Fryeburg, Maine - Tammy's answers

1.  A memorable moment/experience:  There are so many, but one that really sticks out in my mind is the day of my ride, shared with a big horse with an even bigger heart, his little Arab sidekick and of course my companion, my support, my strength, my best friend, Troy.  I have to say that this day was probably the most challenging ride I have ever done and the heat was way beyond what I consider my comfort zone and my comfort zone is a lot cooler than most people can relate to.  I was nervous of all the unknowns and most of all I was wondering if Wind could handle the heat.  I don't have a lot of experience yet in managing his needs during the longer rides, especially in the heat and his well being is always my first concern...so much so that I had considered not even doing this ride.  The whole group came together to help both of us get through.  Troy and I had an amazing crew and when we didn't have crew between pit stops and halfway, Troy and Wind and Aziim were my strength and my courage.  I couldn't get to that memorable experience without explaining all of that first, so now the moment. We came around a corner, headed for our first pit stop and there they were, my own little cheering section.  They hooted and hollered and jumped up and down, they played empowering music, they took care of me and my horse above and beyond the call of duty.  I was overwhelmed to the point of tears.  It was exhilarating and humbling all at the same time and it will stay in my heart forever.

2.  Someone interesting you met:  So many interesting, knowledgeable, warmhearted and funny people, including Garnet Gallant and Art King, but I have to also mention Maggie and Henry, two Bernese Mountain dogs. I really enjoyed their daily visits and of course I made sure they would by having homemade dog biscuits on hand.  I looked forward to seeing them every day and it always brought a huge smile to my face  

3.  Something awesome you learned:  I guess this was more of a reminder, but even when conditions are not ideal in life, you have to take a deep breath and live it anyway.  In most cases, you learn more of what you're made of and you end up with a sense of pride and accomplishment and an experience you wouldn't trade for the world and you wonder why you ever hesitated. 

4.  Something you did not expect: Wind's reaction to the bridge.  He is usually pretty good in most cases, not a big spooker and a pretty good leader and he scared me on that bridge to the point of getting off, not that my nerves were any help.   

5.  Something funny that happened:  Sneaking up on Shelley is really, really fun!!

6.  Something you learned about yourself:  I can handle more than I think I can. 

7.  Something you would like to forget:  How hard it was to keep my feet clean.  The area was sandy and that mixed with fly spray and sunscreen....frustrating.  I may be cowgirl tough, but I prefer to be city girl clean!

8.  Something you would do differently next time:  Take a deep breath and let it go.

9.  Favourite experience or spot on the trail: The first couple of miles through canopy ceiling and pine needle covered floor. Amazing way to start and end a ride.  Those boys just sailed on through like they were on clouds. It was breathtaking!!

10.  Something you found challenging:  Definitely the heat.  It was like a vacation in its own just to get in the car to go somewhere with the air conditioning on. 

11.  A piece of advice you got:  Thank you to Roy for the tip on Jockey Cap.  Great little restaurant, good food, and wonderfully refreshing ice cold ice coffee. 

12:  Closing statement:  This week in Maine came with lots of challenges and things to overcome, but more importantly it came with pride, joy, commitment, support and friendship and yet again a shared experience with my loving and supportive husband, and my equine partner, strong and brave and willing and most of the TT family (Gary, Marie, and Carrilee, you were missed).  My heart is full and overflowing.   

Bucket List

It's extra special when someone ticks off a box on their bucket list. Janet has been planning for a long time to "some day" ride her own horse along a beach. Saturday was that day. Certainly there will be many other similar rides, faster rides, more exciting rides, etc. but Saturday was THAT ride. The one that was years in the making. The one that rewards her for years of working hard and dreaming even harder. Congratulations Janet! It was a pleasure to be there to share the moment with you.

 Happy Trails,
 Lynn

Fryeburg Maine - Pam's Answers

A Snapshot of our Maine Trip:

 1. A memorable moment/ experience. Tiki and I did not go out for our second loop on our first 25 mile LD.  I was having tack issues and the minutes were ticking by. I finally told Todd (whom I had ridden the first half of the ride with) to go on without me - and he did. Just like that. No fuss, no muss. Not only was this Todd’s first LD, it was the first time he had ridden alone for any extended distance. He trusted his horse, and he trusted himself - so he went. He really inspired me – I hope that when my turn comes “to go on”, I will do it just like him.

2. Someone interesting you met. I had the chance to chat with Garnet Gallant. Loved it. Of course I was totally unprepared and had no life altering questions for him – but it was great to have the chance to talk with someone who has so much experience with endurance riding.

3. Something awesome you learned. That true friends are gold. Let’s face it – everybody gets testy when you are hot, tired, and stressed. But when the feelings and wellbeing of others are put before your own – no matter where your headspace is – that is true friendship, and we have that in spades.

4. Something you did not expect. I did not expect the work to be never-ending. There was always something that needed to be done. The only time I sat down was at supper time ... and sometimes at the ride meetings.

5. Something funny that happened. This trip to Maine was not only our first time at an AERC ride, it was the first time for all of our horses. The first night, we tucked them all in stalls – and a row of 6 heads were constantly hanging out over the Dutch doors – taking in all of the sights and sounds. Every once and a while, they would all look at each other – as if to say – Man! Did you see THAT!! (I don’t think they got a wink of sleep). By the end of the week - They all had their heads down in their hay piles, and life outside when on – unobserved.

