Hi calypsocapers -there’s a wealth of information on the Michigan Trail Riders Association website and they are on facebook too. When I had specific questions, I called and someone always answered their phone and could help me. How did I feel along the way? Euphoric. It is truly beautiful riding --varied terrain, mountain trails, valleys, rivers to ford, virgin forest, meadows and not one town to go through in 250 miles of trails. I was tremendously lucky to have perfect weather --cool mornings and warm afternoons. There was rain one morning, but that was the only time --just enough to dampen the dust. I started by talking to everyone I knew who’d done or attempted to do the ride. There is a book on the website by a woman who did the ride. Next I made a list of what I needed to have --clearly the right horse, a truck and trailer --I camped in my bumper pull --just put a cot back there --but you REALLY need an LQ or a truck camper. Next, because I’m old (60+) I needed a young woman to do the heavy work --fill the water tank, lift hay bales, move the truck/trailer each day to the next camp ground. Once she was hired (and she was fantastic) all I needed was food and camping gear like saddle bags and cook stove. I borrowed everything I could and bought the rest. My budget was $1000 (for 11 days, horse and me) and I came in just under that even after paying my helper. We ate MREs --by choice. We had other food with us (my helper was in charge of cooking). She loved reaching in the box and randomly selecting dinner --she called it Christmas in a bag because we never knew what we’d find --the MREs are calorie dense and high protein --we found them very tasty --but after 5-6 hours of riding, sticks would have tasted great. The only surprise was how physically tired I was after riding (24 year old helper was too, so it wasn’t my age --she chose to ride with me every day–she didn’t have to but I enjoyed her company) --I’m fit and ride a lot, but all I wanted to do after we ate was sleep --we were sleeping 8-9 hours and still could have slept more! but we took turns getting up and checking on horses during the night, so maybe that was part of it. Clothes were the easy part --riding breeches and layers of shirts that we pealed off as the day grew warmer. I used my Passoa hunt saddle and a dressage saddle, alternating each day. Helper started western then rode what saddle I didn’t use as she found the English saddles were more comfortable.
Both horse and I lost weight on the ride: both of us lost 7% of our body weight! --I planned to give him two weeks off before hunting him --instead he’s getting a month off. Horse had never worn shoes before and farrier felt that due the the wear on the shoes, he’d worn them into an uncomfortable angle --shoes are off now and he should be more comfortable–and back to his jolly self.
It was truly and adventure, but I would not want to do it again --12 days is a long time to camp.
Foxglove
