Skydiving

On August 15, 2015, I went skydiving for the first time.

Much to my surprise, I didn't grow very nervous at all through the day's events. There were some butterflies when I was finally able to meet my tandem instructor and "suit up", but beyond the excitement in that moment, I didn't experience any crazy burst of adrenaline -- something that surprised me a lot! I experience a LOT more adrenaline release when rafting on a Class V river in a class V rapid than I did all day skydiving. Go figure.

When we arrived at Skydive Orange, we filled out paperwork (read: signing your name and initialing about 4 dozen times), watched a short video, paid up, and then waited and waited. They were having a skydiving festival this weekend (called a "boogie") which led to a lot more  traffic in and around the hangar. It was very interesting to watch another group of adrenaline junkies go about their business though! As someone involved in multiple adrenaline junkie sports, I found it fascinating to observe folks go about their routines in what was a new-to-me atmosphere.

Skydive Orange staffers and many others packing canopies and parachutes for their next jump

Our group received a bit of training on what to expect "in general" from one fellow while we waited. This "training" took about 10 minutes and went over the basics: when you leave the plane you should assume one position with your body (arch your back and legs as much as you can while keeping your hands on your harness) until the instructor taps your shoulder at which point you will extend your arms away from your body into the classic skydiving position you see on TV; upon landing, you will need to pick your feet way, way up to get out of the way of the instructor so they can "slide" you in safely. Further details on what we would be doing would be provided later by our tandem instructor.

Planes took off every 20 minutes with loads of skydivers. These loads consisted of people who paid for tandems and those who were out participating in the sport for fun. Once you're licensed to jump and have your own gear, it's only $20 to jump. If the licensing and gear weren't so expensive for this sport I would TOTALLY get into it. (Expected startup cost before you get to the $20 jump phase is estimated ~$5-6k.)

These are [some of] my coworkers. =)

I arrived at noon and was in a plane around 3p.

You straddle a bench in the plane. You shuffle tight against your instructor, nearly in their lap. If you're slated to be one of the last jumpers out of the plane, you'll have other people nearly in your lap. It seems to be the most efficient way to load a plane from what I could observe; everyone straddling a bench on either side of the aircraft, back to chest.

The flight to 14,000 feet took ~20 minutes. I watched the altimeter I'd been given as we climbed. 5k, 8k, 12k, and then we were there.

The door was rolled open and the non-tandem jumpers started exiting one at a time as the cooler 14k air rushed into the aircraft.

Some jumpers hung onto the side of the plane for a second so they could grab their partner on the way down and try out some basic aerobatics with one another during the freefall. (The real experts had been doing up to 8-man formations on this day.)

My instructor had taken time during the last 3,000 feet or so of the ascent to fasten my harness to his. When you're jumping tandem you wear a body harness that is strapped to your instructor's harness that has the parachute attached. So, technically, I can boast that I jumped out of a plane at 14k feet without a parachute -- but I was strapped to someone else who did have one!

My instructor and I were the last ones out of the plane on this jump.

I knew what to expect based on what he'd told me and what the other instructor had told our group. Hands down, the worst part was the waddle to the door. My instructor was a good 6" to 8" taller than me with longer legs. This made things so tricky! Couple that with the low ceiling in the aircraft and the wind tearing at you as you approached the door and it definitely made for a tricky time.

We made it to the door in short order though and I lined my toes up on the edge as I'd been instructed. The wind tore past me, the drone of the propeller and engine whirred in my ears. I took a moment to adjust myself to the foreign-to-me environment wondering when my instructor would throw us from the opening and into the abyss. My stomach wasn't clenched in fear or anticipation at all; instead, a surreal calmness had settled over me, something that became more and more pronounced as the plane climbed to altitude minutes before.

I felt the instructor begin to rock us forward and backwards as he held to either side of the door with his hands saying, "READY! *rock* SET! *rock* ...!!" And then we were freefalling.

The wind tore our bodies from the plane as we left the aircraft much like an apple core thrown from an open car window on the interstate.

We tipped sharply to the left, nearly upside down within the first two solid seconds of free fall before we adjusted. I arched my body sharply as I'd been told to do, my hands on my harness as my back and feet arched as much as I could muster. We'd been told to try to arch our heels around onto our instructors rear end. It took me a split second to adjust, but I felt my heels come into contact with his body and locked them there for the freefall.

I never closed my eyes and remember seeing the plane to my right and then above me at an odd angle to my falling body for a moment before we were righted and falling "straight".

Once righted and falling "straight", my instructor tapped my shoulder to signal me to extend my arms to further enjoy the remaining 55 seconds of freefall at 120mph. It was this moment when I realized that my face felt strained not because of the wind and gravity tearing at my body, but because I'd had a huge perma-grin plastered to my face since we'd left the aircraft.

I flexed my fingers in the wind, opened and closed my mouth, exalting in the surreal sensation of free falling.

Every 5 seconds or so, I glanced at my altimeter as my instructor had told me to do.

12,000. 10,000. 8,000...only 10 more seconds of freefall I thought to myself, and counted them slowly and silently in my head.

Then I could feel the instructor move slightly behind me and suddenly my rapid descent was jerked to a slower one as the parachute released and caught the air, my body jerking upward like a fish on a line pulled abruptly from the water.

My instructor loosened my harness away from his a little bit to make things more comfortable and maneuverable, "What's your altitude?" he queried me. I glanced at my altimeter, "A little over 5k, " I replied.

He had me look for our landing location which I had already noticed far below, and told me we were about a mile out. I baffled over this a moment and told him about how surreal it was to be looking at the landscape in real time in this manner. I'm so accustomed to looking at it on my mapping program! We had a short conversation about that and then he allowed me to help maneuver the parachute through the air.

Look left to clear your airspace, pull left, release slowly once you've achieved the turn radius you desire and straighten back up. Look right, clear your airspace, pull right, release. It reminded me a lot of my aids with the reins when riding horses or when pulling the release for a bow trap when trapping raptors.

We arched left and right through the air, completing a 360 degree circle a time or two before he reclaimed full control around 2,800 feet.

I was asked to practice my feet up for landing technique as he talked me through what he would do. He was confident we could have a standing landing if I listened to his instructions.

