Argh, thank you. I will know a lot more on Sunday, I guess, one way or another! I am hearing that this is a good rookie ride, so that's nice.
Stuck with my jump saddle! I stopped using my Equifit pad and he's been doing well (knock wood) with just the jump saddle over a plain AP pad, so I guess that's the set-up we're going with. I am having a little anxiety about not having a hard-core shock absorption pad on him -- I'll use my purple Roma pad, which is the cushiest alternative that I have, but it's still a cotton AP pad with a thin layer of foam inside. Guess this one is in the category of "see what happens and adjust for next time if/as needed"...
Also having stirrup anxiety. Barnmate loaned me a set of bendy irons to try and they didn't make any difference. My little toe/outside of my foot goes numb on long rides -- better when I'm wrapped properly around the horse instead of braced in the stirrups, but I'll be out long enough on Sunday that I'm sure I'll run into an issue with it. Will probably switch back to my jump irons for a better platform, since the bendies didn't make a meaningful difference, and plan to let that foot dangle when I'm walking, and that should help me through. Not sure whether I should wrap the footbeds in Vetrap for my test-ride Friday and see how I feel about a little extra cushion? I really hate footslip.
I did order saddlebags! But I was a cheapskate with the shipping (didn't realize how far away the store is) and they won't be delivered until today, so that is...suboptimal. Planning to roll with just the pommel pack + my small backpack since I won't have much time to test things out and I'm wary of putting more weight over the part of his back that gets sore (though he is, knock wood, doing well) last-minute. Went out and bought a Camelbak bladder (the pack I have is compatible) last night. I figure I can stick stuff I will want to access in the pommel pack and that the bladder will be better in the pack than a water bottle was and I can add a fleece or raincoat or something to help stabilize it and then snug everything tight against my back...should be workable. I'm planning to do a short shake-down ride tomorrow evening with all the gear -- should have happened a few weeks ago on a longer ride, I know, but at least that'll give me a chance to fix or nix anything that isn't at all workable.
Having some anxiety about it being a CTR -- I like the idea of getting lots and lots of feedback on his condition, at this point, but so many rules! (And no interference boots, which I usually don't use but I would like the option to throw a set of bells on front -- would be just my luck for him to yank a shoe for the second time in his life at this thing!)
(ETA: This is an ECTRA ride, which apparently is actually on the less restrictive end of the CTR spectrum? I have no basis for comparison, so I don't know! But based on some stuff that I read today, I feel like I should clarify that "so many rules" meant "I am glad I read the rulebook!" rather than "this is all ridiculous!")
The rulebook, if I read it right, says the ride management has to transport gear to the hold if it's out of camp, so that's a relief -- I don't want to unhook the truck unless I have to. Hoping they're also providing buckets for sponging (they did at the April ride) because I'm not sure I have enough for buckets in his stall _and_ for sponging after the ride _and_ for sending to the hold. (ETA: Ha! Found the rest of my buckets. All set in either case -- no additional shopping required.) Guess I will send a halter and lead (he should be fine for switching to/from the bridle at the hold; I figure I will just rig some way to hang/clip it onto his saddle or saddle bag) and a flake of hay/some carrots and snacks/more water for me and...that's it? I will have beet pulp (he's not getting any with his dinner at home right now on account of all the grass, but got it until the grass came in and liked it fine) and I could send some pre-soaked in ziplock baggies with a little bucket. Not sure if that would be overkill.
I'm not bringing electrolytes, which I hope I won't regret, but I haven't been using them and I'm worried he won't drink well/have read that you shouldn't elyte a horse that's not drinking, so... I will throw some table salt in with his grain Saturday evening/Sunday morning, I think, and call it good. (ETA: I have done feed-through elytes in the past while eventing and never found it to make a huge difference for him, though obviously this will ask him a different question and I'm open to doing things differently in future if it seems advisable and if/when/if we attempt a longer distance. Thus far, though, Tuck handles sweating in the heat way more gracefully than I do.)
I figure I will throw myself on the ride manager's mercy when I get there and ask if there's anything I should know. And I've emailed very briefly with a few folks on the ECTRA mailing list...
