endurance

a weekend of horses: Sunday edition

/ Ashley Wingert / Leave a comment

As if Saturday wasn’t enough fun, I got a message from A Saturday night asking if I wanted to come ride with her on one of her horses on Sunday. Of course!!!

Bonus points for the fact we were going to somewhat new-to-me trailhead: the newly-opened Brown’s Trailhead in the newest part of the Scottsdale Sonoran Preserve. Now, Dad and I used to ride the trails around Granite Mountain years ago back when he first got his mare Kelly. So I was somewhat familiar with the east side of what is now preserve land, but we’d never gotten as far west as the new trailhead.

I was distracted (fitting and booting horses, tacking up, trying to beat the heat), so didn’t think to get pics of the trailhead…so I will the next time. But until then, just take my word for it: It’s cool. They even have a concrete horse trough with a drain in it, so you turn it on and get nice, fresh, (somewhat) cool water when you want to water your horse, versus a slimy, overheated, nasty trough.

And it looks like there are a ton of trails there too. We did what was I think about a 9-mile loop and barely put a dent in the trail availability. Definitely want to come back here again.

A offered me her very experienced endurance gelding Majik to ride. Fun, fun horse! He’s bold, dominant, and forward, the kind that, as long as he knows you know how to sit up and ride, he’s wonderful. Those are my favorite kind of horses to ride, so we had a great time together.

Bringing up the rear of the Endurance Parade.
(Yes, riding yet another Grey Arabian Gelding.)

 I also got to try A’s Lovatt & Ricketts (Arabian Saddle Company) Sylvan, which is their all-purpose, fewer-rings-than-endurance-saddles model. An ASC has also been on my “want to test” list after sitting on a Rubicon in a store…I like these saddles. Will definitely consider one of them in the future.

Balancing Rock

 It was a small group of four of us riding, and we took turns swapping positions, trading off who was leading, or in the back. Great group that all got along well and had a really fun time.

desert in bloom

I love this north Scottsdale/Rio Verde area. I’ve been coming up here to ride, off-and-on, for the past 13 years, and I’m still not tired of it. The only reason it doesn’t qualify as my favorite spot to ride is it is a little more out of the way than the San Tans. But in terms of overall views and amount of trails available, I have to give this area the nod.

Trail obstacle. We had to go between the rock and the tree.

So, a very horsey-filled weekend that left me with a smile on my face and some muscles that are in that much better shape for the fast-approaching fall ride season.

a weekend of horses: Saturday edition

/ Ashley Wingert / 2 Comments

Well, it’s been a while since I’ve done back-to-back days…last time was at the Prescott Chaparral ride in April.

To start, Mimi got to go out on trail on Saturday for her idea of a “proper” ride. (We were supposed to be babysitting, but the “baby” in question was so solid, we didn’t have much “sitting” to do.)

A and Patrick, featuring Rearguard Pony Ears

 A is a fellow endurance rider, and always game to try a new place to ride, so when I offered Mimi’s babysitting services if she wanted to take her young horse out and explore a new-to-her place, she was thrilled with the idea.

(And I’m grateful she was willing to come all the way down from the north Phoenix area and chauffeur us around as well.)

Taking blatant advantage of Mimi’s ability to keep trucking
down the trail while I do stupid stuff, including taking pics
on a more interesting section of downhill.

 A also brought along her FreeForm saddle for me to try. (Networking. It’s a beautiful thing. I’ve managed to check off three of the four saddles on my “would like to try” list…and really don’t have major complaints about any of them. That’s helpful. *eyeroll*)

Hard to compare apples-to-apples, as I’ve only tried the Sensation on Mimi on the flat, versus doing trail work and then coming back and doing “flat work” in the trailhead parking lot. Would like to try the Sensation out on trail on her, since the other times I’ve ridden the Sensation have been on Other People’s Horses. (Nothing like trying something on the horse whose every step I know.)

beautiful San Tans

 It’s also been at least a few months since we’d been down to the San Tans. It’s pretty much my favorite place to ride around the Valley and the pony seems to be pretty partial to it too. I wonder why…how many hours and miles have we logged down here at this park?

“Babysitting Duties”: One ear swiveled back to make sure our
babysitting charge is still there.

 Young-horse Patrick’s only indiscretion, it seemed, was giving “Buttcrack Rock” a major side-eye, and all it took was Mimi going up to it and touching it for him to venture up and do the same. Despite her nasty “mare-face” attitude, which I really try not to capture on camera. Really spoils the “Pretty White Princess” effect.

Mimi and Patrick discuss the scary “Buttcrack Rock”

I didn’t have a GPS with me (I keep forgetting about my GPS apps on my phone…grrr), but that loop we did is just about 7 miles. Mostly walking, with a bit of trotting. A great first outing for Patrick, and a great stretcher for Mimi, who isn’t in world’s best shape right now…although she kind of surprised me.