We circled around above the hangar, approaching from the left side of the landing area in a clockwise circle. "FEET UP, " I was told, and I lifted my feet up about waist high. "READY..." he cautioned me as we neared the ground at a higher rate of speed than you'd expect, "...NOW," he said, more for himself than me as I had zero control at this point when he altered the parachute slightly to slow our landing intensely at the last moment before we hit the ground. Much like a bird approaching a branch to land will flare its tail and wings a bit to alight softly on the branch, the parachute changed form to help us alight softly on the ground. "And STAND," my instructor finally told me when he was stable.

My face was aching something fierce from my permagrin at this point, but I just couldn't wipe it from my face.

I was released from my instructor's harness, and we exchanged a high five and a hug before he gathered up the parachute for the walk up to the hangar. He took a moment to tell me that I was the first person he'd ever had who actually hooked their heels onto his bum. They always instruct people to do that but no one ever does. He said my body position was great and I was "made for this sport".

I was ready to get back on the plane and do it all over again!

I officially declare this 30 before 30 goal accomplished.

Thumbs up and permagrins for the longest time. Note the altimeter on my left hand.

Of Supplements, Confidence, Music & Meditation

Each of these three things has melded Q's attitude under saddle back into normalcy and extraordinary. 

Supplements

In June, I started Q on SmartPak's SmartMare Harmony and Magnesium Oxide.  The SmartPak supplement is in a pelleted form, so I didn't imagine she would mind that much. The MgO though? A powder. In the past, when I have provided Q with powdered probiotics (through the first year I had her to help jump start better hoof, coat, and GI health), she would routinely turn her nose (and upper lip!) up at them. When I could trick her into eating it, she'd still bobble her head along with those first bites in protest of something being not quite to her liking. Thus, I expected the same with the MgO.

Imagine my surprise when, without any trickery, Q licked all of the supplement right up with her feed! She even goes so far as to lick the bottom of the pan when she's done! To me, this spoke volumes. She wouldn't go after something like that if it wasn't something her body needed a little bit more of!

Several months into these combined supplements now, I have a much calmer horse. In fact, it has been nigh impossible to even tell if/when she is in heat as a result! This is a miracle considering that when this mare was in heat in the past she was 150% MORE wiggy, distracted and alert than she typically is. I'll definitely take this change!

Her behavior and attitude is so consistent day-to-day as a result of these supplements. As a lady myself, I'm kind of jealous of that as my own hormones wreak havoc on my behavior during their cycling! (Difference being, I'm usually unduly aware of the fact that my hormones are playing a role and I am unable to completely control it (e.g. the tiniest of things like not being able to find a pen on my desk at work causes tears to appear before I even know what is going on - urgh).)

Consistent behavior on Q's part levels out one side of our female:female equation! This is good because it means I can buckle down on my issues more - an easier thing in the long run, though it is still difficult at times! Constant effort reaps rewards over time, however.

Confidence

Shortly after I started Q on supplements, the herd dynamic changed. Now we have 5 geldings who are spread across the totem pole of control. The leader is one of the best gelding herd bosses I've ever been around. He is calm, but he doesn't take shit when it happens. He is possessive of his mares, but not overly so and never studdy.

Additionally, there are four mares. Q vies with Mayer for the boss mare role, and they seem to alternate it day-to-day. The new little mare who replaced the studdy gelding is Q's absolute favorite to boss around. Q is very hands-off with her bossy behaviors. She does a very sassy head flip at those she wants to back-the-hell-off, and no more. It's a big gesture, all things considered, but it is done from a distance and not followed up with physical contact as she is able to get her point across without touching.

The small herd (ranging in age from 19 to 4 with the largest contingent between the ages of 4-10 - there are only two > 10) is very happy; Q is very happy.

The absence of studdy geldings has made a HUGE difference for her. She doesn't go racing across the field after work to find that *one* horse as she once did, nor does *that* horse come RACING to the fence to meet her when she returns from work. Some of the horses will call when she returns from the trail, but nothing excessive. And she never calls back, merely gazes their direction in acknowledgement.

She wanders away from the herd often to graze on her own; some days, the head gelding will even follow Q's lead for grazing area selection!

The confidence she has gained in this herd dynamic seeps into her behavior when being handled. She's still alert and has the potential to really wig out over things. But gone is her hypersensitivity to being reprimanded. In fact, she's even going so far as to play games with me to demonstrate her High Opinion over certain things (primarily me washing her legs off). When I grow tired of her game and slap her on the chest (as I'm usually kneeling down and she's waving her leg about in the air so I can't easily do what I need to) she no longer wigs out like I committed the Worst Of All Evils. Instead, she ceases her behavior with floppy ears and a distant gaze that seems to say, "FINE. FINE. TOUCH my leg SEE if I care. Stupid human *muttering*," and acquiesces to letting me do whatever I need to do.

Additionally, on trail she is more confident about wanting to GO and DO in more situations than she had been before. And I'm even having to reprimand her pushy behavior toward horses (Griffin mostly)! An open-handed slap on her neck from me returns side eye and an irritated ear flick from her, a far better response than former crumbling from fear.

Sassy > scared. I'll take it!!

Her steady behavior due to supplements coupled with confidence from the herd dynamic change has resulted in a more confident mare on trail. Big, broad leaves (burdock) in the middle of the trail and dead leaves on branches that fell from storms still wig her out, but she's not spooking dirty like she did before. She's slowing down and stutter-stepping some, and sometimes she is very hesitant to go forward past the scary things, but overall SO IMPROVED!

Music

I've begun listening to music and making it a routine in my time with the horses. The new earphones that enable me to both hear my surroundings and listen to music are AMAZING.

I took time last Sunday after Mike left to head to Oregon to fight wildland fire (he's still there) to make two playlists on my iPod. One is songs ranging from 130-180 bpm and the other are strictly songs in the 170-180 bpm range. Bumpin' songs that go perfectly with trotting and cantering, of which we do a lot on the trail!

Having music to listen to keeps my mind off worrying about tiny things that Q may wig out about on trail. I micromanage less, a huge plus. Additionally, I am calmer due to the music, another huge plus.

