Racknabout Stable Endurance Blog

Exhausted, proud, amazed, thankful, awed……

There really are no adequate words to describe finishing your first 100 mile Endurance ride. The journey began last fall when my friend Dody offered to let me ride her great mare, Sierra Bey Wind (Itchy) in our first 75 at Yellowhammer. She finished that ride in such good shape that Dody wanted her to try the 100 at Biltmore this year. In between, we’ve done quite a few 50s and I did another 75 3 weeks ago on my Eli.

Dody, Lara and I arrived at the spectacular Biltmore Estate http://www.biltmore.com/ on Friday May 4th, 2012. The place was bustling with activity and a tent extravaganza had already popped up in the crewing area. I was really awed by the sight of all the activity already occurring. We found a spot that proved to be a great distance from the crewing area, so venturing back to the trailer on ride day wasn’t really an option. Lara and Slick were doing the 50 and Itchy and I were doing the 100. Dody was sweet enough to drive us up in her rig and take care of us all weekend. She even cooked a spaghetti lunch for us on Friday.

Slick and Itchy on the Friday before the ride

We were excited on Friday night and I don’t think I got to sleep until after 10. The alarm was set for 4am. I had attempted to have everything as ready as possible. We had basically moved all our supplies out to the crew area. Lets just say that planning for a 100 is a bit more detailed than planning for a 50! Itchy did well through the night and we were tacked up and on board by 5:45. She was calm enough at the start to grab some grass as horses milled about waiting. I noticed that Karen Bell and Farzad’s son were starting the 100 as well. I had ridden with them quite a bit during the 75 mile ride a few weeks ago at Sandhills.

I don’t have my ride card back yet because they hold them at Biltmore and mail them back to you at a later date so I can’t give you all the details on what time I came in, etc. I’ll just give the general run down. We started off on the white loop with a controlled start. I warmed Itchy up and let her trot out a bit for a few miles and then we connected with Karen and her group. I rode with them for the rest of this loop which was really quite lovely. Itchy was really strong and rooting to go faster. I had a little trouble convincing her that we needed to rate, but rate she did! We vetted in with no trouble after this first loop. I was still feeling pretty good at this hold and I did eat and drink.

Heading out....

The second loop was the black loop which was rumored to have an excess of gravel on it. I didn’t have much trouble. It seemed like there was always a grassy side to get off on and we utilized that a great deal. It did start to rain on us during this loop and Karen’s friend’s horse got a stick stuck in it’s coronary band. It bled pretty badly but he was sound after they pulled it out and he went on to finish the ride. This was our longest loop of the day but we saw some lovely vineyards and scenery as we traversed the Biltmore Estate which will be the site of the National Championship AERC ride this fall. The loop took a long time and I had a terrible stitch in my side. We came in and Itchy vetted through terrific. I on the other hand was feeling kind of puny and we were at only 30+ miles.

We went out on our first Red loop and I broke away from the group because Itchy really does better by herself and we settled into a nice rhythm. We had a lot of fun on this loop but it started to get hot and humid and I was overheated coming into the check. Itchy was fine and doing well but I needed to rest, change clothes and eat something. It was about this time of day that I got to where I couldn’t eat because I was feeling sick. I did try and I did continue to drink well but I was having a real problem with the eating.

Late in the afternoon we were out on the second Red Loop. I rode this one almost entirely alone and we hit the wall on this loop. It was over 18 miles of really tough trail and I found the giant gravel stones that were as big as my hand, so we really took our time and came off this loop sometime after 6:30. Two more to go and Itchy looked great but I was very hot and tired. I lay down on the ground and put ice packs on my head to get rid of some of the heat. At this point I was down to just nibbling on crackers and I was afraid I was going to vomit.

