A Riders Prayer

  Dearest Creator in Heaven,
Give me strength to guide my horse.
Make my hands soft and my head clear.
Let my horse understand me and I him.

My heart you have blessed with a special love of these animals.
Let me never lose sight of it.
My soul you have gifted with a deep need for them.
Let that need never lessen.

Always let my breath catch as the sun gleams on an elegant head.
Always may my throat tighten at the sound of a gentle nicker.
Let the scent of fresh hay and a new bag of grain be sweet to me.
Let the touch of a warm nose on my hand always bring a smile.

I adore the joy of a warm day on the farm.
The grace and splendor of a running horse,
The thunder of its hooves makes my eyes burn and my heart soar.
Let it always be so.

Dearest Creator grant me patience,
For horses are harnessed wind, and wind can be flighty.
Let me not frighten or harm them.
Instead show me ways to understand them.

Above all, dear Creator, fill my life with them.
When I pass from this world,
Send my soul to no heaven without them.
For this love you have given me graces my existence
And I shall cherish it and praise You for it for all time.

Author Unknown 

Char

Getting Back to the PF...

Our Saturday afternoon ride was so nice. The girls (all four of us!) had had some lunch and a short rest, and were ready to go. I was particularly eager to get to this loop, as it promised some of the open meadow terrain that one sees between Highway 55 and East Mountain while driving along 55, and for years I've thought it would be pretty swell to ride over there. Back out toward Corral Creek Road, then turned north up a draw through the middle of the field.

We'd paced our morning loop very conservatively, took our time, and worked hard to prevent our ponies from wearing out. Not knowing how long or steep any section of the two small mountains were, and being newbies, we were very very careful. But we learned a lot by watching how some of the more seasoned competitors managed their respective rides. So, we not-so-newbies picked up a steady trot and moved right along.

This trail was cake by comparison to the AM--level two-track sections, meandering paths through open woodlands, and the piece de resistance...?...a very good portion on trails blazed smack dab through deep grassy meadows. It was heavenly, except for the fact that my hind end was getting sore and by then my poor legs were screaming in pain from all the posting and standing in stirrups. Never knew my thighs could hurt so much!! But quitting out there really wasn't an option, since the alternative would have been to get off and walk. NOT. We were encouraged on by the skinny we'd heard at lunch, that the loop was only 8 miles, not the designated 10. That might have been hearsay, but we had it on good authority (I'm not naming names!) and chose to believe it. A sweet psychological ploy, whether or not it was true.

I remember keeping close tabs on the time, since we had a deadline to meet. But this meant maintaining our speedier pace for relatively long distances, and I think it was this afternoon loop where I began standing up alot in my stirrups. At the time it felt like much less work than posting. I had no idea what price I would later pay for my strategy...didn't really think about that.

There may have been only one water stop along this loop. I only remember the one in the river. Ti and Delight marched right in and Ti sucked down cool fresh water. Char was a little frustrated that Delight wasn't drinking, but you know what they say: "You can lead a horse to water.......". Delight was happy to stand there and paw at the water, helping Char cool her off. We both used Char's nifty sponge on a string to cool the girls off. Drop the sponge down into the water, pull it up with the long string, and squeeze the water out on the horse. Wring out the sponge, tie it back up to the saddle, and ta da! We didn't linger, as there was only room for three or four horses in the water at a time and other riders arrived shortly after us.

Toward the end of the loop we were back in the trees, and suddenly there was the little paper plate on a stick pointing us to the road and finish line. We hit the road with only minutes to spare, and trotted the girls down the last quarter mile of road. This may have been the point where we grabbed each other's hands and raised them high over our heads for our victorious, glorious finish.

A Saturday to Remember

It's hard to feel enthusiastic about much when you're sleep deprived, and before I even climbed out of my too cold sleeping bag at 5:30 AM I was dragging. No time for slackers, however, since we were scheduled to take off on our horses at 7:30 AM. I wondered how the 50-milers managed, with a 6:30 AM start time....I was stiff and sore, and wasn't even on my steed! Uh oh, gonna be a long day. Our trusty crew, Lyn, already had water boiling for warm beverages, and Char and I each chugged down a poor-man's mocha: hot water, instant Folgers, and some instant powdered hot chocolate. The liliputian marshmallows melted before I got cup to mouth.