Music coupled with Q's steady attitude and gained confidence has led to trail rides on her for over a month now that have resulted in ZERO dirty spooks. My new mantra with her on trail when she becomes concerned about something is, "DOWN the trail! Move DOWN the trail! Keep going!" No dwelling on scary things. No looking at them forever. DOWN the trail is what we're out there to do. I don't care how fast she gets past the scary object, as long as she's moving in the direction I want and not spinning for home. So far, so good! Much praise and encouragement.

Two trail rides last week contained minimal spooking overall and zero dirty spooks. We even came upon ~2 dozen turkeys with minimal issue; in fact, we ended up chasing them down the trail! And we've flushed several grouse and a dove with Q's only response being, "HUH!?" *stutter step, move out again*

Now, to get her to realize that large-leaved plants and dead leaves are not monsters.....

Meditation

Since Mike's time away (we're at 9 days now, but who's counting?) I've fallen back into some routines that have been absent from my life for about a year now, primarily meditation.

I did a lot of meditation and mindfulness exercises my first two years out of college. They were amazing. Falling back into it these past 9 days has been great.

I went to the barn last night in a total zen-state. My short flatting and jumping session with Q was a DREAM as a result. If I have my shit together - especially mentally - that mare can do ANYTHING. She was so absolutely incredible last night.

We wove in and out and around the little gymnastic line I had set up. We did figure 8s with a cavaletti as the central crossover point. And then we did the line in pieces at increasing speed until we connected the whole exercise.

I had a bad to mediocre night of riding, but it didn't matter to Q. She picked up my slack, hunkered down and focused on her job, and helped me get better where I was failing. Our last two times through the gymnastic line were so amazing. I wanted her to trot it once, land at the canter, canter around to the right and re-approach the line once more, slowing to a trot at the approach, and then bounce on through. PERFECT. FREAKING. EXECUTION.

Zen, baby, zen.

We ended on that good note (amidst much praise; there was much praise the whole time).

Zen-Liz isn't necessarily a perfect rider, but Zen-Liz doesn't fault the horse for it and praises the horse for putting up with far-from-perfect. Zen-Liz is okay with less than perfect moments on all fronts, happy to just be in the moment riding a horse. Zen-Liz cares little for anything more than that moment and being in it.

If I can keep Zen-Liz present all the time, (WHAT A CHALLENGE!) then my horses can do ANYTHING.

Ooooohhhmmmm...

OD 50: Thoughts, Review, Future Plans

Thoughts on the Ride

-  This was hands down the rockiest of the OD rides. All three rides (Triple Crown for the east) require hoof protection, but beyond a couple sections here and there, the rides weren't very sustained and rocky. This one though? This one was. This one sucked. Hard.

-  My experience on the trails in the Smoky Mountains two summers ago prepared me well for this trail though. It was rough, but not nearly as treacherous as trail I rode in the Smokies - or even some of the trails I've ridden in the WV backcountry. There were very few, if any, areas of this trail that had huge consequences if a footfall or two weren't perfect (unlike the Smokies).

Mountain tops aren't as bald as the Smokies, but they're similarly rugged here!

-  It was steep, yes. It was rocky, yes. BUT, there was plenty of room to stop and turn the horse slightly or all the way to reverse direction or to rest. There were no areas that you really needed the horse to move forward or else (unlike the Smokies and a few sections of WV backcountry trail I've been on).

-  For Q, the magnitude of rocky area was the most difficult part of this ride. Q can pay mind to rocks and be very good - we've done it on some super sketchy trails in WV - but this ride (and lately in all riding) Q was more concerned with what was AROUND her instead of being cautious about her footfalls. Her movement over the rocky areas on the second ridgeline trail became sloppy and careless as a result, which was highly frustrating.

-  The sustained incline/climbing sections up the mountain on this ride surprised me from a trail building/maintenance standpoint. These trails are so unfriendly for any travel because they lack switch backs. Additionally, this kind of design leads them to serve as areas for washouts during high precipitation events, which harms the integrity and condition of the trail over time.

-  Downhill inclines at speed are a huge issue for Q and I. I am cautious with these in training and had no choice but to make time on them during this ride. This is no bueno. I need to strive to build rider fitness in this area; I need to train myself to be better at running downhills so I can still do them with speed without the increased stress on Q. As it is now, running downhills makes me incredibly sore. I cannot do it and walk the few days after a ride. These OD rides leave few opportunities to make time up for the areas you HAVE to walk if you don't take advantage of these downhill areas on FS roads. Q had a bit of inflammation and swelling in her forelegs after this ride that I suspect is in large part due to taking these downhills at speed. Additionally, I cannot physically get off and walk her UP any hills to help through those areas if a ride is > 60 degrees. I am too prone to heat illness to be able to do this and remain healthy and sound myself! So downhill training it is!

Queen Q and her flop lip.

-  B's on Q's vet card through the checks at this ride were sporadic and seemed to be subjective based on the vet I had. Vets at the beginning and final two checks who had seen my horse in the past and have been ride vets for longer were much better (IMHO) than the newer vet I had for the middle checks. I can only hope that that vet learned a bit from the experience and can take that information to be better later. All the same, it was really frustrating to deal with at the time. I think that vet took what I said about Q's scratches and her movement to be me arguing and making excuses more than me trying to inform. I need to come up with a different way to present this kind of thing in the future just in case that was the issue. (I'm always wont to blame my own communication skills first before presuming the worst of someone else; I'm not perfect and have much to improve on!)

-  Q's score of B for anal tone at the second-to-last check was really telling for me. This ride we spent nearly 2 hours longer on the trail than our other 50s. That was a lot, and it showed.

Q taking a pause from drinking.

-  Q ate and drank well all day. This was great. I am really pleased with her drinking which I'm pretty certain can be attributed to the electrolyting we've done these past two rides.

-  As much as it pains me to say this - I think Easyboot gloves on the hinds is what works best for this mare right now. I had ZERO issues with these this ride. The failed Renegades on the hinds during the beginning was really frustrating. It may be that Vipers on her hinds will work just as well as they do on her fronts (we only had one very minor moment where the toe strap came undone in the second loop on a downhill and her foot came out as a result of the SLICK clay/silt/mud in the boot to deal with for the Vipers). So one day, when I can afford Vipers for her hinds, maybe we'll try those, but right now, Vipers on the front and gloves behind is working...even though it pains me to deal with getting those gloves on! Renegades behind in this terrain is just difficult though. The kind of soil we have creates such SLICK mud. And we have a LOT of water crossings on trails over here in the east. I'm never overly surprised when I lose a boot after a stream crossing - as that is when it almost always occurs! That slick mud coupled with fast movement uphill makes it difficult for most things to stay on horse and human alike thinking back on times I've kicked off my own shoes on accident, haha.