6. Something you learned about yourself. I SO have to learn to RELAX!

7. Something you would like to forget. I would really like to forget my first shower. (NO hot water).  It was FREEZING COLD – not enjoyable. At that point I was really wishing I had packed my cowboy shower.

8. Something you would do differently next time. I would try to give my horse enough room to properly roll in his temporary paddock – he caught his hoof in the electric fencing – twice.

9. Favorite experience or spot on the trail. We (Tiki & I) were out on our first 25 mile ride with Todd & Ali. Ali leads because Tiki is young and inexperienced, and when Tiki leads, he travels very slowly. We came off a short stretch of road onto “the potato fields” and onto a beautiful, wide, dirt road which wrapped along the outskirts of the fields. Tiki decides that Ali wasn’t going fast enough, so he casually comes up along side of him and passes him – no coxing from me! Tiki opens up into this awesome 11 mph extended trot – and just flies down the road. He is nice and smooth and rhythmic, and you can tell he is really enjoying himself! Ah – a glimpse of what will be!

10. Something you found challenging. Even I found the heat challenging this time around – and I LOVE the HEAT! WOW! It was smoking hot.

11. A piece of advice you got. Keep your horse wet. If he doesn’t have to sweat to keep cool – he won’t lose electrolytes and it will be easier to keep him hydrated. I knew it was important to pour water on your horse to cool him – I just never connected it to the electrolyte/hydration equation before.

12. Closing comment- Maine was a learning experience beyond compare. It was wonderful to “rub elbows” with some wonderfully talented endurance people (and their equines), who went out of their way to make you feel welcomed and included. For me, hopefully it is just the start for Tiki and I – for we have many trails yet to travel down, and many places to see.

A Beautiful Balance

I had a real 'aha' moment this past week, during my lesson with my coach of the past four years,  Karen Pyra (Centered Riding certified coach par excellence).  It emphasized to me the ongoing need to be acutely aware of our own body's position 'in space', that is balance in all directions, while riding.  Karen plans her lessons in advance, tailoring instruction to the specific needs of the rider which she has observed in past lessons.  What a fantastic advantage to the student! This time it was about my tendency to lean to the right, on the right rein, and collapse my ribcage to the right (sigh, desk jobs and bad posture...).  She brought a mat, big exercise ball, bosus, (those half moon, squishy things you stand on that have raised dots so you don't slip off) and we used a chair. 

The exercises on the ground were all about finding my centre of balance via sitting on my upturned hands on the exercise ball, feeling the lift in my seat bones (a.k.a ischial tuberosities for those of you medically minded folk), and later, on the mat, using my curled arm to lift my head from the mat and then lifting my leg, then both... the combination of exercises translated to a minor miracle when I mounted up and Karen used the lunge line to free me to experiment with balance.  Later in the lesson (off the lunge line) I achieved the best right rein trot and canter I have ever had on Lucera.  I know she (Lucera) must be relieved that her human is 'getting it'... Lucera herself is amazingly balanced at all paces - thanks to her training by Karen as her first owner.    Imagine being able to be coached by the person who knows not only your riding history/progress but every quirk and ability of your horse?  Wow! But I digress...

Now you may be thinking.... an AHA after four years of lessons?  Yes, Karen (and Johanna Beattie Bastista, but more on that in another posting) has been coaching me on this issue in the past... but sometimes it is repeated coaching and then actually feeling it on the ground that provides the AHA for a go forward 'retention' of the sensation and information. Not to mention I am 'older than dirt' and not a teenager any more...

The next evening (last night) my ride in Leland's mown meadow felt so balanced and 'at one' that I wanted to shout with pure joy... THAT'S what it feels like!  Lynn and Paris were so gracious to introduce me to the spot - and already in the three weeks I have been at Tidal Treasures, Lynn has provided coaching for Lucera and I to feel brave and confident outdoors on the trails and beach. I am soaking up Lynn's encouragement and expertise, like a sponge... so grateful!

The human body/muscles/posture has a memory... and to be a good rider (part of which is being a sympathetic, easy and balanced weight for our horse to carry) practice in forging permanent 'memory paths' is my best way to achieve that oneness.  It surely helps, too, when a hot blooded mare might have a little spook at some perceived danger... a balanced seat is a lifesaver - just go with the flow, ha ha!

Suffice it to say I am very, very excited to continue to receive Karen's expert coaching and Lynn's guidance, and all the practice possible both with flatwork in the fabulously sited outdoor riding arena and the soul satisfying venues of beach and trail rides.  The moments of enlightenment continue to flow and encourage me to 'keep on' with my pursuit to be the best partner for Lucera I can be. Lynn and the Tidal Treasure riders all are mentors in being great riders too, they are beautiful to watch in their discipline and love for the horses....

A beautiful balance!  

-We All Need To Be Inspired Sometimes To Have A Little Courage-

You can never cross the ocean

Until you have the courage

To lose sight

Of the shore

( A Picture of our beautiful sunset the other night)



Feeling So Welcomed and Embraced!

On Canada's birthday (July 1, 2014) Tidal Treasures (Lynn, Gary and the gang) welcomed me and my mare, Lucera, to the 'family' that is this group of amazing horse people.  This posting will be short and just give an introduction... I will be posting my equine adventures from time to time, because only three weeks into our residency I have already had great experiences and 'firsts'!

Rider/equine servant to Lucera:  Janet Manuel, (a.k.a the Dressage Diva and I have a ribbon to prove it, ha ha!) a middle aged woman having returned to horseback riding after thirty-eight years of dreaming of riding again, after my teenage experience with my first horse, Winston, at the Greenwood Saddle Club.  By day a Classifications Specialist with the Canadian Institute for Health Information, most evenings the servant of Lucera and joyous participant in riding enjoyment and precision.