Seemed like there was so much to do: feed and tack up horses, fill our own tummys, get dressed, pack fanny packs and saddle bags with every accoutrement we might possibly need, collect necessary paperwork, and be at the starting post on time. We had intended to go for a leisurely ride Friday afternoon, but that didn't happen and suddenly we found ourselves with not even a spare minute or two to warm up the horses before the ride. I wondered how some folks managed to be up and on their horses so early....did they sleep on them? Leave 'em tacked up all night? Skip breakfast? Oh well, as I like to say, "it is what it is."


I was pleased that the temperature was cool in the AM and I hoped we could conserve our horses'energy throughout the morning. The weather forcast suggested a high in the mid-eighties. Anyway, Lyn and Katy helped us aboard and accompanied us to the start where we checked in, and before we knew it we were off! Oh my gosh, the culmination of all our weeks, and hours, and miles of training! I can't speak for Char, but my stomach was in knots with anticipation. It was quite pretty along the way. Nice forest service road, two-track, soft, and no rocks. The evergreen woods alongside the road smelled fresh and sweet. Wildflowers were abundant, even in August! Must be due to the cool, moist early summer we've had in Idaho this year. Lupine, larkspur, wild geraniums, indian paintbrush.


As the elevation slowly increased I remembered hearing someone say, just the afternoon before, how technical and difficult this ride was. I kept that to myself, hoping to spare Char unnecessary worry. Besides, I wasn't eager to relinquish our plan to ride our own ride, and I figured we'd discover for ourselves what the trail had to offer us and our mares. Furthermore, I had great faith in our two horses. Any horse person is familiar with the historic story of Justin Morgan and his legendary horse. Char's 17 year old mare Delight is a Morgan who had already demonstrated her fortitude during our training rides. My Arabian mare Tia traces every line in her pedigree straight back to the middle eastern desert and her bedouin-bred ancesters. The bedouins prized their mares above all else, for it was these devoted creatures who carried them into battle and determined the success or failure of such ventures. The war mares, as they are sometimes called, were known for their ability to run for untold miles and days across the desert, without hesitation, and without food or water, at the bidding of their masters. I was confident that my mare had what it takes and would make me proud.


Our trouble began early on, as we began to realize that we weren't, in fact, last out of the chute. For the first hour or so horses and riders appeared out of nowhere on our heels, upsetting Ti no end. Prance, toss, whirl, twirl...her panties were in a bunch from the getgo. When we, in turn, approached someone from the rear Ti was hell-bent on passing. She's always been this way. I had my hands full managing my Arabian steed and wondered if our very first competitive ride would end with a horse who exhausted herself from nervous energy before we really got started. I was enormously thankful to have Char and Delight close at hand. Char was her usual self: grounded, practical, prepared, and always managing to calm and reassure me at the exact right moment. Her praise and encouragement do wonders for my courage. It's affirming to hear someone praise my horsemanship skill at the precise moment I'm up there thinking "oh gee, hope I don't fall off now...". Delight and Tia are both quite alpha dominant in their respective herds, and neither has a particularly good track record of befriending other equines, so Char and I were surprised when they seemed to hit it off from the getgo. Throughout our weeks of training and conditioning together this unlikely twosome bonded in unexpected ways. They shared food, water, trailer rides, close quarters, high lines, etc. Tia has a very large personal "bubble" and has NEVER allowed another horse within ten feet of her during meal time, yet she allowed Delight to munch from her haybag and to eat out of her grain bucket with nary a swish of the tail! Wonder of wonders! I noted that, throughout the entire weekend, Delight's presence had a very calming influence on Tia whether in camp, on the trail, or going through a vet check. I don't know what I'll do when or if I should find myself going it alone.


We climbed up an over one ridge, crossed a brook, and climbed a second higher ridge. It seemed to go up forever. Our horses enjoyed the occasional water stops and chance to rest a bit. Char and I enjoyed the opportunity to slip out of the saddle and stand on our feet. And we hydrated ourselves from our own water and gatorade bottles. Delicious!!! We encountered no large wildlife, but chipmonks and squirrels were abundant, scurrying here and there across trails and among trees. Bird were ever-present as well, though it was difficult to identify them. The sky was a beautiful blue with very few scattered clouds, and a lovely morning mist rose from the surface of a mountain lake we happened upon. Ha, I thought Tia was going to take me for a swim in the lake. Thinking the girls might be thirsty, we stopped to let them drink. Tia just plowed right on in, only to discover that the bottom dropped away pretty quick! Whoops! Char and Delight thought that was pretty funny.


