In which Endurance 101 describes a ride, start-to-finish-line

Endurance 101 – Ride Day, how it rolls.
O. M. G.  It’s finally ride day.  What to do first?  And…then what?

Wake up, greet the day

·       I set my alarm for 1-2 hours before the start time.

·       Get up, dress in ride clothes (if you didn’t sleep in them), pull warmer layers over the top if needed.

·       Feed your horse

o   Many ride vets recommend that riders not feed a large grain meal the morning of a ride.  Beet pulp and hay are fine.

o   Check the water bucket too, fill it if necessary.

·       Eat breakfast.

o   If your tummy is iffy (common, even among experienced riders), try to eat some yogurt.

o   Stash a snack in your pockets to eat on the trail if you get hungry before the vet check.



Tack Up, Warm Up

·       Your horse may be excited, because of all the other excited horses in camp.  Alternately, your horse may be really, REALLY excited.  Be ready for some equine exuberance, and give yourself extra time to cope with it.

·       I like a very long warm-up on ride morning, to focus my mare’s attention on me as well as get her muscles (and mine) moving.

·       Other people prefer to start the ride slowly and warm up on the trail without wasting energy before the start of the ride.

·       If ride management will be collecting numbers at the start line, go there before the start time and give your number. 



The start!

·       Allow the fast-moving, experienced horses to leave camp first.  There’s nothing more un-nerving for an inexperienced horse than to start down a trail only to be bulldozed by a horse and rider aiming to finish first. 

·       It’s okay to wait 5, 10, or even 15 minutes after the official start time before you hit the trail.

·       Your horse at the start of a ride may be significantly more FORWARD than usual, thanks to the excitement of camp and the other horses.  Be ready. 

o   You may need to school him on the trail, or even put a stronger-than-usual bit in his mouth for the first few miles.  Do whatever you need to do to keep control and stay safe.


Move down the trail

·       As soon as you are able, pick up your “all-day trot”, and try to stay with this pace as much as possible during the ride.

·       If people behind you ask you to yield the trail, please do so as promptly as you are able; if you wish to pass, ask politely and wait for riders to find a safe place to allow you to go by.

·       A horse with a red-ribboned tail is a KICKER!  Stay back!   Call out to the rider in a friendly way so she knows that you and your horse are there.

·       A horse with a green-ribboned tail is NEW TO THE SPORT.  Approach carefully, and kindly. 

·       A horse with a yellow-ribboned tail is a STALLION.  Mare owners, please be courteous.

·       A horse with a purple/red/green-ribboned tail is visiting from New Orleans.  Shout your favorite Marti Gras slogan when you come near.


At water stops and other places of pause

·       If other horses are drinking from a water tank when you approach, stay back until they finish and move away.

·       If horses approach the tank as your horse is drinking, allow him to finish, and then ask politely if the other horses will be bothered if you leave. 

o   Sometimes, horses get so interested in the departure of another horse that they will forget to drink.

·       If your horse is drinking well on the trail, you may wish to administer a syringe of electrolytes at the water stops.

·       If you stop along the trail to adjust tack or take a sanitary break in the bushes, expect people to ask if everything is all right.  It’s okay to say yes.

o   If you actually need or want help, don’t be afraid to ask.  Most folks are happy to assist if they are able to do it.

o   If you see someone stopped along the trail, ask after their welfare.  It’s the polite thing to do.


The Vet Check

·       As you approach the vet check, slow down, dismount, and loosen your horse’s girth a notch.

o   Walk beside your horse into the check.

o   I like to offer my horse a few carrots or a granola bar as we enter the vet check.  This is her signal for a break, and also brings up her gut sounds, which tend to be quiet.

·       When you arrive at the check, an in-timer will ask for your vet card.  An arrival time will be written on your card.  You have 30 minutes to pulse your horse down.