Lucera:  Virginia, USA bred and born (2003) grey-turning-silver purebred Andalusian (Spanish) mare, imported and trained (wonderfully!)  in classical dressage by Karen Pyra and purchased by me March 1, 2013.  This mare, and Karen, have taught me so much, and not only about riding, but about myself.  There will be blogs about our lessons together!

That is all for now, stay tuned for ramblings and even poetry.... Ta ta!

Tidal Treasures Crew- Fryeburg, Maine- Questions and Answers- SHELLEY

We thought it would be fun for the Tidal Treasures Crew to answer a few questions about our trip to Fryeburg, Maine.  Keep an eye out in the weeks to come for the others to post their answers!  Since it was my bright idea, I will go first.


1.  Someone interesting you met.

We had the pleasure of meeting so many wonderful people, but I would have to say meeting Garnet Gallant was a definite highlight for me.  Garnet has so much knowledge to draw from, that it was a privilege to sit and listen to him talk about his rides and experiences. Garnet rode each of the 5 days in Fryeburg, winning 1st place in all but one, and Best Condition for all of them. It was quite inspiring to watch him heading out each day. He was very kind in sharing with us some of the things he does on ride days, and one afternoon he even came over and shared his knowledge about saddle fittings, and gave us a hands on session with our saddles and Lynn's horse, Paris, and then Kathleen's horse, Ali. 
 I very much enjoyed and appreciated that he took the time to come and visit us, making sure we each had a turn feeling and looking for ourselves, so that we all knew first hand what he was talking about with the horses and saddles.  He said that we just had a "touchy feely session with Garnet!"  It was a wonderful afternoon, and I was very happy to have met and spent that time with Garnet.

Garnet taking a look at Kathleen's saddle.

 

Moving from looking at the saddle to the pad and saddle.

Todd, Shelley, Ali, Kathleen and Garnet

Ali, Kathleen, Garnet, Shelley and Lynn

 

2. Something awesome you learned, or advice you were given.

ICE!!!  Riding Spirit in temperatures and humidity like we had while in Maine, proved to be challenging for us both.  I was worried about him pulsing down at the holds because of the heat, and because back here in Nova Scotia, we had no real heat prior to our trip to train in. We came into our first hold with lots of water and sponges available, and right away someone came over to us and asked if we used ice for cooling the horses down. I for one, had never heard of using ice, but looking around, I noticed others obviously had, and more than one person asked us if we were using ice to make sure we knew about that handy tip. Needless to say, we got ice, and I used it on Spirit, and cooling him down was quicker and easier than I remember it being with just water and sponges. So learning about using ice to help cool down- I thought that was AWESOME!!! (and Spirit liked it too)

Ice!!! We found a deal and stocked up-33

3. Something funny that happened.

We had so many laughs on this trip!  One funny moment for me though, was on the 50 mile ride day.  Lynn and I were into our 2nd loop ( so approx. 30 miles into the ride). We were going through a wooded trail, it was overcast and darker in the woods, oh and it was raining, pouring at times.  I was in the lead, and had been following ribbons and hoof prints.  We started up a steeper slope, and I remember saying to Lynn, "Wow, this is really grown in!"  But I could see hoof prints, so we continued on.  The brush and limbs were thick around and ahead of us. All of a sudden I saw the bushes swaying and moving frantically in front of me, and then before I knew it, from out of them came 2 horses and their riders!  Lynn hollered, "Stop, stop, stop!"  because we were in a bad spot, Spirit had spun around, and I had already come off once earlier in the day.  They hollered back, " Sorry, sorry, sorry!"  with a look of shock that matched ours.  That for some reason struck me so funny as the day went on and I kept thinking back on it- it turns out, we had all missed a ribbon, but we turned and found our way together.  Lynn and I were soaked and disheveled with branches and pine needles and bits and pieces of leaves sticking to us, but the riders who emerged from the bushes looked so crisp and clean!  I guess maybe you had to be there, but the looks of shock, the moving bushes, the mess we were in- it just struck me funny!

Lynn and I following our new friends who emerged from the bushes!

 

One other funny thing- on the morning we were crewing for Troy and Tammy, I had my alarm set for 4:30AM.  It went off and I jumped up and got dressed, and noticed Todd still sleeping (he was supposed to get up and do breakfast before Tammy and Troy vetted in). I nudged him disgusted he wasn't taking his crew duties as seriously as I was, and he said, "Well what time is it?" I told him it was 4:30am, and that I was surprised I didn't hear anyone else up yet. He noticed it was still dark, and asked if I had changed the time on my IPOD when we crossed the border- OOOPPPS!!! It was only 3:30am- oh dear, sorry Todd!

 

4. Something that surprised you.

I think I was surprised at how comfortable and at ease I felt in general, but more so on my ride days. I mean, here I am in FRYEBURG MAINE!! I was getting ready to ride my first AERC ride, and I really felt great. The whole set up had such a nice feeling to it.  The vetting in was done so quickly and efficiently, everyone was quick to step in and offer advice or a helping hand if it was needed. I loved the atmosphere and the people, and because I was able to feel so comfortable, I was able to take in more, and to fully enjoy the whole experience without nerves getting in the way- for me that is a pleasant surprise!

Taking a selfie BEFORE the ride starts- proof I am comfortable and relaxed. Normally I wouldn't know where the camera was, who was behind it, and I would not pause long enough to smile for a pic, let alone take one,  because I am busy, and nervous, and need to keep moving!  I scooted around and took pics of lots of stuff that morning.