We met some neat folks along the trail. I'll remember Heather from Oregon, who's path we crossed several times during our first morning loop. She was out there by herself on her gelding, riding her own ride, not in a hurry, but relaxed and enjoying the journey. She was clearly more intent on being the best steward she could be of her horse's well-being than on winning some prize. And her lovely horse appeared as relaxed as she. I admired Heather's quiet confidence and so filed those impressions into a secure spot in my memory. We bumped into each other several more times during the weekend. Another memorable encounter was with Anya, Katya, and Katrin, from British Columbia, Canada. I was touched by the fact that they were all in this together, and that the two little ones seemed to be enjoying themselves so much. Char and I met them at a mid-point water stop in the morning, and didn't see them again until the evening ride meeting where, to our complete surprise, we learned that they had somehow overtaken us along the way that afternoon and completed the day's ride sooner than we did! Admittedly, we questioned how it was possible, and toyed with asking Sally Tarbet to explain. Sunday morning we learned that things aren't always as they seem. This trio was a seasoned bunch and knew what they were doing. We had the privilege of riding with them a good part of the way, and Katrin was generous and kind enough to answer as many newbie questions as we could think to ask. Anya and Katya were quick to laugh and smile, but they also paid close attention to their mom's instructions. Definitely future Tevis contenders, those little girls! Char and I enjoyed riding with them on Sunday, and I wouldn't hesitate to do so again. Not all of our competitors had such a balanced approach to the ride. We played leap-frog all day Sunday with a trio of women who seemed to want to run along the trail. The two younger ladies didn't seem very comfortable on their horses in the first place, and none of the three appeared to have any notion of pacing and rating their steeds. We felt bad for those equines, who had to canter, stop, trot, canter, stop, canter, stop, and so on all day. I wouldn't treat my horse that way. The long and short of it is that I clearly prefer the company of other riders with similar priorities: start with a healthy well-conditioned horse, and partner with it for a successful endeavor. I measure success by the mental and physical well-being of my horse and our ability as a team to put forth our best effort.

Riding back into camp was exciting! My guys hadn't arrived yet, a disappointment to me, but Lyn was there, as was Char's family. We felt like celebrities, even as we dumped tack, hosed off the girls, and made our way through vet checks. Both mares scored well on all measures and we got a thumbs up to continue in the afternoon. Lunch was quick, the horses had a snack, my family arrived, Char and I tacked up, and off we went again! Our afternoon ride was splendid, and I'll say more about that soon.

My Friday Report

It's Friday, a week to the day after Char, Lyn, and I loaded Tia and Delight into Lyn's trailer and headed out for Cascade. Actually, by this time last week we were already setting up camp in a beautiful green meadow surrounded by the evergreen trees of East Mountain, adjacent to a sweet little brook! The week since has flown by.

Ride camp was already buzzing with energy upon our arrival, and we were happy to add our enthusiasm to the event. We'd heard from one of the organizers that out-of-towners would doubtless arrive by mid-week but the three of us were surprised at just how many campers, horse trailers, portable corrals, horses, and people we passed as we kept a lookout for a good spot for ourselves. Tom Noll had suggested we camp as far away from the in/out area and vet checks as possible, to protect our horses from the hubbub. More importantly, we needed one good tree from which to attach our highline. We found the requisite tree, sufficiently off the beaten track, and wasted no time figuring out where to position trailer, trucks, tents, etc. for the best effect. Char has already posted some pics of our camp...it turned out pretty well, considering this was our first adventure camping with horses. Tia and Delight settled right in to their weekend abode, enjoying the knee deep grass in which we'd parked them. (There was none left by the time we left on Sunday evening!) We hauled a large water tub over and parked it squarely between them. Hay bags went up on the line, and the girls were set.

