In which the weather is quite soggy, but we are promised a medal
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| "You go on without me. I'll just wait here." |
It's been almost a week since our last ride, and that one was (understatement) not as quick as we would prefer. We were clipping along at a nice pace and decided to take a nice gallop up a hill. So we were galloping, galloping, hurrah-hurrah-hurrah
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| The quote from Go-Pony blogger Ashley, who is also Renegade's Customer Service rep: "That damage is a result of some epic overreach." Well. Yes. That's why we call it "The Big Thing." |
...and then we weren't galloping anymore. Fee's soles are so tender that she needs hoof protection. But this boot wasn't going to protect anything. We picked our way gingerly back to the trailer and called that a day.
Today, nobody wanted to out with us. In fact, Monica said that we'd deserve a medal if we went out because the forecast called for substantial rainfall.
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| Trails are closed now, we stayed on the logging roads. |
The weather forecast for tomorrow is even worse. I'm pretty sure I heard a radio announcement about animals lining up two-by-two. So, we went out today.
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| Pretty. But soggy. |
I wanted to try out a new raingear combination anyhow. Not new gear, just the new combination of stuff.
The outer layers consisted of the same things I wore at Foothills 2012: the Much Better Jacket and the purple gortex-and-polarfleece rain chinks but I needed to experiment with the inner layers. Temps right now are 55-60*, so I don't need fleece and wool. I ended up choosing the same tech-top that I wore at Bare Bones this year, plus a mid-weight set of tights that are not padded in the knees and crotch--if padding gets wet, it chafes like crazy. Plus a new-ish set of waterproof riding boots, since my "old" boots sprung a major leak last week. (a little more than a year old--booo hiss.)
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| Good mushroomin'...but since I don't know mushroom from toadstool, I stayed aboard the Dragon and just walked on. |
Final score:
Crummy Weather : 10
Excellent Raingear: 12
And my good pony? Well.
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| Awesome Dragon deserves a medal. |
She's good. She's way, way, WAY good.
Are you getting the wind there too? We haven't had rain ( yet) but its blowing like crazy! (Good thing I got my posts in concrete yesterday! :-D )
ReplyDeleteWith the right gear, I would suppose riding in the rain wouldn't be all that bad...maybe even a little enjoyable just because its a change.
ReplyDeleteWith that said ,however, I do think that is one "Endurance Rider mold" that I would never fit into. I've been told you guys ride in any type of weather. Here in Wisconsin, we get some pretty good temperature extremes. I'm not riding if its 15 below zero and I feel equally reluctant when its 110 in the shade with 80% humidity. A light sprinkle is fine, but a downpour -- no way.
Still I have some admiration for those of you that go out in anything and get the job done so-to-speak. :)
Fiddle looks quite content with herself in that last photo.
Sorry you had to ride in the wet - but at least you got in a ride! Renegade breakage is wicked! Khari did that to one too... before I stopped using them.
ReplyDeleteI am not regretting one bit yet about moving from western WA to central CA......:)
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