August 4, 2012

One tenth of Tevis

 Journey: "Here we go........AGAIN"
. Doesn't she look excited!!!

I'd say that was about our ride today.  It was only 84 degrees by the end of our ride this morning, but the humidity was 75%.  So one tenth of Tevis was quite good enough in those conditions.

Avg Pace: 9:40 min/mi
Avg Moving Pace: 9:02 min/mi

Journey's average pace is holding in there with a sub-ten minute mile.  Our average speed today again was 6.2 mph, a little slower than last time on this loop but I made  two stops today, one to sponge, and the other to give Journey some Gator Aid, so the two minutes slower was certainly lost doing those things.  One of our anti-gaiter rub things had to be reapplied, it had worked its way up and almost out of the boot.  Journey was wearing all new boots today with new/ old style gaiters and things looked okay.  We did not use the power straps, as when LSEGH did her hoof trim last night I noticed bruising where the screw backs to the power straps sit inside the boot.  So we are back to vet wrap again...whatever.  I'm a wee bit frustrated on that score.

Coming in and were we both soaked in sweat.  Journey looked good today.
 Me not so much....sweaty chipmunk comes to mind.
Since I rode in pretty hard her pulse down was very long and drawn out.  About fourteen minutes.  I'm going to have to change how we come in soon as I'm sure our time is being managed well enough to ease in the last mile or so. If our average holds at 6 mph, I think my handwalking her in the last quarter mile shouldn't kill us time wise.  Maybe.   The humidity was hard on us both today.  Journey was panting towards the end as the temp/humidity combination got very uncomfortable.  You could have wrung out my clothes and hair.  We put three buckets of water on Journey.  It took two to get her to pulse down.   As of noon today it is in the danger zone, too humid to ride.  Glad we got it done early.  I did notice her pulse up to 170 on a hill climb today, and  above 150 several times at the canter.  Anytime I noticed an elevated pulse we just backed down until we were under 120 again for awhile, and then would pick up the canter for several strides on  the next flat stretch, or easy uphill.  She had a pre-ride half dose of electrolytes, and a post ride half dose as well.

On one score today I felt very good about Journey's performance.  Her reins were so loose that they were flapping against her neck.  I also realized as we cantered along at one point that I was just nice and loose, reins in one hand enjoying myself.  I can recall two years ago I could not do that at the canter (too much fear of Phebes exploding into a 180 turn).  It was good today.  ALL GOOD.

So there you have it!  One tenth of Tevis!

Good luck to all the people riding the real thing today.

~E.G.

2 comments:

  1. It sure sounds like everything is going well. You should be so proud! A sub 10 minute mile! All of that canter work is surely paying off. As for getting her pulse down...my trick is to teach the horse to pee on command. Fifteen years ago when I started in this sport people laughed at me. Now people ask me to teach their horse how to do it.

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  2. I taught Phebes to pee on command. She got really good at it. Journey is just so weird in general with her peeing. She held it ten hours overnight last night because she was in her stall since we had hail in the weather forecast. When she got out this morning it was like the flood gates had opened...at rides she doesn't want to pee in her corral either, won't pee in the trailer, doesn't want to pee with a bit in her mouth, definitely not under saddle, and I can tell when she is needing to pee as she starts pausing. I'm just going to have to bite my days training agenda, and start working on it. If the weather is not to humid next weekend I'm going to shoot for a 20 mile loop at 5 mph, good opportunity to work on some things. I'll set up a hold in my yard so we can simulate an endurance ride. I need to figure out what I can carry on board with me that she would find good to eat along the way too.

    LSEGH and I were talking about Virginia yesterday. We honestly need a newer truck to start that kind of traveling. Think it would be about eight hours drive. Bad, but not too bad. Something to dream for though. ~ E.G.

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