I was also surprised by how well I functioned and felt going on little sleep.  The days started early, and were busy and long, but it never really caught up to me until we got home. We packed what felt like 2 days into 1 with those 4:30am starts.
Something that might surprise you...

How much stuff can be packed into one horse trailer!!!

5. Something you learned about yourself.

I learned a lot about myself on this trip.  I found out that heat and humidity are a challenge to me, and that when I think I am drinking enough, I am not- DRINK MORE!  I learned that riding in the pouring rain isn't as bad as it sounds, and that water coming off the trees is my natural sponging, and was refreshing on a 50 mile ride.  I also learned that nearing the end of a 50 mile ride, the water becomes cooler and less refreshing-brrr. I learned that my hands can wrinkle and become pruney in ways I did not know possible,  and that plowing through branches and bushes with your face, only hurts sometimes, and not others- why is that I wonder? I learned that travelling with 7 people and 6 horses takes patience and understanding, but can be done safely and enjoyably. I learned that there are good people in this world ready to help and lend a hand in situations like a flat tire on the I95, or when you drop your saddle at half way. The learning experiences I had on this trip really are endless, and have and will shape me as a rider and person, and for that, I am grateful!

6. Something you would like to forget or found challenging.

Hmmm- I think I would like to forget the feeling I had following our completing the 50 mile ride- Just wait, I need to set it up for you, because finishing the ride, and the experience of the day is something I will not forget, nor do I want to.

So we had ridden all day in rain, and when it wasn't raining, it still poured off the trees and onto us. Rain from the trees was actually running off the front of my helmet like someone was dumping cups of water over my head, and drops of water were hanging off my eye lashes that I had to keep shaking away. 

We came in to finish the 50 mile ride ( a long and wet day for everyone, including our awesome crew- Todd and Troy), and even the 'dry' coat that Todd had waiting for me at the end was wet (thank you Todd- I appreciated the thought), and so Troy offered me his dry rain coat. By the time we had our final vet in and trot out, I was soaked through and chilled. I walked to our tent to find something dry and warm of my own to put on, and I was shocked, discouraged really, to see that everything inside had gotten wet, and that the ceiling was hanging in thousands of water droplets just waiting, taunting me actually as they hung ready to fall.  

At our half way break, I had taken our flat, to be thrown in the garbage, air mattresses, and covered what I could inside our tent,  in an effort to keep essentials dry, but our beds were soaked, the floors were puddles, and everything was damp. I laid briefly on the wet, half flat air mattress that was to be my place of rest after a looong day and 50 miles, and my tired, wet and cold body briefly wished for the comforts of home.

 Tired, chilled and wet, in a tent that was not offering me anything I needed to feel better. I felt so discouraged, but I took a deep breathe and thought back on the wonderful moments from the day, and the overall experience and accomplishment of having finished a 50 mile ride in challenging conditions. So I stood up, gathered some things and went for a long hot shower (oh how thankful I was for those showers!)

We checked into a Motel for the next 2 nights ( I love the Jockey Cap!) while everything dried out, so I was again thankful to have had that option, because otherwise I think I would have broken right down and cried!

-Home Sweet Home-

Drying the out the tent.

 

7. Something you would do differently next time.

One thing I would do differently- I would pack differently!  I had sweaters and pants I never wore ( I didn't need them!), and I quickly ran out of shorts and tanks and t-shirts- Nova Scotia weather did not in anyway prepare me for Fryeburg or packing enough of the proper clothing.  I even chuckle as I think about being disappointed that I had forgotten to pack a warm hat for those "chilly" evenings I expected, but Lynn quickly assured me there were plenty to go around. I would also pack more bug spray and sun screen (but not the spray on sun screen- it doesn't seem to work well for me).

8. Favorite experience or spot on the trail.

I loved the first, and last part of the trail, depending on which way you were going. It was so beautiful,  tall pines, soft footing, the sweet smell of the woods, and the sun peeked through in the spots it could, it was truly beautiful.

On the first day we rode our 25 mile LD, Lynn and I met up with Troy and Kathleen along the trail.  We had started out separately thinking it would be easier - I think Troy and I both agreed that the ride was not exactly easy, as the strength of Wind and Spirit wanting to go, and holding them back, could quickly tire you, and so we all ended up riding the last few miles together.  We got to trot through this beautiful part of the trail as we headed back to our half way. It was a moment that I really enjoyed, and sharing it with the others, knowing they were right behind me getting to see it and ride it, and knowing they were loving it too, it was awesome! Those are the moments that make the hard stuff all worth it! ( I knew Todd who was riding with Pam, would also get to see and ride this, and that made me happy too). That stretch was my favorite part of the trail, although I have to say that the whole ride was beautiful and there were so many spots that were just incredible to ride.  I loved seeing the mountains rise up behind the fields we got to ride around, and going down to the river to cool off. The beauty of trails did not escape me, and I tried very hard to soak it all in! 

 

9.  Most memorable moment(s) / experience(s).


Packed and ready to get going- that was an exciting moment after all the planning, work, saving and preparation it took to get to this point!

Arriving- It was so exciting to FINALLY be here!!

The beautiful Saco River- what an experience to ride over it ( too high to ride through it this year), and to have it to cool down in, on those HOT and humid days.

 

 Riding my first AERC ride, with Spirit, on Canada Day!

Seeing Todd complete his first LD ride!