Glow sticks, Check! Headlamp, Check! Out on the first Orange loop. This loop was just under 15 miles. It was really nice listening to the forest awaken as the sun went down. I had light for about half the loop and the the sun faded away. The moon was rising but not any assistance in the thick woods of the Biltmore estate. Sudi Lenhart caught up to me and followed my blinkie rear light for the rest of that loop. It was magical coming out of the woodland trail into the river valley with the moon rising. You could see the Biltmore House itself up on the hillside with its lights shining like a beacon. We continued down the river road toward camp knowing that we only had one more loop to go. The horses looked great and I was feeling really shaky. It was really amazing at this point though. The end is near and it suddenly seems like something you can accomplish.

Second to last loop

Sleep deprivation is a real issue in a 100 mile ride. I like to sleep, a lot. Fatigue, heat exhaustion, nausea, etc., can all take their toll on your body. We got back on and headed out into the night to the hoots and hollers of all who were still awake in camp. What an amazing feeling! It gave me a little boost of energy when I needed it. We were definitely at the “don’t screw this up” point of the ride and so we trudged along through the dark forest. We came up on Susan Franklin and Ender, who were also doing their first ride. She hooked up with us briefly and then fell away into the darkness. She also completed! Sudi and I stuck together and then about half way through the loop I got really dizzy and sick to my stomach. I was having to walk more, but didn’t mind because I wanted to protect Itchy anyway. Sudi stayed near me until we could see the finish line lights ahead. There is no way to describe the feeling of relief and joy at knowing you and this amazing creature have traversed the mountains, 100 miles of mountains. You also know that your good friends are there waiting for you. Itchy saw the lights too and she picked up a canter and came across the finish line in amazing form. I got off and promptly lay down on the grass! I was so proud of her, so proud of myself but I felt so sick. Lara drove me back in the truck and Dody proudly walked her mare a mile back to camp. It was an amazing moment. I pulled my boots off in the truck and walked around in the wet grass. That simple thing really made me feel better. I sat with Laurie, Nancy and Lara and waited on Dody and Itchy to make it back for the final vetting. I was much improved by that time. She finished in fantastic shape! What an amazing horse she is…..

A big thank you to Dody for allowing me the opportunity to ride Itchy again. I felt that I had been entrusted a tremendous gift and I took good care of her all day. She took care of me on the last loop when I was feeling sick. Thanks also to Lara for helping out after she completed her 50 mile ride on Slick. I couldn’t have done it without their help. Also, thanks to Laura for providing me with insight into the 100 mile ride and her “hyper bars!” So, there you have it. Itchy and I finished in 10th place at the Biltmore 100 and I can’t begin to tell you how amazing that feels. Pictures to come when they are posted!

Itchy being turned out after our trailer ride home.

Well, that is all…….we did it. Eli and I rode 75 miles together in some brutally deep sand at Sandhills Spring Fling and came out stronger on the other side.

On Friday, I took the day off to rest for the 75 on Saturday and crewed for Dody and Itchy. They did a fast 30 in preparation for the Biltmore 100 and finished in 2nd place!

I was actually quite tired and run down feeling on Friday so it wasn’t the best start to the 75. Eli was feeling in fine shape although he was a bit confused as to why he did not ride on Friday. We did a lot of sitting around and waiting. By the end of the day we finally had our act together and were prepared for the following morning.

The ride started at 6:30am with the 75s and 50s starting on the Yellow trail which was a 22 mile loop. I made the age old mistake of changing a piece of tack and went with a new hackamore.(Our old one had broken a few weeks ago) He pulled my arms out for the entire loop. I did my best to slow him down. I was hoping for 3 1/2 to 4 hours but we ended up coming in around the 3 hour mark. We had a 50 minute hold and he had a 48/48 CRI. He didn’t eat particularly well on this hold but he did drink well.

Out on the 2nd Light Blue Loop of 16.5 miles at 10:25. I hooked up with a couple of other riders and we shared the next three loops together as the horses were well paced to one another. This seemed to be a really tough loop with some big hills with deep sand. We came off this loop and it was starting to get quite warm in the blazing sunshine. High temps for the day were supposed to be 78. It felt hotter in the sun. Came in at 12:43 and vetted through with no problems.

