Desert Gold Prep!
| November 24, 2009 | Posted by Melinda under Uncategorized |
First things first.
Gundivvvvaaaa…….where are yoooouuuuuu? The cuteness that is to be yours will not arrive without an address…..as in physical address of your home! Or work. or PO box. Or neighbors house if you have decided I cannot be trusted. 🙂 The e-mail to send it to is [email protected]
I leave for Desert Gold on Thursday. Instead of leaving everything for the last minute, I have a PLAN! Yeah, like you didn’t see that coming. Me? Have a plan? Nah……
I use the same basic time lines and guidelines when preparing for all my rides:
Monday: Change the toe straps on the renegades.
- So now I have a bag full of perfectly decent toe straps, that were changed only because I wanted new straps for the ride. I guess I’ll just keep them?
Tuesday:
- Start Electrolyting in her daily mash. Yes, I know that they don’t store up electrolytes, but I do want to make sure she is nice and hydrated before loading her in that trailer.
- Make sure the pad and girth I want to use is clean.
- Confirm I have the essentials in my ride box (which is kept in my trailer) – spare stirrups, saddle cover, crew bag, crew bag contents etc.
- My trailer also functions as my every day tack room so I don’t have to worry about packing my tack.
Wednesday:
- Clean Farley’s pen
- Load up the trailer with feed (hay and beet pulp) and electrolyte supplies (syringes, caps, etc.)
- Do dishes
- Take out trash
- Vacuum and sweep (it’s so nice to come home to a clean and organized house!)
- Pack clothes
- Pack camping stuff
- Confirm I have batteries for camera and GPS
Thursday: Leave for the ride (don’t forget horse)
I’m excited! I did this ride for the first time last year and it was a great ride. I did break a stirrup half way through with no spare in the crew bag….
Work is extremely busy so my next post will probably be a report on the fun and wonderful time I had, how well my boots performed, what an incredible pony I have, and how sore I am from the ride because I have chosen to sleep in for the past 2 weeks instead of getting up and walking/running/anything physical.
My pre-ride prep is a bit more hectic and scary! Since I have never done this before I am over doing what I think I might need!
right now I am making my to do, to pack and to buy lists! Then I am going to throw the saddle pads in the wash. Then tomorrow I am going to clean and pack my own clothes.
On Thursday I am going to clean out the truck and trailer before packing and leaving, since I don’t have to leave until noon.
Tomorrow should be interesting! We will see if I end up making any late night runs to the store because I forgot something I just “know” I’ll need, aka I really don’t need at all! HAHA!
I might sell you Oceans new Uxeter Kimberwick in a couple weeks. He did much better in it this morning, but I would still like to transition him into something softer, or into a sidepull that I can attach a bit onto for the begining of rides then tack off and just ride in the side pull.
I might keep using it on him, I’m not sure yet.
Good luck!
Maybe you can use the “used” toe straps for training, where it’s not such a big deal if you break one, and save the “new” ones for rides? Rotate them out, kind of like rotating tires?
Good luck!
Maybe you can use the “used” toe straps for training, where it’s not such a big deal if you break one, and save the “new” ones for rides? Rotate them out, kind of like rotating tires?
Jealous! the next ride in our region is March, 2010.
Sigh….
Take lots of pics on the ride, okay? I’ll be green with jealousy, but at least I’ll get to experience it distantly!
JB – Ha! I actually just bought ANOTHER bit for her today – a Stubben french link with a copper link, eggbutt snaffle. So I’m putting her back into the baucher for rides, and using the eggbutt for arena work/dressage. She really took contact well with it today so I’m on the right track.
I am such a bit fiend.
I’m seriously considering trying her in a hackamore for the second half of the ride. I’ll throw it in the crew bag and see what kind of mood she’s in.
forgot to put on the list that I MUST figure out something for the potluck….perhaps my pumpkin bread pudding?
Mel, check your junk folder. I’ve emailed it to you twice already! I think that someone has hacked into your email and wiped out my physical address so that they can have my bunny.
Seriously, I want that bunny and I’ve sent you my address. I just have an issue posting it here for all the world to see.
I’ll try it again.
I found your e-mail!!! Thanks – this is probably only the second time that a *real* e-mail ended up in the junk box, so I didn’t even think about it.
Yeah, I can’t believe I went out and bought a brand new bit! I hate bits! I only use hackamores and sidepulls, but wow can you imagine what Ocean would be like in a hackamore!
I didn’t sign up for the potluck since I didn’t think I would be there until late. Guess I can still bring something even though I will bring something for myself for dinner.
I don’t think signing up or not is a big deal – bring something and dig in!
I spent more money on this bit than I have on ANY bit. Or bridle. *sigh* But it is a really nice bit and she likes it and seems REALLY comfortable in it, and that’s what counts right?
Yeah….I’m not sure Ocean is a hackamore horse *yet*. 🙂 Not saying he won’t get there…it would just be an interesting journey if you attempted it right.now. If you know what I mean 🙂
One of the things that holds me back from doing the hackamore (and I know, that this is REALLY stupid) is the fact that the hackamore, coupled with the renegade boots, definately singles me out as one of those “weird” peopel who do the whole barefoot and bitless thing… LOL. I NEVER thought I would be one of those people! I really just need to accept the weirdness and embrace it full on!
Haha! I know what you mean! It puts you in the parelli or Monty Roberts worshiping catagory, who believe in doing everything “natural” but then tell you that because there horse cost 30k that they could never turn it out with other horses or in a large pasture because it could hurt its self.
Yeah, I’m sure every morning that horse wakes up and looks out at the nice green pasture and herd grazing and thinks to itself” gee that looks nice, but I cost 30k so I better stay in here and not injure myself”.
So yeah, I hate those people! Yet it doesn’t bother me to ride in hackamores and barefoot, even if that makes me more like those people. It helps that I don’t ride around other people much.
We can be weird together though!
BTW – anyone else who is reading this – I’m definately saying this “tongue in cheek”. Please don’t take offense! It’s just that those of you that are totally bitless and barefoot as the way to go, just seem as a bit….radical, just as parelli etc do in the horse training world. Not to say that you bitless/barefoot people aren’t right! It’s just taking me a bit to convince myself that it really is true!
Melinda
I think it’s easier in endurance to go bitless, without seeming like you’ve joined the IRON IS EVIL cult. You’ve got the excuse that it’s so much easier for your horse to eat! And barefoot with boots, overall, seems about as hard/expensive as shoes with pads. People who want to do dressage bitless or jumping shoeless have a much harder time of it, afaik.
Cool new abbreviation! “afaik” I must store away in my brain for future use in an e-mail…perferabbly work related! I’m breaking my department in slowly. An ASAP, FYI – transitioning to a IMO (used for the first time today…)
LOL, dragging them into the 21st century kicking and screaming?
Why are you online? Shouldn’t you be offline at ridecamp already? Go kick ass and stay safe!
I just do what works with each horse. Who cares what anybody else thinks? :~)