http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elTKzytXxDo
Mud Run IDR was a debut ride for 3 of our crew, Shelley, Kathleen and Marie. We've been training and planning and training and planning..... Come the day of the big event, we were a bit worried as Summer and Spirit both had a bit of a stiff back. This is not unusual with distance horses but it seems to be a bit more of an issue for us this year than it has in a while. I was concerned that the judge wouldn't let us ride the IDR if their backs were stiff. I couldn't remember if it was "OK" if their back was a little stiff or if it was not allowed. (I know that 14 miles at 4 mph would not harm the horses, so I wasn't worried about the horses.) It turned out that the judge was in informed individual in the sport of distance riding, and understood that after just having completed 30 miles the previous day, it was not unexpected if they had a stiff muscle or two. Whew, I thought, this is great we are all set to go.....well not so fast Lynn....life has a way of offering up a twist.
As we were tacking up, the sun came out and beat down on us. There was no breeze. It was hot. We sponged the horses off to keep them cool while we waited for the other 25 horses to get vetted in. |As it got hotter, someone said it me "Lynn, Mister is panting." I looked over and our 31 year old gelding, who had been training for this event for 2 months and performing like a real trooper, head bent in the hot sun and panting quite heavily. Oh oh...oh oh. Took his heart rate...up and down. First ok, then not ok, then ok....whoops not ok....wait, it's seems ok. etc. Went through this for about 5 minutes and I knew it was not going to the day for Mister's reintroduction to distance riding. My mind was racing. There was NO way our little Marie (10 years old) was missing the action of this day. But what... how were we going to accomplish this? I looked over at my trusty steed Kindred Spirit. He looked...tired...relaxed and oh yeah his back was a bit stiff. Hmmmm I thought to myself. He looks pretty mellow. Hmmm I thought to myself. He has a chain on his bit that is seldom used but effective when needed. I looked at the tiny little frame of 10 year old Marie...compared it to the well-muscled body of this 1000 pound athlete and made a decision that would only be done in a time of utter desperation and heat delirium. I looked a Troy and said "Spirit?" He knew exactly what I was talking about and, with the same look of desperation in his eyes that I was feeling in my stomach, said "Yes, definitely." We looked at Marie's mother, who trusts us with utter surrender (poor, misguided woman) and mentioned the idea as matter of factly as possible...and she agreed. We approached Marie (who I think would have rode any horse in the parking lot before giving up the chance to compete) and she was all for it. So, after a 5 minute lesson in riding Spirit, we changed up the roster and sent that child out for her debut ride! God rest our souls. Consequently, I have no video and few pictures of the beginning of this ride....I spent most of the first half spying on them from a distance and in a state of partial cardiac arrest. By the time they made it to half way, under the outstanding guidance of Troy, master wrangler at Tidal Treasures Stables, I relaxed and the pictures/videos began to pour out. Enjoy this first clip. It is a bunch of outtakes from half way. We had to reduce the quality to get the 2.5 minutes in as one, but you get the gist of it. What a great day! What great team! Lots more stories to come.
Marie's mother trusts you because of your care and skill and I knew that Troy and Wind would put themselves between Marie and fire if they had to!
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