Setting up our own camp gear took longer. In fact, everything else throughout the day seemed to take forever! We got a shade shelter up behind the trailer and pulled out some camp chairs. Nice! Tilly the Tent Trailer wasn't as cooperative. I had carefully written out setup instructions which turned out not to be as careful as I'd imagined, and I struggled off and on for quite some time to get the darned thing open and up. My first casualty was a nasty little open blood blister on one finger. It bled like a stuck pig for afew minutes. Next came a serious knock on the head from one of the tent supports that unkindly and unexpectedly bounced back at me. It hurt so bad I had to just stop and put my head down for afew minutes. The ensuing headache lasted through the weekend and I still have a tender spot on my right temple. Seems like there was something else, but I can't remember what. Must have lost a few neurons and short term memory in my collision! Lyn and Char helped a bit by holding some of the supports up while I wrangled with the tent itself. No wonder we gave Tilly away! What a monster! I hope David and the boys appreciate my labor on their behalf....

Char and Lyn eventually drove into Cascade to meet Katy and I stayed put to mind camp and the horses. Did some more organizing and eventually took the girls for a walk...they needed to move and I wanted to see the rest of camp. Turns out there were several pods of campers spread out through the valley, mostly to the east of a brook that had to be forded. Camp headquarters, vetting areas, start/finish, some retailers, and a pod of campers occupied the west side.

It was late afternoon when my comrades returned, sans Katy, at which time Char and I walked our horses over for check-in and pre-ride vet checks. Tia and Delight both passed with flying colors--A's on all measures! Not a bad way to start the weekend! The Friday night dinner was catered by Qdoba and was yummy. Ride meeting was informative and we got our morning instructions. It seems that bed time came too late, as we tried to get our gear ready for an early Saturday morning wake-up call. Meanwhile, Katy arrived from Stanley.

Char and Katy had no sooner hit the sack in their large tent and Lyn and I bunked down in Tilly when the wind picked up and a few threatening clouds began rumbling at us. At the first sound of raindrops tapping on Tilly, I jumped out of my sleeping bag, out of Tilly, and began throwing some of my morning gear into the back of the open horse trailer. In the process, in the dark, I missed my step up into the trailer and succeeded instead to smash a toe into the back of the trailer. Oh yeah, that was the third thing! Another moment to drop everything, put my head down, curse under my breath, and try not to make too much noise groaning from the pain. Back to bed in time for the wind to start in on Char's tent. The long and short of that was Lyn ending up in the back of her pickup truck, Char and Katy in Tilly with me, and Char's tent balled up and thrown into the back of the trailer. We were all definitely exhausted by then. By 5:30 Lyn was out heating water for coffee! Short, eventful night. I just hoped our Saturday morning ride would go smoothly!

The Second Big Day 8.08.10 Part 1

Ride camp

Day two dawned bright and early. I wasn't nearly as tired and sore as I thought I would be and I was hoping that Delight was feeling the same way. Lyn reported that Delight had laying down in the night - a good sign that she was able to relax.

Now that we were "experienced" endurance riders Sandra and I had some better ideas of how to ride this day. It seemed like everything from saddling up to knowing what to do during the vet hold, to planning how to pace the race seemed to go more smoothly.

 Bright eyes

Delight was ready to go! She was bright and full of energy - above is a picture of Lyn trying to get her to stand still.

Indeed, I really believe that I have found something that my horse truly loves. On this second ride Sandra and I decided to let our horses "out" a little more. Most of the time we rode at a long trot and a loose rein. Delight just put her head down and trotted right out without much encouragement at all. I really came to admire my horse's endurance, strength and courage.

The trails once again were full of indescribable beauty. It was a shame sometimes that we had to travel so quickly through sights that are meant to be savored! At each resting stop and water hole we gulped the Beauty in great drafts and were refreshed for our journey...

Char

Tap tap tap. Sandra... time for stories! I know you have some!

Char

Char, I'm laughing. It's 9:46 AM on Wednesday and I'm still feeling the exhaustive effects of our weekend! More sleep to catch up on than I could ever have imagined. I've got to get dressed and off to work here shortly, and promised my dog a long romp at the Nampa dog park today. Also have to get Tilly back to Connie. I promise to add some stories soon!!! Promise!!!!

The Big Day 8.07.10

The Big Day dawned earlier than any day I can remember. Excitement was good medicine. In spite of only having a few hours' sleep I think my eyes might have even been working before 8AM!

