My Indian Cave Adventure
I am finally on the right track!
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/123911068
If you click on the next arrow you can see each rides stats.
Not sure where to start guess the beginning Any of you that know me well are probably tired of hearing about how the flooding has messed with my summer. When I realized I was not going to be able to help with the spooking at the Caves this year I was really bummed. Then I came up with a plan. I would take a week off then I could help out the two biggest weekends. I could take Haily do the 145 mile commute and have a week of riding, bonding and spooking. My original plan was to ride twice a day and really push Haily to build on her condition, so we could go to OK over Thanksgiving and do our first LD ride. Things changed big time and for the better!
Day 1 Friday October 14th: High of 67 degrees and a low of 46 pretty good camping riding weather. But by the time I got camp set up it was too close to spooking time so no riding day one. But I did meet a new friend. Sara she came up out of trail 6 behind the Jones with their mules and Tom pointed over to me and told her I knew the trails and could help her get around. So I went over to talk with her when she told me she was from St Joe I asked if she knew Thea and she does so we became instant riding buddies. Actually Thea was supposed to come up with her but Spirit had a mild colic and being the great horse mom she is she did not take the chance of hurting Spirit.
Day 2 Saturday October 15th: High of 74 and a low of 35 still good weather getting a little cold for sleeping in the back seat of my pickup though. Sara and I set out to ride Trail 6 then the knob then back up 5 to camp. Haily was not listening to me when I wanted her to walk she was prancey and bouncy. This started the new plan for the week! Then coming up 5 she stopped cold with her right front leg in the air. Got off could not find anything she took a few steps and was back to her bouncy self. I did not think a lot about this as she was fine the rest of the day. We went 7.44 miles with a moving pace of 3.8 mph elevation gain of 1,171ft and a average HR of 107, her 10 minute HR was 47. Then off to spooking until after 10:30 it was a long night down in my piece of the hollow all alone.
Day 3 Sunday October 16th: High of 70 low of 40 still great camping and riding weather especially of the middle of October! There was an older couple parked next to Sara and they wanted me to show them the “flat” loop. They must have been at the wrong park Indian Caves does not have a flat loop! The man was having problems with his horse bucking up the hills. The wife could not get her horse to walk up them. So I offered to show them the Charlie loop and lead as I could “make” Haily walk up the hills. The wife’s horse learned real quick just how to walk up the hills and the man’s horse quit bucking. Haily did the lame thing on her front foot 2 more times now I was worried! They were happy with the loop and said they had a nice ride. I clean haily hoof out with dawn and a scrub brush and vinegar when we got back. I could not find a thing. So I put some antibiotic cream and sterile pad then wrapped it with vet wrap (note to self leave the soaking boot in the trailer!). I decided to give her Monday off. 4.77 miles, 3.9 mph elevation gain of 622ft and an average HR of 105 bpm, her 10 minute HR was 47. Then Bev showed up to visit what a great surprise here she is fighting a medical but still takes the time to come up and visit with me! We had a wonderful time visiting and I asked her the big question that had been floating around in my mind for some time. Does she let ever let Cody trot without her asking him to? I was actually surprised when I got a big loud NO! This was finally the last straw I had to establish my leadership role with Haily out on the trail or I was at risk of turning her into another Charlie!
Day 4 Monday October 17th: High of 60 low of 41 still loving the weather! This was a day off for Haily to let the meds work into her hoof. I spent most the day cleaning up all the corrals and the over flow area for all those people that do not clean up after their horse. Really sad I counted 18 wheel barrels of poop and old hay. The rest of the day I spent reading Whole Horse Whole Heart by Mark Rashid another person to reinforce I had to buckle down on the trail and demand we go my direction and pace at all time!
Day 5 Tuesday October 18th: High of 54 low of 41 good day for leadership 101 training. I put Haily gloves on her front feet and decided I would get her settled down before we left camp. Well that took 30 minutes then off we went. Too bad my gps did not count all the circles we did as Haily just did not want to except I was not going to allow her to trot as she pleased. We did the 5A loop and by the time we got back she was doing much better. I was practicing my good horsemanship skills I have been leaning with Janet too. Haily goes into this awesome walk it is very fast and if I am in the correct position it is like we are floating. No issue with her right front foot so it must have been something sore in her sole or frog. 4.71 miles with a moving pace of 3.9mph and an Average HR of 114, elevation gain of 519ft. Her 10 minute HR was 46.
Day 6 Wednesday October 19th: High of 49 low of 30 this was not the “best” weather day of the week but it did stay dry! Today it only took about 10 minutes to get her calmed down and out of camp. She did much better listening to me on this loop and we had a great time we did the 8/8A loop and she powered up the steep 8 trails without a stop. We rode late in the day and it was cold when we got back I sure was glad I had her cooler and a nice blanket for her on this cold night. 5.59 miles with an average moving pace of 4.4 mph and an average HR of 151bpm and an elevation gain of 885ft. Her 10 minute HR was 48.
Day 7 Thursday October 20th: High of 55 low of 28 this was a VERY cold night in the truck at 5:45 I started up the truck and warmed up as I was freezing. Note to self get a warmer sleeping bag! We were able to go right out of camp at a very nice relaxed, head down walk! We did the thigh-master loop today, I thought I was going up the steep part but ending up going down. 5.35 miles with an average moving pace of 4.0 mph and an elevation gain of 921ft. Her 10 minute HR was 49.
Day 8 Friday October 21th: High of 70 low of 26 this was a VERY cold night for me too. We waited around for Amelia until about 11:30 then went out about 15 minutes after Tammy Vasa and her friends left. We caught up with the group at the 8/8A intersection, I saw a wonderful training op and decided to go the opposite way they did. They went the high road we went the low road. She did not give me any grief going on 8A alone! Then we did the long knob loop it was awesome. For the first time in years (outside an arena) I asked for and got a nice controlled lope We also trotted from one end of the knob to the other it was awesome. Wonderful ride on a wonderful horse on great trails! 7.83 miles, with a an average moving pace of 4.4mph, an average HR of 114bpm and elevation gain of 1,263ft. Her 10 minute HR was 48. Bev showed up to help me spook sure made the time go by faster to have a buddy to talk with. Kevin had me try out a new horse to spook with tonight not sure I would have wanted to do that if Bev had not been with me. We took both horses to our hollow. Then new horse Chester was a 4 year old and he did a wonderful job!
Day 8 Saturday October 21st: High of 68 low of 38 much better temps for sleeping in an unheated truck. We took the Charlie loop today (no short cuts) and I asked for more trotting up the hills to build some endurance, she also trotted the last ½ mile back to camp so I could check her 10 minute rate. 5.44 miles with an average pace of 4.3mph and an elevation gain of 1,023ft, average HR of 119bpm. Her 10 minute HR was 60bpm.
Day 9 Sunday October 22nd: This was my saddest day for two reasons I had to come home and the drive from Plattsmouth NE to Watson MO was a shock! It was like a desert so sad everywhere you looked sand and destroyed buildings.
I ended up the week with a few tack issues that I have to resolve before I even consider doing the LD in OK, My girth is too long and it makes the saddle go down on her neck going down the steep hills. And she stared getting a “rub” spot just below her withers. Not sure if the two are related but I have already contacted Sue to do a Saddle fit with us in the next few weeks. So all in all it was a great week Haily spent 3 days camping alone with me and did not whinny once for another horse. I put her in the corral at night and moved my truck up by her. Haily is defiantly a KEEPER!!!