·       Your horse will ideally pulse down within a few minutes of your arrival.

o   Walk him to the water tank for a drink of water.

o   If he is hot, sponge or scoop water onto his neck to cool him and bring down his heartrate. Scrape the water off to promote faster cooling.  Don’t sponge out of the water tank; use the smaller sponge buckets provided for this.

o   When the water scraped off his skin is no longer hot, his pulse has probably dropped. 

·       Step away from the water tank and ask for a pulse.

o   When the pulser approaches, move your horse’s left front foot slightly forward, and ask him to stand still.

o   The pulser will use a stethoscope to listen to your horse’s heart for 15 to 60 seconds.

·       When your horse’s heartrate reaches the required criteria (usually 60 to 64 beats per minute), he is “down.”  The pulser will relay this information to the timer, and get a “down time” and an “out time” to write on your card.

o   Your “out time” is the time you are allowed to leave the vet check and continue down the trail.  You may not leave before this time, and you must see the vet first!

·       Take some hay with you if there’s a line for the vet.  Allow your horse to eat as you wait. 

·       If you’ve still got food in your pockets, eat it now.

·       The vet will examine your horse quickly, but thoroughly.  A more thorough explanation of this exam will be covered later.


· If the vet does not “pass” your horse, he is “pulled” from competition.

o If there is something urgently wrong with your horse, the vet will immediately start treatment. This is rare.

o If nothing is urgently wrong, ask the vet for more information and advice when there is no line of horses waiting to be examined.

o Talk to the timer or other ride management personnel about what to do next. You will probably be trailered back to camp by a designated driver.

·       If you are given a passing grade by the vet, get ready to go back out on the trail. 

o   Make sure your horse eats! 

o   You need to eat too!

o   If you haven’t peed yet, do that!  If you don’t need to pee, you haven’t been drinking enough fluid on the trail, and should stay in the vet check until you do.

o   Refill water bottles and any other supplies you need in your saddle packs and pockets.

o  You can stay in the vet check longer than your required hold.  If your horse needs some extra time to eat, take it--but be aware that extra time in the vetcheck is not counted as "hold time", and you must still get to the finish line before the cut-off set by the ride.

o   Before leaving the vetcheck, offer your horse a last drink of water, and administer electrolytes.

·       As you leave the vetcheck, verify with the timer than you are authorized to go.  Check once more that you are aimed at the trail with correctly-colored ribbons for your distance, and off you go!

o   Some people like to leave a vet check at a walk, others prefer a trot (or even faster).   Do whatever you like, as long as you are safe.



Back on the trail

·       Return to your “all-day trot” pace after the vet check, and try to maintain it as much as possible.

·       When you need to walk on the trail, use the opportunity to encourage your horse to stretch his neck down and to each side.  This only takes a few strides and will help keep him (and you) more flexible as you become more fatigued.

·       Contrary to the teachings of Pony Clubs everywhere, it is okay to let your distance horse eat while he’s working.  A quick snack break every hour will keep his gut motility working, and provide a mental break for both of you. 

o   If there is no grass growing along the trail, carry some carrots to feed from the saddle.

o   As crazy as it seems, you may need to practice this at home, so your horse will actually EAT—some get so focused on their work and so excited by the activity of the other horses that they won’t eat. 

o   It’s worth spending the time at home AND at rides to enforce the “eat when I say eat” injunction, so that your horse can refuel between vetchecks later in his career when he’s doing longer distances.

o   I use the phrase, “Oh look: food!”  to direct my horse to grass.  She recognizes my words and tone of voice, and she knows that we won’t leave again until she’s got grass or a carrot in her mouth.

·       After your snack break, return to your “all-day” pace.

·       If you hit the “doldrums” at some point, where you or your horse (or both of you) starts to drag mentally and physically, change what you are doing while still moving down the trail.

o   Ask for a different gait, practice collection or extension, flexion, or lateral movements for a minute or two.  Praise your horse’s efforts for these exercises.

o   Sing a cheery song out loud

o   Join up with another rider, if you have been riding alone.  Or, stay back from the group if you’ve been riding with others. 

o   Set your watch for five minutes; walk on a loose rein for that entire time.  When your five minutes is finished, pick up the “all-day trot” again. 