-  This was the longest Q has been on trail for a 50. It was her toughest, yes, but also the longest. The fact that she was STILL spooking - and being worse about it even - at the end was SO FRUSTRATING. I think I definitely need to pus her harder in the future to make her more tired (like she was at No Frills) so she can't spook on that last loop. Ding bat.

-  There is a fine balance I need to discover with hills and speed for this horse. She is the Lance Armstrong of hills/mountains. She's so much rather take them at speed than dally around at a walk. We train on mountains and hills at home ALWAYS taking them at a minimum of a trot. No walking until we get to the top. Gotta build that ass! So few people we encounter at rides have the training terrain available to them that I do. Q has a huge advantage here. So I need to figure out HOW tired it will make her to go fast up all of these hills. If we trot them all - as much as possible anyway - at rides, will it make her too tired to do more later? Or if I run all the downhills dismounted and she trots the uphills will we balance out to do better? Trade-offs...time will tell?

Positive and Negatives on Gear, Etc.

-  Electrolytes really seem to be working well for Q. She's drinking much better than she did last year with the addition of electrolytes. I'm please and will keep her on this until it isn't working as well - at which point I will reassess. Currently her mixture is half Perform N Win, half Enduramax. These are mixed with a solution of molasses and applesauce to make it tasty. Having actually tasted it myself, I can honestly say its not too bad! Salty, obviously, but not bad otherwise.

Bizz-oots! Vipers on the fore, Gloves behind.
Q was doing her big trot here, evident in how her hind end
tracks outside of her fore as she strikes forward.
Basically, she moves like she's got a huge pair of nuts.

-  Vipers in the front are AMAZING. I've never had so little issue with boots. Each ride we've had with them we've only encountered one issue per ride. Both minor. Both on inclines after a mud/water crossing. At No Frills it was speed on an uphill coupled with a very jagged trail and rocks that tilted her feet at odd angles; at Old Dominion, it was trotting downhill after a crossing. When I fixed the boot at the OD, I was honestly surprised it hadn't come off sooner or been worse than it had! There was a layer of silty, slick mud spread throughout. Silt is basically the finest soil you're going to find and it will permeate anything and everything. It's natures equivalent to WD-40. That we only had the minor issue of the toe strap coming undone and her toe slipping out of the boot a tiny bit as our only problem is a miracle in itself!

-  Begrudgingly, I have to admit that the Easyboot gloves on Q's hinds do beautifully. We completed the second half of Fort Valley and No Frills with them. I have to vet wrap her hinds prior to putting the boots on, but once on, they don't budge. The failures with Rennies on the hinds has only occurred due to cable issues where the cables break or tear out. In past rides with Rennies on Q's hinds, I've had little to NO trouble with them. I think the Vipers will be a much better fit and have fewer issues, but until there is a time I can afford to get them, I will be using the gloves.

-  For me, a half gatorade (the light blue kind!) and half water is heaven's elixir. I guzzled this down each loop from my bottles. I was SO hydrated all day. It was awesome. Additionally, Mike MADE me eat and drink at each check, before, and after the ride. I was really well taken care of!

-  Saddle bags...I set out both this and the No Frills ride with TWO saddle bags: pommel and cantle. All I really keep in the cantle are my water bottles and spare boots/vet wrap. Nothing else. I'd really like to eliminate that cantle bag completely for future rides. I'm just a bit hesitant about wearing a Camelbak again for my water as it made my shoulders sore before. I guess we will see...

Training Changes for the Future

- Rider fitness on downhills: I plan to start running all the downhills when I do trail rides with both horses. Downhills tend to make me really sore currently, so I obviously need to start working on them! Hopefully, by my next ride, I'll be in better shape and be able to gain time on the downhills without trading the health and fitness of Q's legs.

I chowed down so hard at this ride. NO training needed to
continue this.

- More hill sprints: My little mare is the Lance Armstrong of hills and mountains. I have a HUGE advantage over most people I compete against because I have mountains and hills accessible FROM MY BARN while others have to haul long distances to find similar training grounds. I need to use this to my advantage and do more of it. Power Q up those steeps, let her rest some while I run down them on foot with her following.

-  More hill/mountain work on sustained inclines: I've got at least four sustained (between a 0.5-1.0 mile long) climbs. I need to hit these up more and really work them. Back to the previous point, I need to take advantage of the training grounds I have and use it to our advantage!

- More time on the trail: I really need to get Q out onto the trail and increase her miles out there. Not because she needs more miles and more trail fitness, but because she needs to see more of the things that seem to scare her so much. "Desensitizing" an animal can only work if they see the stimuli that triggers them in a "normal" setting. Doing work with her around the barn and barnyard to help her get over these issues won't help her when we're on the trail. Only trail work will help that. I'm hoping that with increased time on the trail, her degree of spookiness will lower. I'm not naive enough to think it will go away completely, but if I could get her back to just balking and not launching herself away from "monsters" I would be a lot happier. With a plan of jogging the down steeps and powering the up steeps, the flats are the only areas I need to be concerned with her spooking. She'll be unconcerned on downhills if following me on foot, and uphills make her work too hard to have time/effort to spook. Sadly, the flats are where we need to make time, and the flats are where I'm scared to make time because her spooks are a million times worse when done from a canter than from a trot. :-(  I have to help her to overcome this if we're to further our riding career together. I just have to.

Fort Valley 50: Q's a boss

An alternate title could be:

Fort Valley 50: Best Crew EVER

(Crew Story Here!)

But as this story is basically all about how awesome the little mare is...

The story is long, but I've done my best to concisely cover everything.

Friday: I woke up early to finish packing. The morning had dawned very crisp and cold, the kind that makes you question why in the hell you even want to be out in it sans skis. There was a light dusting of snow all over the fields surrounding my barn apartment and the mountain tops had a heavier layer.