Lyn and Katy were pretty cold. I think Excitement kept me warm!

We tacked up and rode out 5 min after the start time. We left late on purpose. Our hope was to miss out on all of the congestion and excitement of the beginning of the race. Delight and Tia had plenty of energy and were raring to go!

I think the hardest part of both rides was the first several miles of this morning. Neither of our horses were used to passing and being passed by other horses, and both of our horses have a drive to win the race. We spent the first, oh 10 miles or so ( ! ) trying to get them to settle into a steady pace.

The first loop was nearly 22 miles long and it was up and down and around the mountainside. One of the fine arts of endurance riding is learning to pace your horse. We rode this first loop very conservatively, in fact almost too conservatively.  We had to ride the second loop much faster in order to complete the ride in the time allowed.

Here are the girls in front of a lake we rode to in the middle of the woods. We got off and led them to the water for a drink. I don't think either of them has been to a deep body of water before. Tia walked right in and nearly pulled Sandra in with her! Luckily they avoided falling in all together. I think Delight would have walked in as well but I learned from Tia's example and didn't let her go for a swim!

 Seeing the ride camp through the trees for the first time was an amazing experience. We had never ridden so far or so fast up to this point. Twenty two miles! Wow. I felt like I had already won the race!

We went through the vet check without any problems. Delight got all A's on her vet card except for one B for gut sounds. I was so happy for us! It was just beginning to dawn on me what an absolutely amazing equine partner that I have in my Delight.

We had a 50 min hold before we were allowed to begin the second loop. Our mares both still had plenty of energy. I was surprised that they didn't act more tired. Our many miles of preparation and training were already beginning to show their effects.


During the hold we realized that we only had something like an hour and a half to finish the ride in time. Our conservative first loop almost cost us the ride! Luckily I had timed a ten mile training ride and had an idea of how fast we had to go - and it was faster than Sandra and I had ever ridden together. I said, "We can do it!" Sandra agreed, and off we went.

The minutes slipped by quickly as we rode the loop. Soon there was only fifteen minutes left, then ten. I was beginning to think that we weren't going to make it on time. In my mind I was already trying to put a salve on my disappointment when we looked up and saw the road back to camp.

 "Oh my God we are going to MAKE it!!"

 There were just a few minutes left! We urged our horses into a canter and they were happy to oblige. We crossed the finish line with THREE minutes to spare!

I was laughing and smiling and nearly crying all at once! Tom and the kids, Katy and Lyn were all there and they cheered when they saw us. Sandra and I hugged and hugged. It was the realization of a dream.

The Girls sailed through their vet check for the second time; all A's with one B again for gut sounds. In spite of how fast  we had ridden this loop and the canter for the last mile both horses were still in excellent condition!

WE DID IT!!

It was a marvelous experience, so difficult and so rewarding... and yet there was much more to come.

Friday, Part Deux

We arrived in Cascade  and into ride camp sometime after 10AM. The weather was beautiful!

Oh how refreshing it is to just be in the mountains of Idaho! The forecast was for 80's during the day and 50's at night with a slight 20-30% chance of rain. What a relief from the 90's we have been experiencing in the desert!

Our first priority was to get the horses settled onto the highline. Our practice run in the arena with the highline paid off in spades.  The rope still had lots of stretch in it so we had to tighten it several times. Beyond that we set it up without much trouble at all.

I will have to say that my Riding Buddy Sandra, our Flamingo Crew Chief Lyn, my daughter Katrina and I make a heck of a team. The four of us worked so well together. All weekend there was heard nary a discouraging word! What could have been a time of great stress based on the enormity of the task became pleasant satisfying work.

Here's the front of our camp - Tilly the Tent Trailer, our living area the and the trailer. My ginormous family sized tent is in the front, but that's not where it started out being. (More about the tent later... ) The highline is on the back side. If you look closely you can see the line tied to this side of the horse trailer. The red car belongs to Sandra's family.

The living area...

We think we're ready......! Don't we look like it?

After camp was mostly set up we took the horses for their check in with the vet. While we were in line we were handed a thick pink grease paint marker and we wrote our rider numbers on our horse's rumps. This is when things started feeling "real" to me. I have been to a couple of endurance rides as a crew member. Putting that number on Delight's rump was thrilling. Both horses passed this check with flying colors. Both were docked just a bit for having minimal gut sounds. We feel it was  from the stress of the drive and the new surroundings.

