Shanghai Endurance Ride

[dacasodivine]

This will be my second ever endurance ride. I’m doing the 25 mile ride. The last one was a little over a year ago. I wasn’t sure I was going to make this one. I signed up about 2 months ago and then promptly irritated a pinched nerve in my neck. Between that and the weather, I haven’t been able to ride until this past Saturday. Most of that time off was spent doing nothing so as not to continue to irritate it.

The ride is this Saturday and I was worried that lack of any exercise on my part along with not riding/conditioning my horse would mean neither of us could do it.

I finally got to ride this past Saturday. We put in 11 miles in about 2 1/2 hours. I know that’s not great time, but he’s not a real brave horse on his own so kept having to stop and look at stuff or would poke along in “scary” areas. He finished a little sweaty (he’s still a bit hairy and it was warmish that day) but otherwise looked good. I felt good enough I could have done it again! I was so happy.

It won’t be a fast 25 but I think we can do it and not go over time.

[dacasodivine]

I am back.

First the bad news. Casper was pulled after the first loop because he overreached at some point and cut the back of his heal bulb.

I started him in the back to stay out of the way of any who take off at the start. He thought he was being left behind and kept trying to gallop. I was determined to keep him in a gait until he was listening better. He can gait pretty fast but really wanted to gallop. It was probably in that first 5 miles that he overreached while fighting me. I was told about 45 minutes into the ride he was bleeding. He was not off so I decided to finish the loop. We stayed near one group for a good 5 miles. At around 10 or 11 miles, Casper wanted to go slower so we let them go on ahead.

About a quarter mile from camp I dismounted, loosened his girth, and walked him to camp. He was pulsed down by the time we got there so he went through the vet check right away. He got As and Bs mostly with a C for gut sounds. He “trotted out” sound. But that cut was pretty deep and he was sore on palpation. So, he was pulled.

I forgot to say, we finished that 14 mile loop in 2 1/2 hours! I wasn’t aiming for a fast ride but he wasn’t breathing hard or looking overworked so let him gait or lope a good part of the way. He is pretty good at taking care of himself so I was pretty certain he wouldn’t over do it.

We are both a little muscle sore this morning. Nothing unexpected after that ride. We both need some muscle rub.

[TXTorres]

Howdy!!

Sorry to hear about you and your boy being pulled Hoping he recovers quick!

I was also at Shanghai… are you in the area? I’m in Brazoria County.