I had everything loaded in my car within 15 minutes or so as I'd packed it all the night prior. This left me enough time to shower and warm up then scarf some food before rolling to the barn to *hopefully* get the little monster loaded on the trailer.

My friend Hannah who would be riding over with me and crewing alongside Saiph and Charles (who were meeting us there) arrived at the barn moments behind me. I loaded a couple things I hadn't the night prior and fetched the little monster from the field. She was a muddy mess.

I tossed a light blanket on her once we reached the barn. Dee came down from the house to help with the trailering issue.

My arm was pretty effing sore, but heaps and loads better than it had been. We tried to get Q to just get on, but once she had two feet on she'd back right back off. We got her to get on completely once, but she WHIRLED around and darted right off and into the round pen where Dee when after her with the lunge line with the mutterings of, "Here we go."

She sent miss snakey-head-tossing sassy-pants around the pen. This really does nothing but work Q up more as its nigh impossible to tucker out the little endurance queen. We'll have to come up with a more creative solution for overcoming the trailer issue this winter.

After several circuits, Dee requested that Q load up. She trotted through the door and up onto the trailer, WHIRLED around and stood nostrils flaring with anxiety. As Dee made move to close the door, Q darted off.

Wash. Rinse. Repeat with the round pen. The second time Q loaded up she WHIRLED around, but stayed standing. We talked low and steady to her and slowly closed the door. We'd tied a rope to it that Dee could swing to me so that if Q did decide to challenge the door she'd be unable to bowl anyone over with it. I grabbed the rope and with a *clunk* the door was closed.

"That wasn't so bad," proclaimed Dee. I sighed with relief and closed the mare up. Hoping she'd be okay riding 3+ hours backwards. I was a little concerned she wouldn't be able to eat any hay or other treats I'd placed in the front manger, but oh well. She was loaded and its the best we could hope for.

Hannah loaded her stuff into my car and we pulled out of the drive at 9a sharp, just as I'd planned - Q only dancing a little in agitation on the trailer.

: : : : :

I'd routed the trip so that instead of having to go up-down, up-down, up-down over about 5 mountains on the two-lane highway, I'd instead only have to climb up once and descend once prior to reaching Corridor H. This would help out both the horse and my car/gas mileage.

The light layering of snow that lay around home grew thicker as we climbed in elevation into one of the snowiest counties in the state. Fortunately, it hadn't been extremely cold and the snow plows had been out and had treated the roads, so they were completely clear, albeit wet.

All the same, I can check off driving a trailer in the snow!

All in all, the trip took 3 hour 15 minutes from point to point. Not too shabby, and not a bad haul at all!

: : : : :

Ride camp was night and day difference, weather wise.

Upon arrival, Hannah and I cruised to the back row of trailers and parked beside Mary.

We got Q off the trailer, and Hannah let her graze on the lush, green grass while I prepped her pen.

By the time I was beginning to set up other parts of our little camp, Saiph and Charles pulled up! Team Q was all accounted for!

The four of us proceeded to finish putting camp together as Q grazed in her corral.

Sometime during this period, Catherine (who I rode with at Ride Between the Rivers when I rode the grey war mare) pulled in on our other side! Now I had my two riding buddies and endurance mentors from this year flanking me! I couldn't have asked for better company!

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Team Q got registered and bought some raffle tickets for the Asgard Arabian gelding they'd be raffling off the following evening and then headed to the vet check with Q.

My little monster had transformed in the ride over the mountains. She'd gone from a terror to her old, sweet self. This 100% had to do with her being AWAY from the barn and her friends. Instead of depending so heavily upon them she instead transfers that reliance to me and other humans that interact frequently with her while away from home.  

(As an aside, I'm nearly certain that her insane behavior at the barn of late is due to the addition of another horse a few months back. All of the horses are in a tizzy since his arrival. Since his owner hasn't been out once since dropping him off, its likely we will consider putting him in the back field through the winter if all of this ridiculous behavior keeps up.)

Q nearly fell asleep while awaiting her turn to vet in. She was completely blissed out in the sun despite the flurry of activity around her. As a result, she pulsed in at 40!!

 I was over the moon about this - I think Saiph was equally thrilled as I'm pretty sure her smile mirrored my own. Hurrah for having such a relaxed, in-shape little monster!

---

We returned Miss Thing to her corral and the four of us + Kenai wandered camp for a bit browsing at Running Bear, Taylored Tack, and the OD yard sale.

This pursuit ended up with me buying a new sponge leash, Hannah purchasing a used English saddle and irons, and Saiph finding some beta/biothane tack (a headstall and reins, I believe) in electric blue for Lilybird.

---

After our shopping spree, I decided to tack Q up and ride around the field in ridecamp for a bit.

Upon pulling out the required tack bits for tacking up though, I discovered that I had FORGOTTEN MY SADDLE PAD!

I fretted over this for a second or two before realizing that someone was bound to have an extra. Catherine came to my rescue with an Equipedic pad that fit very similarly to the Toklat with foam inserts I typically used. Thank GOD for overprepared friends!!

I completed tacking up Q, and mounted for the first time in nearly 2 weeks!

I had a little more of a sassy horse than usual, but nothing insane.

After I spun around on her for a short time, I had Saiph leg up so that she could try out the treeless Ansur that I find SO comfortable. She and Q tooled around for a time, and then I legged back up for a bit more before deciding I was content with Q's behavior.

Team Q helped me untack her, and then we all proceeded to sit around and chat for a bit.

Mary arrived again from picking up the junior rider who would be riding Sienna the next morning, and also picking up her 22 year old Quarab, Shiloh with whom she competed for over a decade in distances from LD to 100s. I was thrilled to meet him - finally! A friend of Mary's would be riding him in the LD the following morning - quite the treat for them both as Shiloh misses his job and the rider would get the thrill of riding a horse who reads the trail ribbons and has a ton of "go" in him.

Mary informed me that she and the junior, Hunter, would be headed out on a short ride if I wanted to tag along. I decided what the hell and tacked Q up again for a short 2-3 mile jaunt on part of the third loop. All three horses got along fairly well, and I made the decision then to ride with the two of them tomorrow if they kept a pace I was happy about.