 

Being Pit Crew for Tammy and Troy- you know watching friends achieve goals and seeing the smile on their faces, is so rewarding! This was a special day that I was so happy to be part of!

 

Eating lobster with nutcrackers and plastic cutlery!

 

Preparing to ride 50 Miles on the 4th of July in the USA!!

Seeing Kathleen experience 2 wonderful rides - one with Aziim, under the guidance of Troy and Wind, and the second on her boy, Ali, along with Pam and Tiki! ( and the smiles that followed!)

 

Finishing the 50 with Lynn by my side-

 

 Meeting some wonderful new friends!

Art (Vet), Todd, Lynn, Kathleen, Shelley, Lynn and Tom (Hosts)

 



Hiking up the Jockey Cap trail, and the beautiful view at the top!

 

Heading home after a week to remember!

Arriving home safely-

This is our  group "After" picture by the way-

We were all too tired and just wanted to get home to our beds!

 

Thank you fellow Tidal Treasures Crew members for a week full of memories and experiences I will never forget! 

This Girl Is On FIRE!!

Tammy minds the heat, so on days when we are cold or freezing, she is loving it!  Days when we enjoy a nice summer day, she does not! So appreciate her situation- arriving in Fryeburg, Maine, like the rest of us, Tammy put in a lot of time and effort in preparing for this trip. We arrive to temperatures that even the rest of us were minding, so for Tammy and her boy, Wind, the temperatures played a real factor in if they would ride, and if they did, would they be able to finish given the temperatures.

Troy rode Wind on the first ride day, and it was hot.  Everyone worked hard to keep Wind cooled down, sponging him, Troy got off and walked up the bigger hills, anything to help get him successfully through.  We all minded the heat that first day of riding- none of us had any kind of heat training prior to this, and we were feeling it.

After getting to the top of a loooooong hill, that felt twice as long the second time up, a very tired Troy spoke up and said something to the effect of, " There isn't a galaxy of any kind, anywhere- where Tammy would ever enjoy this!"

Well we all finished the ride successfully, even Wind pulsed down in the heat of the day, but as I watched them walk their boy to his stall to rest, I saw the tears in Tammy's eyes as she shook her head and said a ride for her and her boy would not be in the cards this week.

I felt the disappointment, I felt the tears.  After a day or so of rest and seeing the other rides, Tammy had a change of heart. She was going to ride her boy, and we were all going to Pit Crew our hearts out to help in anyway possible to see them both get through. So bright and early on their ride day, they were up and the fun started.

We met them at different spots along the way, and at the first pit stop, we had a plan- play music, dance, cheer and make fools of ourselves- anything to bring a smile and bit of encouragement, anything to see them keep going ( we also had cold facecloths we kept in the cooler, lots of drinks for them and the horses, and of course the all important sponging water). 

Well imagine our surprise when we caught the first glimpse of them- we did not see a hot and exhausted Tammy (although we knew she had to be hot), we saw smiles, tears of joy, and we saw our friend showing us what "Cowgirl Tough",  really meant. We watched Tammy enjoying the moment, giving it her best and taking care of herself and Wind in the process,  and we watched her cross the finish line- a moment to be proud of.

Congratulations Tammy- your commitment to fitness, riding, setting goals and seeing them through was a real inspiration to me as I watched you embrace the day, heat and all!

Enjoy this my friend!

Fryeburg - A Summary of a Week of "Endurance"!

Thought I'd sit down and write up a few general expereinces about my week at Fryeburg because the days are beginning to blur in my mind...This is in sort of a summary format just to give you a bit of a flavour of what my experience was like.

DAY 1    We arrive at Fryeburg Fairgrounds after a 14 hour drive that includes a flat trailer tire.  The grounds are absolutely beautiful, and we were one the first to arrive so we had a good variety of choices as far as camp and horse set up went.  We immediately get to work determining where to set up camp.  Four of us go to the stalls and start setting up for the six horses.  It is hot 34+ not including the humidity.  Every 2nd stall had a pile of shavings that was about 2 feet deep and then the stalls on either side of it had none, so we had to shovel out the over-stuffed stall and put shavings in the bare stalls.  In no time at all we were a soaking, sweating mess.  The horses were getting impatient so we hurried as best we could.  When ready, we tried to put the horses in the stalls...t.r.i.e.d.  Some of them were not going into the scary box with the unknown smells.  Eventually we were able to talk them into it.

Then we all gathered at the camp site.  As I looked up from the site to the horses, I had a thought.  You know the kind of thought when you go "oh no" and in some ways try to push it out of your mind....As I looked up from the camp site, I realized that if we had of put the horses on the other side of the shedrow barn that we would be able to keep our eyes on them from the campsite, but where they currently were this was not possible.  Unfortunately, everyone agreed with this observation so the four of us that had originally lost gallons of sweat of setting up SIX stalls (the others were losing gallons of sweat doing other things) marched back up to the barn and spent another hour or more of heavy shovelling setting up six more stalls.  I realized at that moment that our most precious resource for the week was going to be "energy" and that already with the heat and the "wasted" labour we might be close to drawing a negative balance!

I wanted to take a few pictures and had decided to use the ipad air so that I could blog instead of my camera.  That damn thing is flat and black...could not find it in the 60 seconds I had between setting up the horses and unloading my gear into my tent...no pictures for me.

That night, as everyone was settled into their temporary homes, I decided to take the time to arrange all my gear in the tent in an orderly fashion so that I could put my hands on things quickly...riding gear here, shorts there, bathing suite here, toiletries there, batteries and electronics over in this corner...etc.  I was sure it was worth sacrificing a little shut eye to be organized for the week.