We did our loop, then some trot-canter “arena” work in the parking lot for me to get a feel for the FreeForm, then came back to the trailer, got a drink, and she was down to 48 on her pulse within 5 minutes, which was about when I bothered to actually check it. Need to start riding with a HRM again for curiosity’s sake. And she was moving out really well, bright and sparkly-eyed, and not acting her age. That makes me happy. :)

Tailing Lines

/ Ashley Wingert / 1 Comment

(Still working on my Tevis crewing story. What can I say? I write epic novels for fun.)

This is what happens when a back-and-forth conversation gets turned into a blog post, especially since I’d already taken the photos.

Mel and I have been discussing some of our different gear and equipment, and the subject of the tailing line that I use came up. It’s one I made myself, since I’m apparently a bit fussy and just-so about things like tailing lines and reins.

I picked up quite a bit of this rope (I want to say it’s 1/4″ diameter yacht rope) when I was at the Scottsdale Show this year. I intend to some day attempt to tie my own rope halter. *hysterical laughter* Yeah, right. In the meantime, I will stick with tailing ropes.

Finished length, with all the knots in place, is just under 9′ long. You might make it shorter or longer depending on size of horse.

The end that clips to the halter is a scissor snap.

The first knotted loop past the scissor snap is at approximately 3′ in. Again, this may be adjusted depending on horse size. Tie knots loosely at first so they’re adjustable. Second loop/knot is another 2′ back.

End that clips to the saddle, and holds the knotted loops while riding, is a carabiner. I used a Nite-Ize S-Biner, size 4. I like the double-sided option, as it keeps the loops separate from the side that clips to the saddle — less likely for the loops to accidentally slip off.

Excess loops clip to the carabiner when riding. Snap end clips to the halter.

Entire apparatus clipped to the saddle, ready for riding. I just used an old thin luggage strap attachment piece because it’s thin leather, so if the rope does happen to snag on something, there’s a good chance the leather will break.

Tevis 2013: pre-Ride

/ Ashley Wingert / 6 Comments

Or, Part One of this year’s Epic Crewing Adventure.

My Tevis experience lasted a full week this time. The fun started last Tuesday when I flew up to Sacremento. Fellow crew member, friend, and rider-I’ve-crewed-in-the-past Lucy picked me up at the airport and we made our way back to “Tevis Low Camp” — aka Lucy’s place. It was the gathering place of the week, with, at various points, up to seven people (plus a dog and a parrot) all crammed under one roof.

Wednesday was the start of some good fun, as Kaity wanted to do one last ride from the Finish to No Hands Bridge and back. I borrowed Lucy’s pone Roo, and we trailered him and Kaity’s Kody over to Auburn. We’d gotten a late morning start, so it was a bit warm, but a lot of the trail is under shade trees, so it was never really too bad, temperature-wise.

I’d hiked the last 1/2-miler or so of the trail from the Fairgrounds before, and hiked from the Hwy 49 crossing to just past the waterfalls and back, so I’d seen parts of the trail, but never the full 49-to-Finish section. (All part of my long-term plan to see as much of the trail and experience as much of The Ride as possible before riding it myself.)

Heading out from the Auburn Overlook

I’d also, for curiosity and education’s sake, booted Roo in a full complement of Renegades. Not only has he been notoriously hard on boots in the past (he really torques with his hind hooves when he goes up hills), this section of trail has some “boot-eating” areas of water crossing + mud + uphill climb over rough terrain. It was very educational and I got to experience firsthand some of the challenges of why boots can come off it this type of terrain. (As I’m half-hanging off Roo’s side as he climbed up out of the Black Hole, watching his hind boots twist a little bit more with each step.) Finally experiencing the terrain firsthand gave me some great insight into the boot-hoof-trail relationship and have some ideas on how to work through some of these challenges in subsequent years.

We remembered the helmet…and forgot the bridle.

The pre-ride (8 miles or so?) was tons of fun. Roo, true to form, had to gawp suspiciously at all culverts, chalks lines, and large rocks, but he only gave one truly spectacular sideways Arab-teleport-maneuver spook, and he chose a nice, wide, safe area to do so.

Back in to the Overlook. A bit hot, sweaty,
muddy, and hungry. 

I love little grey Arabians of the Al-Marah variety
(Roo is AM Ruwala Land)

Look, Ma, no hands!

Riding across No Hands was a blast. On the way out, I did a staged “no hands” photo op, and then we trotted across the bridge on the way back. (Even more fun!)

After the ride, we hustled the ponies back to Lucy’s, got cleaned up, then zipped back down to Auburn for the Tevis BBQ and standard perusal of the horses staying in the barns at the Fairgrounds. Not too many in the barns ahead of time this year — fewer out of state riders? Or more riders going directly up to Robie Park?
Thursday was prep day: Grocery shop, clean stuff, pack trailer, wash pone, and we managed to get everything done by a reasonable hour so that we could sit back and enjoy pizza.
That’s about it for part one (unless you want a play-by-play of rig packing), so it’s on to part two — The Ride!

random musings on crewing Tevis

/ Ashley Wingert / 2 Comments

This is by no means a hard-and-fast rulebook of how crewing must be done, but instead more of a look back at my crewing experiences, since I have managed to properly blog about absolutely none of them. I’ve not been in the position (yet) to have to write crew instructions, but this is coming from the perspective of one who has been the crew, and what is helpful and useful and what riders can potentially do ahead of time to make for a very happy crew.