Out on the 3rd Navy Loop of 18 miles at 1:30. I had been dreading this loop all day because a large portion is on open dirt road in the sun during the hottest part of the day. Luckily, the people I was riding with had crew to meet them on trail with water and hay for the horses, which was a huge help. We came in off that hot loop and was feeling a bit hot and nauseous. Eli was doing very well and got all As on this check with a 60/64 CRI.

Out on the 4th Green Loop of 9 miles at 4:36. We had to take it easy on this loop because of really deep and churned up sand. Thankfully it was starting to cool off by this time and I felt a bit better. Came in camp at 5:57, vetted through with a 52/52 CRI with only 9 miles to go! We switched pads and girths because the sand was starting to irritate him. The change really seemed to help him.

Out on the 5th Green loop of 9 miles (same as before) at 6:30. I didn’t take a headlamp or anything because I figured I’d make it back before dark. Now, that is quite an accomplishment as I was fully prepared to be out in the dark for a while! I found myself alone for half the loop and that was okay with us. If you haven’t ridden at Sandhills it is hard to express how deep the sand can get in places. I knew at this point that I didn’t want to screw things up for us, so slow and steady was the order of the day for the final loop. I ended up riding with Vic Stine and Patsy Gowen for the last loop and we took it easy, enjoyed the beautiful sunset and came in leading our heroic geldings (pun intended) across the finish line at 8:09. They were wonderful company and I thank them for such a pleasant final loop. Wow, we just did a 75!

So, he vetted through with a 56/60 CRI at the end and still had an A on gait and impulsion. He really impressed me this weekend and I can’t tell you how proud I am of Eli. It was his first 75 and we finished in under 11 hours ride time and in excellent shape. I can’t begin to express my appreciation for this horse. He is truly phenomenal and has earned the greatest of praise from those that know him. Thanks are also owed to my super crew! Thank you to Dody, Tim and Lara for all their assistance throughout the day.

I just gave him a warm water sponge bath and rubbed him down with liniment and he is feeling very good today. His tender spots from the girth are not bothering him today and I can’t find any missing hair, so I think he is going to be just fine. He is eating great and all his parameters look terrific.

Now for some rest……….

Protocol for this ride:
-All the alfalfa, peanut and grass hay he would eat at checks along with Purina Strategy Healthy Edge (which is the first feed he has ever offered to eat at a check)
-Enduramax electrolytes the night before and the morning of the ride
-Lytenow electrolytes on trail (midway points after drinking)
-Enduramax before heading out of the checks

I just realized that Eli’s 7th birthday will be on April 14th and that is the day of our 75 mile ride at Sandhills. I hope that proves to be a good luck omen. We are as ready as we can be. It looks like the loops will be
Yellow 24
Lt Blue 16
Navy 17.5
Short Green 9
Short Green 9

I’m shooting for a 13-14 hour ride time, so that will probably give us the turtle award. I’m not concerned with speed but want to make sure we safely tackle this mileage. I’m off on spring break now, so it is time to get busy packing and preparing for the trip. We should be leaving early on Thursday morning. I’m going to volunteer at the ride on Friday and ride my ride on Saturday.

Patricia and Eli, Dody and Itchy, Lara and Slick

I would have to say that 2012 is a big success for my riding group so far. We went to Pow Wow in Georgia with 5 horses and they all completed the rides they were entered in.

The Camp Osborn Boy Scout Pow Wow is a must attend ride here in the Southeast. The ride management does a terrific job and the facilities are amazing. They have a wonderful dining hall, nice showers and bathrooms. There are electrical hookups for those who want them and nice primitive camping for the rest of us. We got a nice spot that was fairly close to the vet check. Dody was trying out her new horse trailer and the hot shower was very nice!!