I could see the horses right from the window in my tent, even as I lay in my sleeping bag.  There was a small street light and it layed a layer of light over them perfectly.  I watched them off and on all night.  From what I could tell, they spent the entire night with their head out of the stalls looking all around, completely confused, then looking at each other for comfort.

DAY 2   My tent is a very light material so the light of the sun gets in early.  I woke.  Saw that it was daylight and got up.  I was so excited taking it all in.  Look where I was!  THE Fryeburg Fairegrounds!!!!  Funny, I thought, Troy's not up yet.  He's always up early.  I went back in my tent to find my phone and check out the time....4;30 am!!!  So, I had only slept about 4.5 hours.  Oh well, I thought, we are on vacation, I can make up the lost sleep tonight, and I stayed up, busying myself with getting breakfast ready for the horses, spending time with them, looking over the grounds etc.

From what I can remember now the rest of the day was really busy with shopping for supplies, setting up paddocks.  We decided to go the "super' walmart to buy some supplies and realized too late that driving over an hour (one way ) after all the driving we did the day before was a mistake.  I had to go to another  store that was another hour a way to pick up some neigh lox.  At the time I arranged this, I thought we wouldn't have much to do on Sunday, so why not...I did not realize that it was a two hour round trip.   So on day two I ended up spending 4 hours in a car.  The end result being that when i was at camp, I was really busy just "doing what had to be done" and didn't have time to spare to take pictures or go for  walks etc.  Lots of lessons learned this time around!

It was sweltering hot.  As I gathered packages from my shopping trips, I would put them in my tent.  You could not breath in that tent.  It was like some kind of ritual buiding that First Nations people would  use a virtual "sweat lodge" so the packages just got dumped at the door...to be put away and organized later.

Just as dark was approaching, me, Shelley and Kathleen felt like we had to go for at least a small walk into the woods...the spot where our riding trail would begin... just to do something that was on our "list "and so we did.  We took a flashlight in case we got caught in the dark and went for a walk into the beautiful majestic pine forrest where the path was layered in a soft bed of pine needles.  I fell in love with that little piece of forrest and the affection for that trail grew all week long as we rode it over and over again.

It was really hot that night and late by the time we got to bed.  I turned on my dim little latern, pushed my way through the packages (still not put away), messed up a couple of my organized piles of cloths trying to find something cool enough to wear to bed, moved the air mattrress directly under a window and layed there with my nose against the screen trying to get some air.  Hours passed by and I could not sleep.  I was hot, overtired, full of adrenalin and exhausted.  The minutes ticked into hours and the last time I looked at my phone it was almost 1am.  Yep, I am seeing why they call it endurance.

DAY 3    5 am again...seriously?  Only 4 hours sleep.  Nothing I could do about it.  There was no way with the light coming through that I was going back to sleep.  The day is a blur as I think of it from a "summary" standpoint.  Hours of chores and trying to organize ourselves with six horses and day-to-day activities such as taking them for walks and moving them from stall to paddock....no small feat when there are so many people involved.  Definatley need a schedule next time (Like I said lots of lessons learned on this trip!)

More shopping....more packages thrown in the tent.  Heat wave setting in permanently.  Doing chores in the heat and in the sandy environment around camp, made for some very dirty, stinky people.  Thank God there were showers.  I brought a bunch of pants and 3 pairs of shorts.  By day 3 I realized the pants would not even be coming out of the suitcase.  I was wearing the cleanest of my three very dirty pairs of shorts and was very glad I had packed two week's worth of under ware because I had already used up a week's worth!

Tried to take some pictures but that meant I would have to crawl into the tent from hell to find the cord and charger as by this time all electronics were dead.

Adrenalin continued to charge up my TIRED, worn out self as LOTS of people and horses started arriving!!!  There were people from Virginia and people from New Jersey and people from here and people from there.   And sooo many horses!!!! WOW! Our horses felt the same way I did...I could see it in them as all the horses began arriving and the stalls filled up and the grounds filled with paddock areas.  We were all on sensory overload.  I honestly don't know how to capture these feelings on camera.

We had decided that pretty much everyone was riding the first day of the ride, despite the crazy temperature and we were all busy getting our gear ready for the next day.  I think this was also the first day that a bunch of us gathered our bathing suits (tent no longer organized so by the time I found it I was literally dripping in sweat everywhere), and went swimming in the Saco river. The swimming was a lifesaver in all this heat.

That night we had our first ride brief.  It didn't start until probably around 8pm or even later.  Tired bodies once again injected with strong incoming adrenalin as we were handed our TRAIL MAPS  and the different routes were discussed!  Listened to our first ride instructions from the legendary vet, Art King.  Then we had to leave supper and ride brief to get our horses ready for vetting in.  It was really getting late and I was really getting tired!

We stood in line with about 35 other horses.  Paris did not know what the hell was going on! She was hot and tired but could only stand still for a few seconds and then I would have to circle her around me.  When we got to the vet (my heart was pounding so hard I could hardly hear what he was saying), he went to examine her and she popped up a bit off her front feet.  I was mortified.  I could have shot that mare right then and there.  Anyhow, she behaved after that and we vetted in with all As.

That night there was so much activity around the stalls that I'm sure our horses didn't sleep a wink.  In the night's lighting, they looked like little lost refugees with their heads stuck out the stall and they looked worried as they listened to all the other horses hollering and kicking at stall doors.  I'm sure that fact that they had each other was very comforting to them that evening.