I’ve been very fortunate to crew for friends and fun people. I’ve not had the experience of grumpy riders, or demanding riders, but instead riders who have been conscientious about things like providing water/snacks for their crew, and being gracious, grateful, and generous in how they’ve treated me before, during, and after the ride. (This is why I like crewing: It’s been a positive experience for me.)

Crew instructions are good. Cherish the rider who hands you a multi-page stack of instructions that spell out their routine and expectations of what they would like to see happen. Whether all of this actually happens is another story. Ask questions. Don’t be afraid to clarify what something means.

Take care of yourself! Know how it’s important to take care of yourself while riding? Same goes for crewing. Blessed be the rider who provides for their crew with extra water/snacks, but don’t assume that will always be the case. Check with them ahead of time on whether you need to provide for yourself or not. Making sure you as the crew stays hydrated and fed means you won’t pass out partway through the day, thus being completely useless. (People electrolytes are good, too.)

Sunscreen! You’re going to be out in the sun all day, and very likely wearing fewer clothes than when you’re riding. (Unless you’re crewing at a cold, windy, winter ride, in which case, you’re probably wearing more layers. But since I’m coming at this from a mainly-Tevis perspective, odds are good attire will be of the shorts-and-tank-tops variety, thus, sunscreen.)

Crewing is so glamorous. If you’re lucky enough to be assigned position of “food intake monitor,” be prepared to get slopped on. Degree of mess will depend on exactly what your rider chooses to feed their Muggins, and what Muggins deigns to consume at any given point. Rule of thumb: The more rice bran, the messier the slop. Some horses are, in theory, delicate and neat eaters. I’ve yet to come across one. Roo, in 2009, was probably the neatest eater, and even he managed to dribble on my shoes. You will also, at various points, be sneezed on, used as an itching post, and guaranteed to come home with electrolytes in your hair. And the dirt just goes without saying.

Be a Learning Sponge. I have learned so much about Tevis, and endurance in general, by crewing. I spend a lot of time at this ride just quietly taking in everything around me and watching the very experienced riders.

Cooling gear is not just for riders. Those cooling vests and neck scarf things feel really good in the late afternoon hanging around Foresthill.

Hurry up and wait. The modes of Tevis: frantic, anxious, impatient, relieved, ecstatic. Frantic comes in when you’re racing the morning clock and traffic, trying to get the rig from Robie Park to Foresthill, then the crew packed up and to Robinson Flat before your rider comes in. Anxious is after you’ve set everything up and the waiting starts. “Is that them?” “What number were they?” “Is the pull list updated?” “When are they going to get in?” “What’s the time cutoff?” Impatient is sitting around Foresthill in the middle of the afternoon, feeling utterly useless for several hours. Relieved is when the familiar bay/grey/chestnut/whatever comes into sight, decked out in their color scheme du jour. And finally, ecstatic is when you get to see your beaming rider cross the finish line under the bright lights of the stadium. (That’s the late hour making your vision blurry, not happy tears, really…)

Be a cheerful, smiling presence. Don’t volunteer to crew unless you really want to be there. The rider has enough to deal with without a grumpy, whiny crewperson. You don’t have to be a Brilliant Endurance Rider to be a good crew. Knowing the front end of the horse (food goes here) from the back (don’t get kicked by) is a great start, and the ability to schlep heavy objects will make you invaluable to the other crew members.

Say good-bye to sleep patterns. Part of the fun of Tevis is being up for all hours. Last year was a new record, when I stayed up for 26 hours straight. Caffeine is your friend. I try to “bank” sleep in the week leading up to Tevis weekend and have found this actually does help. For the past week, I’ve been really good about sticking with a regular sleeping/waking pattern, and getting a full 8 hours.

You might get the bug. Or you might not. To some people, they don’t “get” Tevis and it’s just another ride. To others, it’s the ride of a lifetime. For me, crewing was enough to ignite “the bug” that’s been biting at me ever since that first crewing experience nine years ago.

Now that I’ve probably managed to scare everyone off…don’t worry! I didn’t know a thing about endurance before my first crewing experience. NATRC, yes, which helped, but Tevis was literally the very first endurance ride I ever attended. Talk about your trial by fire. But it got me hooked, and two years back-to-back of crewing gave me the nudge I needed to start down the endurance path.

I’m sure there is stuff I have missed along the way (memory usually winds up a little fuzzy by the time Tevis week/weekend is over) and I’m sure I’ll come up with other stuff to address after this year’s ride, but for now…

8 days and counting!