·       When you approach the finish line, SLOW DOWN. 

o   Dismount and walk into camp as you did at the vet check.


The Finish Line

For Limited Distance (LD) events, you have not “crossed the finish line” until your horse has reached the heart rate criteria!  Endurance distances (50 miles or more) are considered finished when the horse crosses the line.  ALL horses must pass the final vet check in order to "complete" the event.

·       As tempting as it is to fly across the finish line, racing will raise your horse’s heart rate  and his level of stress—exactly contrary to what you need at the finish of a ride.

·       Offer your horse a drink of water before beginning your “cooling off” procedures.

·       If the weather permits, drop your saddle to allow your horse to cool off faster (which brings down his heartrate).

o   In cold, wet, or windy conditions, you may wish to keep the saddle on to keep the horse’s muscles warm and loose.

o   Sponge the horse with cool water as you did at the vet check. 

o   When his skin feels cool and water no longer sloshes off feeling “hot”, his heartrate is probably lower.

·       Step away from the water tank and ask politely for a pulse.

·       When your horse’s heartrate reaches the criteria (usually 60  or 64 beats per minute), the pulser will notify the finish line timer that he is “down.”  Your finish time is the time that he officially pulses down.



The final vet check

·       See the vet for your final evaluation as soon as possible. 

o   You have 30 minutes to complete your evaluation after pulsing down in an LD ride (according to AERC rules), but it is rarely better to allow a horse to stand around before getting the vet check done.

o   Feed your horse as you wait in the vet line.

o   If the vet requires “tack off at completion”, remove your saddle and leg protection if you haven’t done so already.  If he is wearing hoof boots, they can be left on or taken off, at your discretion.

o   If the weather is chilly, throw a fleece or wool blanket over your horse to keep his muscles from getting stiff while waiting in the vet line. 

·       If the vet has concerns about the soundness or metabolic health of your horse, s/he may “keep your card”, advising you to return within 30 minutes after feeding, massaging, or icing the horse. 

o   Follow the vet’s instructions.  Remember that the vets want you to complete!

o   Ask for help if you need some. 

·       When the horse passes all parts of the final vet exam, congratulate him and yourself:  You have completed your first distance event!



Coming soon:  horse-care after the first competition

Comments

  1. I loved the New Orleans tail (!) A lovely touch.

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  2. I also got a chuckle about the NO tail ribbons. Thanks for a view into a sport which I've not seen before. Sorry, I still can't get at all excited about riding in the rain. Just can't.

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  3. Love all your insights. Found myself nodding along to this. I miss rides so badly...

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  4. You said that if your horse is drinking well on trail then you might want to administer electrolytes at the same time....

    What if they aren't drinking well?

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  5. Laura and Leah Fry: thanks for reading and catching the detail of the NOL tail. Sometimes I throw in stuff like that to see if anybody notices. (Nobody noticed the horse who "goes around jumps and over barrels" a few days ago, harumph! >g<)

    Leah: sometimes it's not raining. Sometimes it's blazing hot instead--just like summer at your place! Sounds like more fun now?

    Dom: I understand completely. Writing during the off-season keeps me (partly) sane.

    Becky: patience, grasshopper. I'm still writing.