It was decided during the ride brief that the ride would begin at 5:30 am because of the heat.

That night in my tent,  with very minimum light as the batteries in my lantern were now on their last legs, I waded through the now very messy, unorganized piles, sweat still dripping from my brow and running down my back, trying to organize my riding cloths for the morning.  Gave up around 11pm and set my phone for 4am.  Fell asleep almost instantly.

DAY 4, Canada Day, Our first Ride!  How interesting, my first ever AERC ride would be in the United States on Canada day!  I have to admit this was not the first thought that crossed my mind when I woke up at 3am and started getting ready.  By the time my alarm went off at 4am, I had managed to find my cloths, clean up the tent a bit, and had breakfast.

We were all very focused as we prepared our horses for our first AERC ride.  We were all riding the 25 mile LD and we split up into groups of two.  Shelly and I, Troy and Kathleen, Todd and Pam.  As we mounted our horses and headed up to the start line where about 34 other horses were prancing and milling about it was hard to even breath!  I had confidence in my riding ability and I knew Paris well enough that I thought  we'd be ok, but when she saw all those other horses ...not knowing any of them...not knowing the trail...well I'm not sure there are words to describe what she felt like under me.  It would have been an appropriate time to say a little prayer.

Next thing I knew the trail was open.  The whole herd of 30+ horses trotted across the field and then jostled for position as we entered the single track trail in the pine forrest.  Spirit and Paris both wanted to GO.  I cannot describe the feeling of cantering/trotting in a line up of 30+  horses on single track trail on an animal that is so charged with adrenealin that she thinks she can fly!

Nearing the end of the wood's trail Shelley let me know that she was losing the strength to hold Spirit back (he is very strong in these situations) and so when we hit a dirt road, I told her to pass a few horses and find a spot where she could settle in a bit better.  Well, when we let loose enough to let our horses increase speed and start passing horses...oh yeah I was in for an interesting ride.  Once I let Paris loose and she started passing a few horses, she wanted NOTHING to do with slowing down.  We sailed down that road, me trying to let her out just enough to pass and no extra....as she bucked, popped and kicked every s.i.n.g.l.e step of the way.  She was very  unhappy about being held back and was expressing her dissatisfaction loud and clear.  We went along like this for about 1/2 a mile and then we found a bit of space and settled in.  And that was that....our first official start of an AERC ride....it wasn't pretty but we did the best we could and we got through it.

There are more ride details but I'm straying from my summary of the week so for now, back to the summary.

We finished the ride around 11am.  We all vetted in fine.  Tiki got very fussy about his ears at the hold. Pam was worried that something may be wrong (she did find the scab from a bad bad fly bite on his ear several days later which may have been the issue)  and so she decided not to continue for the rest of the ride.  (She rode again on Friday and they did fine.)

A lot of time during the first of the week was dedicated to electrolyting and mixing beet pulp, sponging and hosing down the horses, and generally managing horses in the heat, taking them back and forth between stalls and paddocks etc.  It took a lot of extra concentration and energy on our part but it paid off.  All the horses stayed healthy and we competed under some extreme heat conditions with positive results.

The afternoon was spent cleaning up, taking care of the horses, a swim I think, and trying to take care of ourselves as temps hit "feels like 40+".

I'm going to end the "summary" here for now, but I think you get the drift.  The week consisted of
-adrenalin packed riding
-the excitement that comes with meeting other endurance people and watching their horses
-learning lots of new things (haven't talked about any of that yet)
-dealing with extreme heat
-lessons learned (sometimes the hard way) for travelling and performing chores as a large group
-lessons learned on a personal note regarding camping in general
-sleep deprivation  (In one way or the other,  the week continued to enable only limited amounts of sleep; every night went late and that 5am morning way back around day 2 was the latest I slept in all week! There was one 48 hour period later in the week where I managed to get a combined sleep of 7.5 hours primarily due to weather....had to sleep most of one night in a barn because the rain came so fast it flooded our tents......  )

All in all, it was an amazing week.  We all got in some amazing riding.  Personally, I completed my first AERC endurance ride later in the week (50 miles). We are exhausted right now but as we rest up and the week comes back to us in bits and pieces there will be many little smiles popping up on the faces of seven tired, worn out, exhausted, Tidal Treasures trail riders who were tested against challenging technical trails, extreme heat, flooding, group dynamics in an unknown environment, and through it all they took care of their equine partners, completed an AERC distance ride, helped their team-mates also acquire completions, and now each and every one of us that journeyed together through this Tidal Treasures adventure is officially an International Distance Rider.!!!

Wow, from the little barn on the Kempt Shore to that.  Well done everyone. Congratulations to Troy and Tammy Beazley, Pam Rustige, Shelly, Kathleen and Todd Schaefer and to myself Lynn Beazley!   (Insert the tears that are falling on the keyboard as I type here).

Non-Fryeburg News!

What do you do when you get a last minute call to hay when nine of your team and one truck are not home? You promise to pay your son, grab your back brace, pack ice packs, Voltaren & knee brace for the hubby, thank Gary for the ton of Gatorade & water in the cooler and GO! approx 300 bales in four trips. Tomorrow we add two more girls and food to the list!

On our first trip back with a load of hay, we find Lucera enjoying her new surroundings. When she's had some time to get used to her new home, she'll be able to come and go from that stall depending entirely on her mood! Gorgeous grey Andalusian, Lucera is joyously owned by Janet Manuel who is excited for her first beach ride.

Lucera viewing her new digs from the security of her stall. 