Here is a picture of Delight all decked out. I think this is one of my favorite pictures of all time of my horse!

Here are a couple of great looking rumps!

That afternoon the 6th member of our team showed up. Katrina spent the night with us and was a great help for our first ride on Saturday.

It was later than we would have liked when we hit the hay that night. Katrina and I were in the big tent, Lyn and Sandra were in the tent trailer. Some time in the middle of the night the slight chance of scattered rain showers decided to become 100% wind, lightning and rain storm. The tent was located behind the living area next to the horses. Delight and Tia didn't seem worried at all by the storm... until the wind became so strong that it threatened to flatten the tent! Worried about a possible stampede, Katy and I decided to abandon tent. With the help of our crew mates we moved everything out and took the tent down. Katy and I settled in with Sandra and Lyn moved to her truck.

Of course, as soon as we were finished, the storm was over. So much for a good night's sleep right before the biggest ride of our lives!

Char

Exhaustion, redefined.

The last time I was this tired was eighteen years ago, after Max was born. And I'd almost succeeded in forgetting just how exhausted I was then! Oh man, do I ache all over--not just from the riding but also from the dearth of sleep I've had for four nights running. My head hurts from my run-in with Tilly the Tent Trailer; I keep bumping the pinch blister on my finger (from the same event) into a bleeding mess; and my middle toe is black and red from an accidental barefoot stubbing on the horse trailer while hastily trying to save all the 'stuff' I'd left outside from a nasty little rain storm in the dark on Friday night. I owe a special thanks to whoever invented Aleve. It's been my best buddy, along with Ibuprofen, for the past several days.

WE DID IT!!!!!

Yep, the 2010 Pink Flamingo Classic is now a "we did it!", no longer a 'hope we can do it." We have many tales to tell and I imagine that Char and I will recall and report some of the same and some different moments along the way. Char is a great story teller who entertains me with her humor and enthusiasm. I love it! Plus, she takes (and posts) photos to accompany the journey. My apologies for not keeping up my end of the picture-taking. I did get some this weekend, and will try to post them in a timely fashion, LOL!!

The Adventure Begins

Day one of our odyssey was really Thursday. It was the day that everything we have been collecting for THE LIST needed to get into the two trucks and trailers. Sandra came over that evening and pulled her  Vintage truck and Tilly the Tent Trailer in behind Lyn's truck (which really needs a clever name) and horse trailer.

It took Sandra, Lyn (alias Flamingo Crew Chief), my husband Tom and me a couple of hours to get everything loaded and organized. We were all exhausted and the sun had set by the time we were finished.

Tia and Delight were in the barn watching us. They were each knee deep in hay, grain and yummy beet pulp (horses love soppy wet soaked beet pulp, and it is good for them). I am sure they had no idea why they were getting such royal treatment. Poor innocent horses!

The next morning we were up at the crack of dawn. No, I think it may have been before dawn - I can't tell you truthfully because my eyes don't actually function until after 8 o'clock or so. We loaded our suitcases and the horses and left 15 min ahead of schedule. It was a good sign.

 Poor innocent humans

Char

WE DID IT!!!

And, we did it well!

I am so happy and proud of myself, Delight, Sandra and Tia! We completed both rides and earned excellent vet scores. It was a difficult two days, but all four of us came through with no physical (or mental... ha ha ) issues at all. We won our coveted blankets. And all four of us learned many, many valuable life lessons...

Sandra and I were talking about how to share all of this on our blog, and unfortunately for you, our dear readers, we have decided to just let it all spill out. So you might be in for a sort of literary roller coaster ride. But, we do have a few pictures. Hopefully they will help to soften your task of deciphering the twisting chronology and grammar of our story.

Oh... and maybe I am letting the cat out of the bag too soon, but we are fixing our eyes on riding a couple of days at  THIS ride. So, our endurance riding adventure is not over yet for this summer!

Char

What a blur

We rode 15 miles last Saturday, in the Emmett hills. Great ride, and the horses did well. We even tried to bushwack our way down a steep draw, leading the mares, but Tia leapt completely over me from one steep side of the draw to the other, basically telling me "This ain't cool!", so we backed out, climbed back up the hill on foot, climbed back aboard and headed out in a different direction.

