's with Ashley: Borrowed from Go Pony

I'm borrowing this from Ashley's blog:  Go Pony 

"5 Q's Go-Pony style....

Name: Jacke Reynolds, Region:  Midwest

• AKA:  Endurance Granny...even at rides. " Hey!  are you Endurance Granny?  I read your blog!"  Yep, that is me.  A middle aged  endurance rider with all kinds of bucket dreams and one spotted horse.
• You can reach me at jackereynolds@yahoo.com  unless you are spam, then you go, well---there ☺

Age: Older than dirt. Ha!  Let's say I'm past middle fifty and wanting to get a few things done before 60.  I say hell with the rockin' chair, give me a clear sunny day as the only rockin' for me is down the trail on my booted horse.

Where do you live: In the great Hoosier land of southeastern Indiana.  The land of corn, corn, and corn, but in my sweet little corner the Laughery Creek, Ohio River valley, and lots of pretty hills.

Family Status: LSEGH (hubby), Bella Boopster (trusty canine), and myself.

1. How long have you been riding? Endurance?

• I've honestly lost track!  First ride was maybe back in 2007, then started again in 2009, so maybe about seven years total, though not a lot of rides.  My first ride was on a purebred, the next a half-arabian, and here lately my little appaloosa. 

2. What does a normal training week look like for you?

• Right now I'm not doing too much.  Waiting out the hot months of July and August, so just a ride or two a week. 
• Then in the Fall I'll pick back up to a 20 mile, and a couple of 6-8 mile rides each week.   We do one long ride on the weekend, and the shorter rides during the week.   Of the short rides one will be concentrated hill ride and the other will be just cranking up our speed a little at a time, intervals, hand gallops, and calm relaxed extended trots in between.

3. Any advice for endurance riding spouses?

• I guess they'd better enjoy the horse craziness or love you enough to overlook the fact that an endurance riding spouse is going to be thinking, living, and breathing H-O-R-S-E.    Learn to be a great crew, and develop a thick skin for the actual ride...it can get a bit emotional when it goes right, and when it goes wrong.

4. Where will this sport be in 10 years?

• I personally have a lot of concerns regarding this especially with the problems reported in International.  The general public seems to believe that we saddle up, ride like hell, horse be damned.  When in truth, "most" of us really want our horse to be fine and go through great pains to see that the horse is fit enough to do the work, and pull the plug on a ride if you think it is time to call it a day.
• What I hope to see?
• Fresh young blood coming into the sport with innovative ideas for change, and keeping the sport alive.
• I'd love to see interactive GPS hanging on each rider's horse.  This technology would allow ride management to locate every horse on a ride, to track if they really did the entire trail, and to find a downed or missing equine/ rider. 
• Divisions that include Novice Distance 25-30, Intermediate 50-65, and Advanced 75-100, and Team.
• A team division within AERC, where teams of riders face off against other teams from various regions.  TEAM MIDWEST, TEAM CENTRAL, TEAM WEST, etc.   A person could pay a fee, so many horse/riders to a team, and compete regionally or national with accrual of points or distance.  It would give another platform to draw people into the sport and keep people engaged with the competitiveness.

5. What was your best race and why (AERC endurance – or if you are primary in another discipline, than your best ride in that sport).

• Spook Run when I completed finally my first 50 will always, ALWAYS hang with me as "the" pinnacle ride.  I had a hard time getting there, and it just made the getting it all so much sweeter in the end.  

Bonus question: What’s your favorite beer?

•  It is my preference to filter my world through the lens of sobriety in that perhaps "I won't hurt other people because I have lost my personal sense of boundary."   My life experience has proven that to be where I feel the safest.  I won't judge you if you drink.  Please don't judge me if I don't.
• But if you ask me about my Kubucha...fizzy & grape.

So, there ya go! Feel free to grab the questions, post them on your own blog, and share the information love!