---

Dinner was phenomenal and the ride meeting and awards for the 30/50 that had been ridden Friday went without issue - other than the increasingly dropping temperature! Team Q headed back to our camp afterward and swapped out Q's blankets (all borrowed from Saiph and Lily [further reasoning behind best crew ever]) and then the humans retreated to vehicles with heat for nearly an hour before surrendering to the sleeping bags.

Trailer sleeping quarters

Hannah and I were on cots in the back of the trailer and Saiph and Charles were in my tent.

: : : : :

Saturday: Something about those cots and being off the ground made life a bit colder. Hannah and I made it until 2:30a before we both decided to throw in the towel and make the most of sleeping in my cramped car. All sleeping bags were only rated to 20°F, which means that with temps borderline 20°, we'd maxed out the capabilities of the technology and were cold.

I'd played the "too cold for sleeping bag" song and dance years ago when I slept in -22°F in my 20° bag. I decided it wasn't worth it with a race in the morning. Hannah and I managed to score another 4 hours of sleep in the car before we had to muster up the courage to confront the morning cold.

EVERYTHING was covered with a thick layer of frost. Team Q bumbled around (Saiph had also retreated to her car and Charles decided to embrace the slow loss of feeling in his body and remained in the tent like a boss) in the cold cursing why we were all so crazy. I think Q was the warmest of all!

I managed to cram some chocolate chip oat bran muffins in my face and guzzle a little gatorade while we tacked Q up. My wonderful crew covered all the bases making sure to ask if I had everything I needed while out on trail ready to go. Just what I needed!

I mounted a VERY FRESH little horse. I was concerned for a few moments that she was going to go into a rearing/bucking fit - something she's never done - as she was all collected and fired up beneath me.

Mary and Hunter astride Gryphon and Sienna were plodding around to one side of me as Hannah helped Catherine onto Epic on the other side. Four very fresh horses with four very cold humans proceeded to troll around ridecamp at a walk and trot as we awaited the 7:30a start.

The controlled start would take us across a small one-lane bridge without guardrails and up a paved
road where we would then be released to trot up a gravel road and head into the National Forest.

When they called for the trail to be open, I headed out with the main pack, trailing behind Mary, Hunter, and Catherine. I wasn't sure who I would ride with at this point, but as we progressed and Cahterine and Epic strode out ahead, I called out that I would be sticking with Mary and Hunter.

Within ~2 miles, the gravel road turned right into the forest on a sandy/rocky trail that then turned into a very rocky trail that descended to the other side of the mountain. The sun's rays hit us as we made the transition to the other side, making our shadows play off the golden leaves.

Mary, Hunter, and I dismounted and walked the horses down through the rocky section, remounting when the trail became better.

Down, down, down we went until we beared left onto a FS road that traversed the side of the mountain. We cantered this stretch, zooming along with Mary and Gryphon in the lead, Hunter and Sienna in the middle, and Q and I pulling up the tail end.

Somewhere in the zoomy section, Janet and her Paso Fino Duke (competing in their first 50) pulled up behind us and stuck with us through the loop.

The zoomy section terminated at a gravel road where we continued to trot alongside some pretty little farms. Mary warned that there would be mini horses and pigs and goats along this section. Within minutes of her proclamation I could see a herd of minis in the distance galloping around their field.

We continued to trot along as we didn't expect to encounter them for a bit longer, and then Mary exclaimed, "Here comes a mini through this field! See him moving through the tall grass? He looks like a little pig or gremlin or something!"

Cue panic.

The horses lost. their. shit.

Q especially. Her entire body tensed up. Her head shot straight up. Her eyes rolled. Her nostrils flared. And her feet became a flurry as she performed a myriad of fast, athletic motions to escape this little chocolate palomino terror.

We pivoted and whirled. All the horses bolted in some direction or another. All riders were calling out to "whoa" and "easy" to no avail. Q whirled and bolted back toward camp as I nearly came off. I managed to get her stopped for a moment. She turned around to see the little mini again and bolted a few more steps before I could get her halted again and quickly dismount. I tossed her reins over her head and led her towards the mostly-under-control others.

Q danced and thrashed around at the end of the reins. The maneuvers she performed were akin to a wild mustang on the end of a rope for the first time - a blind panic to escape. Leaping in the air and to the side, moving laterally with huge strides. It was both impressive and frightening to behold. She stayed out of my bubble the entire time, but I couldn't help but be astonished with the athleticism of the animal at the end of my line.

Mary cooed at Q and apologized to me about the whole situation as I quickly remounted. I assured her that it was no harm, no foul since I'd been able to dismount without injury.

We proceeded through the rest of the loop, following the gravel road and then turning up the mountain to climb another rocky stretch before traversing the ridgeline back to the sand/rock trail without great issue. Just easy ups and downs aside from the mountain climb.

Shenandoah River

A little rocky

With some drop offs

There were so many beautiful views as we climbed and descended the mountain though! The rising sun's rays playing off the autumn leaves was so beautiful. 

--- 

Team Q was awaiting me at the check with a bucket to sponge the mud from Q's legs and a blanket to throw over her. Q took this opportunity to drink almost all of the water provided, as she hadn't drank on trail.

Hannah and Saiph tending to wonder mare

We had the option for tack on at this check, but in a last minute decision, I opted to take it off.

Hannah set to sponging as Saiph and I untacked the mare. Charles carried the tack back to the trailer while Saiph and Hannah accompanied me through the check.

Q was down and went through the first check with a 44/44 CRI, an A- on gut sounds and A's on everything else. I was, once again, over the moon. The vets were laughing at Q, too, during her trot out because she was apparently looking all over the place as I trotted her.

Team Q and I all headed back to the trailer where the best crew ever took over making sure Q was happy and fed (they'd provided her with more water and had her buffet of hay, alfalfa, grain, carrots, apples, and treats out AND they'd cleaned her corral. I was able to focus on myself by eating a chicken salad sandwich and swapping out my synthetic down jacket for Saiph's crash vest.

Q even peed! YAY.

Hannah made certain to keep me reminded of the time so that I could get tacked back up and out of there in time. I'd have missed my out time were it not for her! But thanks to her reminder, I was able to meet up with Mary and Hunter just as they were coming to look for me. Mary is the best!