All went well until the moment I discovered the Ti had gouged a two inch scrape on her inside hip during the return trailer trip. A loose flat-head screw had worked itself loose on the padded bumper and bit her. Bad turned to worse when I unloaded her at home to discover a more severe attack just above her left stifle. Not serious enough to need a vet call, but bloody and deep enough. I decided to hate my little old Miley straight-load trailer just then. The next several days involved multiple trips to the barn for cold water soaks and antibiotic ointment, and no riding. Just as bad, no trailer to transport the horses for our training rides during the last full week before the PF! I gave Ti three or four days off, watching some swelling and a bit of stiffness. Finally, on Thursday and Friday I lunged her for about 30 minutes, and did a light arena ride on Friday afternoon. Yesterday we did another 30 minutes of trotting and cantering on the lunge, followed by 30 minutes of arena trotting. Not what I'd had in mind for the week, but better than nothing. Char and I had wanted to get one more multi-mile ride under our belts before next weekend, but that doesn't seem to be in the cards for me. We'll just have to work from home and hope for the best in Cascade next Saturday. A secondary consequence of the trailer ordeal was that I missed an opportunity to walk Ti down to Tom Noll's place Sataurday afternoon and have him try to fit her for some easy-boots, which he generously offered to loan me. I did finally manage to get her hooves trimmed early in the week, but one never knows what the trail holds and it's best to be prepared. Char just purchased a pair of Renegade boots for Delight, and seems to like them, but they're darned expensive and I'm trying to hold the line on expenditures for this adventure.

I've been experimenting with several different saddle pad options recently, and my horse has let me know quite plainly that she isn't too pleased. My effort to eliminate a pressure point under the saddle doesn't seem to have worked yet. After the PF I'm going to look for a good saddle fitter. Can't have Tia's back all messed up.

The coming week will be a blur. Between work, a job interview, conditioning Ti, and packing for the weekend, I hope I can keep it together. I need to call Connie about reviewing Tilly set-up instructions, get Ti to Lyn's Wednesday afternoon, gather all my gear, and get up to Emmett Thursday afternoon. We expect to head out quite early on Friday morning, and I hope all goes according to plan. Char and I will have to help Lyn with Friday AM barn chores first. Lyn and Char will haul the horses in Lyn's 3-horse slant load behind Lyn's new truck. I'll be in my 80's vintage Dodge pickup, pulling Tilly the Tent Trailer behind. We'll all pray for an uneventful drive to Cascade. It's the farthest I'll have gone on the road with Tia.

It's our hope to arrive at ride camp early enough Friday to snag a decent spot for our camp and highline, preferably out of the afternoon sun and away from the busy starting area. (good luck with that!) After getting the horses settled I'll need to set up Tilly, all by myself--eegad--in time for David, Ben, and Max to arrive before bed time. It is anyone's guess how the weekend will unfold. None of the guys have a speck of interest in horses or what I do with mine, but we decided to make a family camp weekend of the Pink Flamingo since it is our only free weekend all summer, and the last one before Ben heads back to Moscow for school. Besides, being able to camp in our old Tilly for the weekend, compliments of Connie, and right down "the wee-ha road" from Papa's old cabin, has lots to recommend it. It's perfectly fitting that the PF came along to so conveniently accomodate our plans.The boys will probably spend Saturday biking, possibly in or around the fabulous new YMCA camp at Horsethief (where Ben and Max just spent a week as counselors at teen camp), or hanging out in McCall...not much for a non-equine enthusiast to do in ride camp all day. I'm going to suggest also that they consider floating down the Payette river from Cascade to Carbarton. It's easy, relaxing, free, and takes several hours.

Char and I both registered for the Saturday and Sunday rides, and hope to complete them. The prize? Swell summer coolers for the horses, emblazoned with the Pink Flamingo logo. Even if we're dead last. Neither of us minds being the 'turtles' if it comes to that. We're really more interested in discovering what we and our mares are capable of achieving together. Not a bad plan, I think.

Lyn Kinney very generously volunteered to crew for us, and Char's daughter Katrina may be there to help too. We're all rookies in this but sisters in spirit, easygoing, hard-working, happy, and looking forward to a great weekend adventure doing what we all love: playing with our equines!