Update: The next day we put up another batch of hay with Team Two: Gary, Ernest, Tyler, Marie, Nicole and myself. Yesterday was 302, today was 407 bales. We had a hard working, hard playing day in perfect hay weather complete with breeze!

2nd Update: Even though Janet & Lucera have only just joined us, Janet brought hubby Rick & they pitched in with haying on July 7th. They helped us put up another 300 bales! That's 1000 so far, only 800 to go. With two trucks that will just be four easy trips of 100 bales each trip. Thanks for joining in, Janet & Rick! 

And finally, from ACTRA friend April, we've borrowed a wonderful older Morgan named Baily. She has around 2500 ACTRA miles so she knows what she's doing and will be a great friend/teacher for Marie, Nicole & I for the summer. Here they are on their first "double" ride, pic taken by me while riding Willow.

Mud Run 30 Mile LD, 2014

Here is a little video with pics from Saturday's ride.

Congratulations to all the riders, and a big thanks to everyone who came and helped out.  It was a wonderful day!

Mud Run Weekend Inital Photos

Had a great weekend with lots to tell, but for now, just some pictures from Sunday's IDR.  Did these up last night and was going to play with them some more this morning but realized this morning we have a bit of an administration issue to deal with from the IDR....growing pains and paperwork (groan).  Hope you enjoy!

Here Comes the Sun!!!

After a long winter, a cold and rainy spring, and obstacles to overcome- we finally got out on our beloved trails a couple of weeks ago.  We made the best of each situation we were faced with, but oh when that sun came out, we were so ready to hit the trails!

Here comes the sun- let's hope it stays, and that we can enjoy many wonderful rides in the days ahead.

Happy trails!!

Valentine's Flood

As the clock struck midnight and we entered into Valentine's Day 2014, it started to rain.  It poured.  At 1am it was still raining.  At 2am it was still raining.  Gary was concerned as the rain was coming down over about 8 inches of snow and he was concerned that it would wash right down the hill and into the barn because it wouldn't be able to sink into the ground.   He had cut some ditches but it was really, really raining.

At 2:30am, he went down to the barn to have a look.  At 8:30 am he came back up to the house for breakfast. (I had fallen back to sleep.)  Apparently everything was flooded...including the indoor arena. The INDOOR ARENA, I asked?  So...back down to the arena we went after breakfast and what a mess.  We went to town and bought a sump pump....starting pumping at about noon.  At about 5pm, Shelley and Todd showed up and gave us a hand.  We gave up around 9pm that night.  Exhausted.  We had managed to regain the parameter of the indoor so people could ride a bit if they wanted to,  but everything else was still a mess.

The next day, I went to a fundraiser and Gary stayed home.  He hopped on his tractor and for another 5 or 6 hours solid, he played with the flow of the mud and graded the arena.  I still cannot believe this, but when I got back from the fundraiser, the arena was fit to use again!! All of it!! Nothing is as sweet as a good man with a good tractor.  I put together a video of the flood and it is attached at the bottom.

We also found out that our "drainage system" was clogged so what water might have sunk through the snow, had nowhere to go.   So the next weekend, Troy worked away at it for hours, draining, digging and fixing.  It is all fixed up now.  We honestly don't know if the drainage system alone will be enough and we've taken other precautions as well, (re-routed some ditches at the top of the hill and bought 2 sump pumps) so hopefully, this never happens to us again.

Troy cleaning out our big drain

Pam helping Troy dump the "silt" that has accummulated in the drain over the years. 

Getting ready for Ride Season 2014

Mister and Willow's most frequent winter activity 2014!

Last winter we rode a TON but this winter's weather has not been as ride-friendly, so much ice! We've had Willow to the indoor only a couple of times and sometimes weeks went by with no riding at all. But then came some nice snow! We've had a few good snowfalls with nice fluffy snow, so we've been back having fun riding. Willow's shoulder seems to be Ok, she was a tiny bit limpy after an hour of indoor in October. The riding we've been able to do lately hasn't revealed any limpy-ness. Whew, for now. We think that speed is, although fun for her, not the best thing for that shoulder so no CTRs this year for her. If we can get to LDs and/or JPs, we'll be happy.

Mister has been doing well in the weight department, he gained in the fall once we started feeding an extra mid-day meal. He's been keeping it on and he's looking healthy. He's happy to go out riding most times and if he isn't (he goes very slowly to communicate this!) then we don't ride long. He seems content to watch Willow keep going while he gets the hay to himself. 

Marie and Mister Jan 2014

Miss Willow gave Marie an awfully hard time this morning. When I looked out at them riding in the pasture I could see Mister taking slow big steps and Willow trotting tiny circles. Eeeek! That's usually the last step before "off & lunge". And it's hard to ride those circles on her bareback! By the time I got out there, lunging was in progress - tail flagging, head shaking, canter when asked to trot, neck sweating & blowing. Nice.   Was a long session full of transitions and "deep breath breaks" as I watched from a distance. Into the barn for blanket, cool off & snacks & hay & water. More lunging. Another break.
Now she & Nicole are riding double, one blanket blowing in the wind like a cape and Miss Willow as nice as can be. They said, "She's being SO GOOD we never want to get off!" The girls came in hours later, smiling telling how perfectly Willow did what they asked. They took turns in the double driving seat and they even got in some cantering. They're thrilled! Each time I saw them, Willow looked just as happy.
That's how Willow is, when she's good she's very, very good!
Whew! I was proud to see them work it out.

Willow with Marie and Nicole Feb 2014