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  6. Hey- I never knew what the green ribbon meant!
    Can I put in another request? Today I rode C. for the first time since pulling his shoes and his coat has gotten so thick in the last 2 weeks that he got really sweaty, fast!
    Your thoughts on conditioning in wintertime?
    I thought I was all done with clipping and all that mess :) K

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  7. The more you write about this the more I think this is a sport I would love, more than the wimpy Pony Club I did in high school. I love to drive the big guys but I love trail riding. I used to drag Tristan on our Belgians up on the empty snowmobile trails in the middle of whatever weather (rain, snow, cold, eh) and ride bareback even in the middle of winter. Draft horses generate a lot of heat. I think I would really love this sport if I could find a draft who could keep up with a leggy beautiful Standardbred :)

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  8. For the record, the funny bits like the New Orleans tail are the best bit of the writing, but I always feel weird because I can't figure out how to work it into a comment other than "lol", which makes me feel about 12. :/

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  9. Oh, I wanted to comment and comment about this wonderful post, how I would tell Princess Buttercup, "Eat one bite before we move on" and how quickly she learned..

    But anyway, I might have found a Standie to ride, regularly!

    His name is Coin. Are all their names so odd? Are they always monstrously huge and gorgeously BAY!?

    More to come..

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  10. READERS, this is irony:

    She registered a lovely little mare as "Princess Buttercup" and wants to know if all standies have weird names.

    Sigh.

    Yes. They do.

    Also, folks: please comment! Your comments and questions are helping me to build an entire book out of this stuff.

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  11. You forgot to remind people to apply the Bodyglide / Anti-Monkey-Butt Powder!

    I'd recommend that if you boot, boot the horse the night before those first few rides. I have done more than one LD completely bare because I could not get boots on my psycho ride-day horse. Thankfully they do grow out of that!

    Is there a rule for where to stand for pulsing/vet checks? In front, beside the vet, on the other side from the vet? I usually stand in front and wave my left hand at Dixie's right side if I need to remind her to stand still for the stethoscope.

    I hope you write up how to teach the trot-out! Just dig up whatever it was you told me, because the way you described it really worked for us.

    Are you going to talk about how to react when the vet wants to watch something? (Breathe, Funder, breathe...) Low gut sounds, low hydration scores, "something" on the trotout - those are all panic inducing moments for newbies.

    I use "graze!" and "get a drink!" in conjunction with a firm hand on the base of the neck. No, she does not always drink, but she has learned that we won't leave that spot til she puts her head down and gets her lips wet.

    What about walking beside your horse? I am far from being one of those people who, gasp, runs for miles beside my horse, but I've found that I'm much less sore if I hop off and walk when we're taking walk breaks. It's pretty embarrassing to come into a vet check, slide off the horse, and keep sliding right on down to your butt because your knees forgot how to work. Um. Or so I suppose.

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  12. Funder, Princess Buttercup would actually pretend to drink so we could move on, after I did what you did - press her neck and tell her to drink. But I also learned she would leave the trail, leave the other horses, if she was thirsty and sensed a creek just out of sight. Amazing! She truly took care of herself and made everything so easy.

    Aarene, Fiddle's real name takes the cake still.

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  13. About the book, I wanted to say I don't think you have to practice tying a horse to its trailer overnight unless you feel like testing out your own camping gear and camping at home. I think that is obvious though, not to tie your horse to your trailer and then go in your house/drive home from the boarding barn for the night.

    I certainly tested the electric paddock system before using it away from home though. From your and my experience though, I stopped leaving the horse in the paddock at nighttime and only used them in daylight. That was my odd compromise after some escapes.

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  14. .......

    Do you wipe after you take your sanitary break in the bushes? Do you bury the paper? Not wipe and go all rugged and damp?

    Inquiring minds want to know.

    I had a dog named Buttercup for awhile - I had a Buttercup and Westley, but Westley got Parvo and died, so I was stuck with a Buttercup.... so I renamed her Kiayra. True story. It's too boring NOT to be true.

    WV: Dronsai: The art of taking short, boring stories and turning them into epically long, boring masterpieces, in which the speaker drones on, and on, and on....

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  15. Becky: http://amzn.to/dAIBbA Read it. Know it. Live it.

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  16. >:(


    You just made me wake the baby by making me laugh too loud.

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