---

Within 5 minutes of the start of the second loop I nearly came off Q. When Hunter had difficulty getting Sienna to lead, and Mary wanted to give Gryphon a break from leading, I pushed Q into the lead. Her behavior since the new horse arrived has included some spectacular spooks. In place of the stink eye and a wide berth of scary things, she's begun leaping violently to one side or the other, or slamming on the breaks and whirling. Too fucking athletic, that's what this horse is! All the same, we led for a short stretch until she saw a large white rock and spooked violently, throwing me onto her neck where I was able to grapple for position and regain my seat, but not before I'd slammed my face into her neck hard enough to give me a headache for the rest of the loop!

The second loop doubled up with the beginning of the first loop's terrain and doubled twice through the zoomy section of the first loop. It went pretty fast and provided a few water crossings where Q guzzled water like a camel.

We did a LOT of cantering and galloping on this loop.

After traipsing through some water and then moving out fast, Q lost her left back boot completely, but as she always lets me know when she loses a boot I was able to quickly turn and retrieve it and put it back on.

I had 0's on her rears for this ride. She really needs 1's back there, but I dilly-dallied around with ordering boots and waited too long to rectify the situation so we had to make due with boots that were a little small for this ride.

Within a mile of losing the first rear boot, a rider behind me informed me that the right rear boot was loose and had spun around. I'd wondered if this was the case as Q had been giving me odd signals about it. I was able to stop and fix it - impressed and proud that my mare had still moved forward despite a very wonky boot on her right rear hoof! Mary also had a lot of praise for her.

The cable was a little frayed from the odd angle the boot had ended up at, but I slapped it back on anyway and we were able to finish the loop without issue.

The second loop required us to climb the mountain the same way we'd descended in loop one, so Mary, Hunter and I all dismounted and led the horses up the mountain. It. Was. A. Bitch. But it was worth it for the horses.

And I'm doubly glad I walked up that hill with Q because at the second check, even with tack off and some sponging, her CRI was 60/60. The warmer temperatures must have been playing into this, I suspect. She got a B for cap refill, gut sounds, and impulsion at this check, as well.

Super crew getting everything ready for me! Hannah even saved the day by
remembering the "very important orange paper" that was my ride card!!

But thanks to super crew, she ate and drank a ton before we headed out on loop 3.

Additionally, at this check Saiph earned the super duper crewer award by having Desitin handy for me. Something about this ride had me ready to scream the Funder war cry of "Death to Underwear!!" Desitin saved my ass though. Literally.

Super crew continued to be super on this loop. I was frazzled over the boot issue and the chafing. I was able to give direction about where things were and Saiph got Q's back feet de-Renegaded, wrapped with vet wrap, and encased in some EasyBoot gloves I have on hand as spares if something happens with my Renegades. I pulled almost everything out of my cantle pack except water and the spare Rennie that didn't have a compromised cable while my awesome crew tacked up and stuff Q full of food.

I was mounted well before my out time and able to meet Mary and Hunter for our last "easy" loop at the out timer.

---

This last loop twisted and turned all OVER the place. We skirted the perimeter of hay fields, went up and down a lot of easy grades, curved our way through scrub/shrub, let the horses eat in fields of lush grass, and conquered some tricky water crossings.

Mary and Gryphon in one of the many lush, green fields!

I was able to get Q to lead through the winding woods trails for a good bit. She picked a really smart little pace of an 8-9 mph trot. I talked to her the whole time saying, "log" and "rock" as we encountered scary things. She didn't spook violently AT ALL. It was SUCH a relief. Her behavior lately has made me really start to doubt whether or not we're going to ever be able to travel on our own on trail. I can't risk coming off such a spooky horse so many times during a ride! I really hope a lot of groundwork, dressage exercises, and basic reinforcing of foundation stuff this winter will rectify things.

Q threw one buck when she was at a standstill eating grass with the other horses no where near her. It was odd and made me wonder if she'd been bitten or stung by something? This horse has never bucked/reared before.

I could tell Q was beginning to tucker out on this loop. She still had go in her tank, evident in her power canter when we had the opportunity, but she was more than happy to stop and eat whenever provided the chance.

The third water crossing was probably the most interesting part of this loop as the horses had to step off a 1' embankment into the water. It had become a bit muddy from all the competitors.

Mary and Gryphon tried to go first, but Gryphon was NOT having it. Hunter half-assed an attempt to get Sienna to go, but she wouldn't either. I studied the possible entry points to the water, the depth of the thalweg throughout, and decided that our best bet would be me putting my new Dublin Pinnacle boots to the test.

I dismounted Q and stepped lightly into the water, watching my step. The water was ¾ of the way up my shin, but my feet stayed dry. As I walked across, the water that sloshed over my boot tops caused me to get a little bit wet, but overall, my feet stayed dry.

My super long reins I make myself from climbing rope were a huge help here. I was able to cross to a safe shallow area, and then encourage Q to come in with me instead of having to worry about her jumping on top of me. She took a few seconds to study her entry - deciding whether she should jump or step in - but as with all the times we cross the little wet area in her field when I bring her in to the barn for work, she followed right across.

Mary was able to get Gryphon across, and Hunter with Sienna after. I walked Q up the bank and remounted in the field on the other side.

The rest of the loop wound around and through fields, mostly. We did a lot of cantering.

We all three chose to tie at the finish, crossing the line holding hands, Mary on my left and Hunter on my right, Q on auto pilot between. An epic finish to a great ride.

I loosened Q's girth and texted my crew (I'd been doing this all day) to let them know we were done and would be walking into camp. They met me right before the vet check with alfalfa and carrots for Q, which she was able to indulge in as we finished the walk to the check.

At the outskirts of the check, we untacked Q and sponged her. It turned out that someone STOLE my bucket, sponge, and sweat scraper. I mean SERIOUSLY, who steals a BUCKET?! So we used Mary's.

The EasyBoots had stayed on very well through that last loop it turned out, although she'd been interfering front to back a LOT with them throughout the loop. And an oddity, the Renegade on her right front had gotten a little botched somewhere during that loop and ended up a little bent all over. It didn't seem to bother her, and the boot seems fine, but the cable was definitely a little compromised.

Q vetted through the final check with a 52/52 CRI, a B on cap refill and A's on everything else. And just like that, I'd completed my first 50 on my own horse. GO Q!