Day one began with lovely weather and wonderful trails. I was up on Eli for the 50, Dody on Itchy and Lara on Slick. We rode together off and on for most of the day. I will say that this is a relatively fast ride with lots of dirt roads and riding around the edges of cotton fields. I must have a governor in my head though and my ride times were similar to what they always are. Dody and I started to feel a little puny on the final loop, so we took it easy and walked and let the horses eat. There were water tubs in just the right places with beet pulp mashes and peanut hay. The weather also allowed for lots of good grass to grow and we took all opportunities to keep their guts happy. I could have stayed out on trail forever. We all finished in fine form and prepared for Day 2.

Eli in the 50...

Day two turned out to be a windstorm. The temperatures were nice but the wind just barreled over those cotton fields all day long. I can still hear the roar in my ears. I was up on Itchy. This was her second day of 50s. We wanted her to do back to backs in preparation for the Biltmore 100 in May. Yes, we are entered! Dody was up on Noodle in her first 50. We took it easy and steady all day and both mares finished in great form with good CRIs at the end. Itchy was feeling so good that she was spooking at a piece of tin that the wind was blowing on one of the loops. Nothing like geese, a pond, wind and a piece of tin to unravel a horse’s composure! My friend Lara also finished the 25 on her youngster, Taz. They had a great ride and we were all very satisfied at the end of the weekend. I can’t recommend this ride enough. I hope that I’ll be able to return again next year.

Itchy with me on the day 2 50 mile ride

I’m also excited to let everyone know that Eli was the USTA High Mileage Standardbred in Endurance for 2011!!

I can’t say that I’m sad to see 2011 end. It is my fondest hope that this year brings better and brighter days.

I am having a bracelet made of Pepper’s hair by Spirithorse Designs. http://www.spirithorsedesignbracelets.com/category/bracelets/

I can’t wait to see how it turns out and I’ll have something to keep of my Pepper forever.

On top of Pepper’s death, Eli happened to get an impaction colic on the 26th of December. It has been a rough month. We oiled him and took care of his pain and it passed relatively easily but with much worry on my part. I think the stress of Pepper’s death and the commotion on the farm kept him from drinking like he should. He is doing very well now. Thanks for all the positive thoughts.

I’ve had several good rides thanks to my good friends. I hope that everything gets back to normal in the coming weeks.

“The essential joy of being with horses is that it brings us in contact with the rare elements of grace, beauty, spirit, and fire.”  ~Sharon Ralls Lemon

She came into my life when I least expected it. I already had a great horse, an arabian that I loved more than life. I was visiting some good friends and they said, “Patricia, you have to ride this mare.” I had just graduated high school and I was so young. Dale led out this giant black mare with a presence that commanded attention. She was powerfully built, short coupled and an athletic powerhouse. Of course I climbed aboard.

Pepper at South Mountain in her prime....

She had me the moment I hit the saddle….. Head up in front of mine, shoulders rolling like pistons, tail popping up and down in that lovely racking rhythm. I took her down the dirt drive and I had never felt such a powerful horse. She racked in a perfect 4 beat dance that never wavered. My Pepper could shift through the gear box and accelerate faster and faster with never a hint of pace or trot. Of course she had her issues but I would ride anything back then. She would rear if you attempted to thwart her forward motion, but we worked through that over the years. She was very impatient and had places to go. I wasn’t sure where we were going sometimes but you had bet we were going to get there fast. I had to have her, there was no question of that.

That was 1995. I sit here today mourning the loss of Pepper (December 23, 2011). I have been crying for days and taking solace in the manes of my remaining horses. They are all special to me. I love each of them dearly but they are not my Pepper.

We were a force a nature together. Most people were too scared to ride her. I reveled in the power. There were few horses in our area that could touch her in the rack and boy were there some nice horses around back then. I can’t stop crying as I write about her but I feel compelled to remember her.

A very old video of Pepper and I playing around…..

I showed her a little at the beginning but she had issues with the show world and it caused her extreme anxiety. Dale and Lisa helped me show her at Dallas, NC once and I will always remember that. She about tore the stall down that we put her in and it took two people to launch us into the ring, but ohhhh what a ride. I can still remember warming her up in the darkness in the barn yard and you could hear that magical rhythm and Dale said, “that is a real racking horse.” She has been the standard for many people in our area for what a good racking horse should be.