I am worried about pacing. CTRs go faster than endurance rides, which I hadn't realized -- just, like, ~6mph, but that sounds a lot faster to me. I have no idea how to pace this ride and due to GPS screw-ups, I don't have a strong sense of what our normal pace is. (We did our 12.5 miler in two hours, which is plenty fast, but that's the only ride I have a measurement for.) I am fine with going overtime if that's what happens but I sure wish I had a rough sense of what should be happening in the early going in order to have horse (and Hannah!) left at the finish.
Auuuuuuuuuuugh. Sorry to novelize at you. I just have so many thoughts!
...and now I am off to play Walking Dead for an hour. Tonight is decompression night! First the pit bull and I headed to a nearby field to work her article indications and then let her do some crazy running, now I play a video game, and the sriracha-pineapple pulled chicken comes out of the crockpot and into my stomach at some point in not too distant future. Then it will be time for final prep and packing, and I will once again be good to go.
Here, have a pit bull doing her best coyote:
I don't think there's a lot of useful advice I can add to this, but as someone with a slow horse, there is most definitely a difference between a 5 and 6mph average. Pony can do 5, but would be really struggling to do 6 at this point. We did our first 25 in - hm! - looks like close to 4h35min plus another 20 to pulse down. In hindsight I should have slowed her down for the last five miles or so and come in closer to 5h, so 5mph average. I had no horse left for the last two miles.
ReplyDeleteFind a trot you're both comfortable at; keep it. It's okay if you're passing folks. It's okay if they're passing you. Is there a midpoint at which there's a vet check where you can figure out if you're ahead/behind in time? Maybe aim to get there at a 6.5mph pace (if you need a 6mph average to complete), so you can ease off a bit for the second half.
Re: stirrups. It's absolutely no help for this ride, but you may want to look into the endurance stirrups with the wider footbed. They are admittedly a bit clunkier than your standard jump stirrup, but they are also cushioned and squishy and support more of the foot, which makes my feet/knees/ankles happy.
I would love to see pictures of your saddlebag setup afterwards, especially if it works for you! I've had an awful time finding something that works for my (western endurance) saddle, and trying to switch it temporarily to my jump saddle has not been any fun at all when that's come up.
Can't offer any help, but just wanted to wish you luck.
ReplyDeleteHope you enjoy yourself & have a great time!
Thanks to both of you -- the encouragement/support is much appreciated. :)
ReplyDelete5 vs 6mph doesn't sound like a big difference when I put it that way, but when I think about clocking a series of 10 versus 12min miles on my own feet, that is a different story. (And an embarrassing one, but never mind that!) Guess it will be whatever it is!
How do you know when/whether to throw in walk breaks? As needed based on how the horse in going, or do you start enforcing breaks early to save horse for later on?
I almost ordered a pair of endurance stirrups but then smacked myself with the no-gratuitous-purchases stick. :-p But they are definitely on my radar if I regret not having them this time but enjoy the ride enough to feel confident that I'll keep doing more...!
I'm really happy with the way Tuck's trail-eating trot has come along -- it's become much more straight/stable and available from early on in our training rides, so fingers crossed that he doesn't do tooooooo much gawking before locking in...
For the training rides we do, pony's pretty clear about when she wants her walk breaks. She won't (generally) get her heart rate above 160 or so - she'll break to a walk instead. She gets a minute or two of walk, I cluck to see if she wants to trot, if not and I think she should, then a light nudge, and if she still says no we walk for another few minutes. Sure I could beat her into a trot, and for those last few miles in competition I definitely overruled her decision to walk on a regular basis, but she's pretty good at self-regulating.
ReplyDeleteSo, uh.. trust your gut instincts? Stop for snack breaks, walk down major hills if you have the time and the hills, but if he's just casually motoring along and you feel like you have plenty of horse left, I'd probably let him keep trotting.
Good luck on your ride! You should get a half hour(?) leeway to play with as far as time goes. I know it is overwhelming but I have always found that CTRs/Endurance rides are very similar to Events in that you can always find a person or two who is willing to help if you get in trouble.
ReplyDelete