Featured image by Elise Burke
While I am not as “old school” as many endurance riders with whom I pal around, I started dabbling in Competitive Trail Rides (CTR) in the 1990s, with my first 50-mile AERC ride in 2001, so I’ve been around a while.
Ned at Elk Valley Endurance, circa 2001 (?) He was the only one gray back then.
We didn’t have “Intro” rides in AERC back then, and LD rides (“Limited Distance” of 25-35 miles) were just taking hold. They’ve both increased wildly in popularity since then.
I’ve never entered an Intro ride (typically 10-15 miles in length) but this year, with Atticus, it makes sense.
The Lizard Run ride is just under a 2-hour haul from home. It’s got a great reputation as a well-run ride. The terrain and footing should not be wildly different from what we condition on.
Atticus, though getting legged up in the four months he’s been here, is not really ready physically for a Limited Distance ride. (For me, that rule of thumb is happy and capable of going 12-15 miles at roughly 5 miles per hour.)
We ride out once or twice a week at the Woods at walk and trot (with a wee bit of canter) for between an hour and a half and two hours. But almost all of these rides, even up until recently, have been under 10 miles. And our pace is well below the 5mph average we’d need to finish a Limited Distance 25-mile ride at maximum time.
Lizard Run offers a 15-mile loop, which is just enough to “stretch the rubber band” without breaking it.
Atticus has yet to camp overnight on his Hi Tie, so we’ll handle this as a day ride, and a training ride with a side bonus of conditioning.
Since this is not a “sanctioned” ride, we have all the time in the world – well, I imagine the volunteers and staff would appreciate us wrapping it up by dark – and this will give Atticus an opportunity to experience ride camp, and the vetting process, and the bit of “electricity” that can come at an endurance ride in the most low-key way possible.
Elise has yet to experience an endurance ride, ever, but has agreed to chaperone us around on Dunkin. I like sharing fun stories with her about chafing and such, but these are really the sort of things you have to experience to understand. (I’ve got the cutest little pink Body Glide in my pommel pack just in case.)
It will be just as advertised and intended, an “intro” to the sport for two new participants – Atticus and Elise.
The plan is to pair up a rookie with a veteran, me on Atticus, Elise on Dunk. But with a nod to my favorite quarterback of all time, Josh Allen (go Bills!) we are open to calling an audible!
To prepare, we had to knock a few things off our “learn to do” list —
Sponge-ing from the Saddle
On our last ride in the Woods, it was HOT. I snapped sponges to the d-rings on both horses’ saddles and Elyse (Burke) navigated us to a nice wide creek after some long trot sets, just as everyone was getting hot and itchy.
Did a little safety meeting with Elise, and Elyse shared her own spongeing-gone-wrong story, so we emphasized that DETACHING the sponge completely from the saddle, and simply dropping it if anything went south, were the primary risk-reduction rules.
Dunk, not always tolerant of being sponged, was just sweaty enough to say “yes, please” and Atticus behaved as though having Elise yo-yo water up onto his neck was something he had been born to endure.
Box checked.
Trotting Out in Hand
I was happy to ask Elise, given her 22 years on the planet and lack of meniscus damage to her knees, this chore.
Both boys trotted willingly and straight on a loose lead line after our ride.
Just for the record, EVERYONE my age should have a 22 year old riding companion.
I grabbed the stethoscope and showed Elise how to check heart rates and gut sounds. We discussed what we’d wear, what we’d carry in my pommel pack and how and where we’d put Body Glide on the horses for the ride.
Pommel pack secured and loaded up with water bottles, cable/zip ties, chapstick, ibuprofen, electrolytes, a folding hoofpick and a multitool. Oh, and Body Glide (never leave home without it!)
A sign you really love your ancient Stowaway pommel pack. You repair a tear with a cable tie and keep on truckin’
Post Ride Itchies and Snacks
This was mostly about introducing Elise to Dunk’s evil twin, Crew Area Captain A$$hole, who when hot and itchy and in competition mode goes straight from veteran-down-the-trail to cranky, obnoxious psychopath on the ground.
I get it. I empathize. He is itchy and sweaty and all of the tags on his clothing are bothering him. He’s simply ready to go back down the trail without all of this stand around and eat and get vetted nonsense.
However, we have boundaries. We have a towel at the ready, and the rule is “We Rub On You, You Do Not Rub On Us.” Dunk thinks this rule is stupid and does not apply to him.
We enforce it anyway. Dunk pouts and fusses us and tells us he doesn’t love us anymore.
Dunk’s mood typically improves once he’s been cooled off and he has a chance to chill out and contemplate whether he’s relaxed enough to eat.
You’ll note there’s been no mention of Atticus here. As of this writing, Atticus does not get obnoxiously itchy. He immediately looks for a snack upon reaching the trailer and thinks the cookie container is self-serve. We remind him that it is not.
A few times we’ve offered wet mashes after our rides, and Atticus thinks this is the best idea ever. This alone makes Atticus a fabulous endurance prospect in my eyes.
Atticus, like most Morgans, considers eating one of his most favoritest things.
The boys got their first set of shoes this season from Keith.
Perhaps Atticus’ first shoes ever? He was casual and curious about the entire process, even with the hot shoeing.
And of course, body work from Beth.
Our Mission
The plan is to meet at the ride camp early Saturday morning, get set up, give ourselves time to get registered and vetted in, then tack up, braid about three miles of neon green ribbon in Atticus’ tail to warn others he’s new to the sport, then ride a happy 15-mile loop at our typical 4+ MPH pace, then vet out, chill for a couple hours by the trailer, crew for friends and visit, then head home.
That’s it.
Survive.
Stay On.
Laugh.
Let Elise see Dunk on what he’ll perceive as “game day.”
Pull some pennies from Atticus’ jar and add some back in.
Squeeeee! Wish us luck.