We excelled on the trail. She must have had that x factor for large heart and lungs because she never became fatigued. We could do the outer loop (18 miles) at South Mountain in 2 hours. I don’t have a single horse now that is capable of that feat. Pepper had an amazing ability to rack up hills that most horses had to stop on and keep right on trucking at the top. I cannot remember a single instance of her getting truly tired. What I wouldn’t give to have her as an endurance horse today.

Pepper at the top and one of her son at the bottom.

Some of my fondest memories of the black mare were on the long dirt roads that were once an institution in our area. We rode with other gaited enthusiasts and I remember us all being a competitive bunch. We’d break into a rack and away she would go….all impulsion, speed and desire. Most horses had to canter to keep up with her and the few that could ride near us I always held in the highest esteem. A horse could pull alongside her and all I had to do was let the reins out a fraction of an inch and she’d accelerate away from them. Her cadence unstoppable…..her desire undeniable. The same mare could also be trusted to carry a child and I often gave them quite a thrill. I can never forget how she flopped her lips and spilled foam onto her chest and my legs and how she loved the copper roller on her bit.

She was with me the day that I lost my father. She was the mane that I cried into. She delivered three healthy foals for me even though her pregnancies were problematic. Oh how I wish I still had one of those foals today.

Her riding days ended the day that she ruptured the tendon sheath on her foreleg. Even then she refused to limp accept for a few particularly bad days. I nursed her back to health and rode her lightly a few times but I knew that she would ride with a broken leg and I couldn’t trust her to tell me if she were in pain. Pepper did not know how to quit. She retired to spend her 20s wanting nothing. She was so healthy and vibrant even in her old age.

So, the years flew by and my great mare aged gracefully. The wisdom of the years were written in her expression. The great sunken areas above her eyes betrayed her age even as the sparkle in her eyes burned bright. On occasion she would throw her tail over her back and rack the fence line. Talented up till the end.

One of the last pictures of the two of us....

On this Christmas day, I can’t help but detest the infirmities of old age that can rob a horse of their ability to stand and control their limbs. It was not a fitting way for my horse who could fly to leave this earth. I do not believe she suffered long however, and I take comfort in that. I was with her to the end, whispering of my love and adoration. I hope she heard me, I hope she knew or felt how much she was loved.

“A horse can lend its rider the speed and strength he or she lacks, but the rider who is wise remembers it is no more than a loan.”  ~Pam Brown

On a lovely Carolina day, Dody and I headed down to JD’s Carolina ride on the Friday after Thanksgiving.  The bright blue skies and balmy warm temperatures seemed somewhat at odds with the time of year, but who were we to complain about such lovely weather for an endurance ride.

Sierra Bey Wind "Itchy" and East Meets West "Eli

We decided to set up camp on the opposite side of the road from the base camp on the old airstrip. It worked out really well.  You can see Itchy and Eli in the photo above enjoying their corrals. I spent 30 minutes digging up cactus so that Eli wouldn’t get the evil prickers stuck in his coat. This was also the first time that I camped in my trailer and I’m really pleased with how comfy and warm it was. We had a movie night the first evening after the ride meeting and settled in for some rest before the 50 mile ride.

Eli, the day before the ride.

We got up around 6am that morning because our ride start was at 8am. The 100s went out at 7 and the LDs at 7:30. There were more 100s starting than LDs!