The rest of the evening was a blur: getting Q settled, fed, watered, blanketed, legs wrapped, myself changed, and fed, etc. Saiph and Charles departed that evening amidst many thank yous and hugs to head back to DC. Hannah and I remained in camp to double-bag sleeping bags and fortunately nab many hours of warm sleep before the morning when we packed up camp and the horse (who rode backwards home).

: : : : :

I can't say a big enough THANK YOU to my crew. You were green, the horse was [relatively] green, and I was [relatively] green about everything. But TOGETHER everything went so smoothly and so wonderfully and I really, truly couldn't have made it through without your help!

Learned it all in Kindergarten

Today is a flashback. The next few wordy posts may be flashback articles I wrote for courses in college. I love reading back on my papers from my interesting introspective honors courses. I'm impressed with my insight then and how much I am the person now that I so wanted to be then. Progress is an absolutely amazing and wonderful thing, but it is also difficult as it usually takes lots of dedication, persistence, and diligence. 

Today's flashback is from my senior year of HS. I graduated Salutatorian of my class and had to give a speech, this is what I wrote:

Before I begin my speech I ask the graduating class to hold the hand of the person next to them, if you are at the end of a row reach back and hold the hand of the person behind you.  Create a big circle in a sense, you did it in kindergarten to stick together, let’s do it one more time.

                Its funny how out of the many lessons we have learned in the past thirteen years of school it is the simplest of life’s lessons introduced in kindergarten that are the ones that will stick with us for the rest of life. They will find ways to apply to everything we do.  In Robert Fulghum’s book All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten he states:  "All I really need to know about how to live and what to do and how to be I learned in kindergarten.”  His words enable us to understand how strange it is that the simplest things are the most important.

                Playing fair.  We all remember the golden rule.  Do unto others as you would have done unto yourself.  It was hard to learn the golden rule in kindergarten.  I had a little brother who had already helped me to learn it but walking into a room with 21 people I had never met before meant learning the golden rule to its fullest.  Sharing crayons, markers, pencils, scissors, and books with that many people was harder than I’d imagined!  Be fair to others, they’ll be fair to you in return.  Sharing my scissors with DW when we happened to be at the same table meant that he would share them with me later on; a valuable lesson, a valuable friend.  Being fair now is the same as it was in kindergarten and it still helps one to gain priceless friendships. 

                Put things back where you found them.  Not putting the teacher’s pencil back in kindergarten had a minor negative result, but as we grew older and misplaced more important things, perhaps the car keys?  We learned after being late to school or missing an important meeting or sports practice that we should pay much more attention to things no matter how small they seem to be.  Details are important.  In foreign policy and government putting things back where they were found is important as well.  Just imagine what the world could be like if governments put things back where they found them and cleaned up their own mess!

                Saying sorry.  Remember getting in a small fight with a friend in kindergarten and then the teacher would force you to say sorry to one another?  I do.  HB and I met when one of us wouldn’t properly share the school supplies at our table.  After a little dispute Mrs. A came over and made us apologize to one another.  It seemed so hard then, but I can’t remember how many friendships I probably saved by simply saying sorry when I made a mistake.  Sorry is the simplest of words and can make such a big difference in so many circumstances.  Two little words, “I’m sorry”, can calm anger, mend broken pride, and strengthen relationships.  Don’t be afraid to say sorry.

                Flush.  Well there’s a pretty self-explanatory term.  Flush.  If you don’t, its gonna look yucky and smell yucky.  Eww.  But I’ve learned in the past eighteen years that there is more to flush than just a toilet.  Emotions need flushed out on occasion.  Worries need to be flushed especially.  Don’t let the little things get you down; don’t sweat the small stuff!  Sweating the small, petty issues will only lead to more stress on top of all the pressures you may already be dealing with.

                Live a balanced life - learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work every day some.  More or less, DON’T WORK YOURSELF TO DEATH!  I know we certainly didn’t work ourselves to death in kindergarten!  We’d do a little bit of work and then immediately do something fun as a sort of reward.  Learn some letters, color a picture; read a book, go outside to recess.  Find time in life to enjoy the little things.  Go on a walk, play a game, roll down a grassy hill, visit an old friend, anything!  Have a little bit of fun every now and then, its good for you.

                Take a nap every afternoon.  In kindergarten I can remember rushing to the steps where the napping mats were kept and then rushing to find a place to be beside CH.  We would then lie down and “nap” when in truth we were whispering about some sort of kindergarten nonsense.  Wouldn’t it be nice if we could curl up with our favorite blanket every afternoon for an hour like in kindergarten?  Unfortunately growing up includes many more responsibilities that lead to a busier and more hectic schedule.  But seriously, get some rest when you need it; research has proven that it’s good for you!  All-nighters with friends can be fun but you aren’t the Energizer Bunny, you can’t keep going and going and going and going...as much as you may think you can.

                When you go out into the world, watch out for traffic, hold hands, and stick together.  I can remember holding the hands of my classmates as we walked to the playground when the weather was kind enough to allow us.  We held hands to stick together alongside the road and to make it easier for Mrs. Arbogast to make certain no one wandered away.  We’re all big enough to let go and cross the street on our own now, but we still need to keep alert for obstacles at all times.  Whether it’s someone out to get you or a greater power altogether.  Stick with people you trust.  They’ll watch your back and you can watch theirs.  There is nothing more wonderful than a close friend. 

                Be aware of wonder.  Remember the little seed in the Styrofoam cup: The roots go down and the plant goes up and nobody really knows how or why, but we are all like that.  We all sank our roots here in Elkins.  They grew and lengthened as they were nurtured by our teachers and other mentors until our plant grew up out of the ground and unfolded its leaves and a beautifully unique flower.  That flower is the person we have become.  Now our flowers are about to spread pollen to many different places in many different ways.

                And finally, remember those Dick-and-Jane books and the first word you learned - the biggest word of all - LOOK.  Robert Fulghum has reminded us to remember the simple lessons of kindergarten as we continue through life.  So, keep an open mind as you continue.  Be open and willing to try new things – no matter how strange or scary they may seem.  You never know where they may take you.  Life is a great big adventure waiting to be had.  Have it.