sporthorse
06-02-2007, 05:10 PM
Last Friday Ed and I took Obi and Pocita to Camden, SC to the second annual Hallelujah Moonliter. It's a long haul up there, about 7 hours. The horses seemed to travel well, but when we off loaded Obi he had hitch in his git a long. We got camp set up and then saddled up for a short ride to let Pocita stretch her legs and see if we could work Obi out of his hitch. After about 10 minutes of flat walk and slow gait Obi looked and felt sound so we took a slow ride on some of the very nice shaded trails used by the Camden Hunt Club. We then ate and showered and retired to bed.
We slept in Saturday morning, until 8:30. I can't remember the last time I've been able to sleep in that late! After breaskfast we walked the horses. Obi looked fine a the walk, but when we saddled up for another short ride he was off again. After 10 minutes or so he was fine, but Ed decided it wasn't worth the risk of exacerbating the situation by trying to ride him that night. The vet agreed. So Pocita and I went out without them at 7:50PM. It was a very nice night. The moon, half full, was plenty bright enough to see all but a few short sections of trail deep in the woods. The temperature was in the 70s at the start and in the high 50s by the end of the 25 miler. It was horribly dry, though, as bad as here in north Florida and south Georgia. The dust sent into the air by 70 some riders at the start was choking and blinding. Throughout the ride, even though the riders (50 and 25 milers) were spread out, if I put on my helmet light the dust particles still lingering in the air made the light bounce of them, nearly blinding me. I rode the first loop with my two friends from Aiken, SC, Ron and Diane Maury on their Pasos. We were joined for part of that loop by a first time rider, Sandy Judy, and her Paso gelding. After several miles she decided to go on ahead. Since both Ron and Diane were on horses new to the sport they did not want to move out too fast. And Pocita was fighting me to go faster by doing her crow hopping number so I did not want to reward her bad behavior by allowing her to go faster. Ron, Diane and I pitted in together after that loop. Sandy beat us in by 15 minutes or so. Ed was a good sport and helped us at the pit. The Maurys and I rode out together on the second loop, but after 2-3 miles Diane said she thought her mare was wanting to walk more so she and Ron slowed down and Pocita and I went ahead on our own. It was really great moving along in the moonlight at 7-8MPH. Pocita never took a wrong step and we passed 12 or more riders on the loop, just moving along at our easy gait. She is really getting to be very trail wise, so much like her sire, Leo. It's wonderful to have a horse you can trust to get through just about anything. I really love the night rides. Pocita and I finished around midnight in 35th place. Sandy came in 2-3 places behind us (somewhere I passed her and didn't even realize it) and Ron and Diane completed in 50 and 51st place. As per usual there was a great breakfast provided by ride management on Sunday morning (thanks, Lucy Hancock and crew) and after the awards ceremony we all loaded up for the drive home. Obi is on a rest for now. He's doing better so hopefully he will be back on the trail soon. Pocita and I plan to try to get to Dawson Forest in 3 weeks for the 2 day GERA Fundraiser. Hope to see more Paso folks there.
PS:We FINALLY got some rain last night and today from Tropical Storm Barry. I can smell the dying fires as I write. Thank you Mother Nature for this good soaking rain.
Lindsay
We slept in Saturday morning, until 8:30. I can't remember the last time I've been able to sleep in that late! After breaskfast we walked the horses. Obi looked fine a the walk, but when we saddled up for another short ride he was off again. After 10 minutes or so he was fine, but Ed decided it wasn't worth the risk of exacerbating the situation by trying to ride him that night. The vet agreed. So Pocita and I went out without them at 7:50PM. It was a very nice night. The moon, half full, was plenty bright enough to see all but a few short sections of trail deep in the woods. The temperature was in the 70s at the start and in the high 50s by the end of the 25 miler. It was horribly dry, though, as bad as here in north Florida and south Georgia. The dust sent into the air by 70 some riders at the start was choking and blinding. Throughout the ride, even though the riders (50 and 25 milers) were spread out, if I put on my helmet light the dust particles still lingering in the air made the light bounce of them, nearly blinding me. I rode the first loop with my two friends from Aiken, SC, Ron and Diane Maury on their Pasos. We were joined for part of that loop by a first time rider, Sandy Judy, and her Paso gelding. After several miles she decided to go on ahead. Since both Ron and Diane were on horses new to the sport they did not want to move out too fast. And Pocita was fighting me to go faster by doing her crow hopping number so I did not want to reward her bad behavior by allowing her to go faster. Ron, Diane and I pitted in together after that loop. Sandy beat us in by 15 minutes or so. Ed was a good sport and helped us at the pit. The Maurys and I rode out together on the second loop, but after 2-3 miles Diane said she thought her mare was wanting to walk more so she and Ron slowed down and Pocita and I went ahead on our own. It was really great moving along in the moonlight at 7-8MPH. Pocita never took a wrong step and we passed 12 or more riders on the loop, just moving along at our easy gait. She is really getting to be very trail wise, so much like her sire, Leo. It's wonderful to have a horse you can trust to get through just about anything. I really love the night rides. Pocita and I finished around midnight in 35th place. Sandy came in 2-3 places behind us (somewhere I passed her and didn't even realize it) and Ron and Diane completed in 50 and 51st place. As per usual there was a great breakfast provided by ride management on Sunday morning (thanks, Lucy Hancock and crew) and after the awards ceremony we all loaded up for the drive home. Obi is on a rest for now. He's doing better so hopefully he will be back on the trail soon. Pocita and I plan to try to get to Dawson Forest in 3 weeks for the 2 day GERA Fundraiser. Hope to see more Paso folks there.
PS:We FINALLY got some rain last night and today from Tropical Storm Barry. I can smell the dying fires as I write. Thank you Mother Nature for this good soaking rain.
Lindsay