100 milers start

Eli was pretty revved up at the start and I was fairly sure that he may throw a buck my way, however, he decided to behave and off we went with Dody and Itchy. He actually settled within about 5 minutes and we walked up to where the dirt road began for our trail and we were off! He struck off at a bold trot immediately. This is a first for him because he normally paces for the first 5 miles or so. I could tell that he felt really good and so we were making pretty good time. Dody started to have trouble with Itchy around mile 7 and she asked me to go on. I was reluctant, but she said she wanted to slow down and take it easy heading back. Itchy had some thrush and was footsore so she took a shortcut back to camp. We took off and finished the first 25 mile loop in 2 hours 53 minutes. He pulsed in at 53 and vetted through with no problems. Dody showed up to camp and Rider Optioned with Itchy. I can’t thank her enough for her help the rest of the day because I was a little under the weather.

Coming back from the vet check....

I headed out on the second loop which was 12 miles and ran into Deb Ambrose and her lovely appaloosa. We rode together the rest of the day. We enjoyed the day and the boys were doing very well. We stopped frequently to eat grass and a wonderful 100 mile crew offered us some water and a bite of hay at the far side of the loop. We completed the 2nd loop in just under two hours.

Deb was out just before me so she started walking down the trail. I caught up to her pretty quickly and we enjoyed the rest of the afternoon. This is what endurance rides are all about. The day was gorgeous, with lovely, warm breezes and good company. We saw two gorgeous dogs running along one of the roads; a big black coonhound and a very nice boxer. I hope they knew where they were going as they most certainly seemed to be on a mission. We had left out for this last 12 mile loop at 2:02, so we knew we could take our time. We came back in at 4:07 and the horses were in fine shape. We got our completions and I’m just thrilled. Eli finishes the year with 205 Endurance Miles and 55 LD miles. He is 6 for 7 on the year and I couldn’t be more proud of his accomplishments.

Well, here we are again. The end of the AERC ride season presents itself like the changing of fall to winter. I find myself engaging in the yearly Thanksgiving ritual of preparing for JD’s Carolina Ride. My students are now off for the Thanksgiving holiday and I have two days to clean and pack my horse trailer for the trip. We are planning to leave at around 6am on Friday morning.

Eli had a wonderful ride at Sandhills Stampede, so I’m hoping we can end the season with a bit of good luck and have a terrific time in our attempt. He is looking great and has enjoyed some rest after that tough 55 mile ride. Part of me is always leery of JD’s ride because Eli has pulled a shoe each time we have attended. This is the only ride where Eli has ever pulled shoes. I hope the third time we are able to eliminate our shoe pulling bad mojo.

I cannot complain a bit about this ride season. AERC has enabled Eli and I to see so many beautiful locations and trails that most people never get to experience. The magnificence of our trail systems never ceases to amaze me.

South Mtn State Park, NC in October

Deanna and I took Jazeb and Aidan to South Mtn today. This was Jazeb’s first trip away from our local riding area. Since he had an ulcer attack back in May, we had ramped his training way back. He is currently in really good shape in terms of weight and eating so we felt it was a good day to try a little “more.”

Deanna and Aidan, her lovely solid SSH gelding

We drove an hour out to South Mtn and this was his longest trailer ride since coming from Georgia. He handled it in stride and got off the trailer very quietly. He was super dirty from rolling in mud, but I did the best I could! He came to me with a girthy issue probably from the low grade ulcer but he is much improved now in his saddling “skills.” I got him all tacked up and he has a resting heart rate around 28.  I walked him down the trail just a bit before mounting. He stood quietly for mounting and walked right off in the lead. We let Aidan in front for the first river crossing but we didn’t have any trouble. We set off up Saddleback for his first 3 mile climb. He did really well with heartrates between 55 and 110. He was quiet, relaxed and had his neck in a really relaxed posture.

Jazeb after his first 3 mile climb at South Mtn.

We stopped at the top and there were a couple of other horses and he had no problem with their presence. He also learned to eat carrots from the saddle and he really enjoyed that lesson. By the end of the ride he was turning to ask for them at stops. He handled all the obstacles really well and didn’t spook once all day. After this ride, he has completed 33 total ride miles under saddle. We are just getting started but it is very exciting to see his progress. After another 250 miles, he should be ready for his first LD.

Jazeb at South Mountain

Learning to jog downhill with me on foot...