On the way to Derby
| March 17, 2014 | Posted by Melinda under Uncategorized |
This was my “pre ride check” for whether it was a good idea to send my Derby 50 miler entry in. Earlier in the week, during a conditioning ride at home Farley stepped in a hole and went down at a canter/hand gallop and while she seemed sound and none worse for the wear, I held my entry until Sunday when I knew doing 20 miles over rocky single track with hills would be a true test of if she had tweaked something.
I was holding off on posting pics from this ride since there are so many WORDS I need to write and it would be nice to have some fun pictures to break up all the WORDS.
But I have a migraine (sinus head ache?) and am feeling sorta maxed out on computer time so not sure how soon I’ll get to writing more words for the next couple of days….so let’s call an intermission and look at pretty riding photos. (Courtesy of Aurora at Redheaded Endurance. *waves* THANKS. I whined and you gave me pretty pictures. AWESOME).
You know it’s going to be a good day when the parking lot looks like this.
Of course that was BEFORE I realized that I had forgotten my saddle. 3 hours round trip. There was no way I could go back and get it, and I wasn’t going to be able to do a 20 mile ride bareback without making both of us more sore than was right. It was in tears (yes, genuine tears, as I threw myself a pity party) that I accepted my fate, decided to do the only reasonable thing – go for a combination of trail run and bareback ride on my own before slinking home and finishing homework as God intended.
And yes, this would be the second time I forgot a saddle for an Oroville trail ride.
Fortunately one of the other members of our group had an extra. I literally had EVERYTHING else I needed – saddle bags, girth, STIRRUPS, breast collar…just missing the seat thingy….
Above: now that is a picture in the perfect moment. Three people trotting along at a good clip, and both people manage to look at the camera and smile at the person taking the photo.
I’ve always wanted to do this. The borrowed saddle had a cantle short enough I could! Note Farley’s tucked tail as she wonders what the HECK I’m doing. I love this mare and going to miss her terribly when she’s gone. She puts up with EVERYTHING if not good naturally, at least without causing me bodily injury.
Farley self sponges. My reaction “nothing to see here….I know the rules, NO SPONGING OUT OF TROUGHS”.
Above – quite possibly my most favorite picture of the trip. Maybe of the season so far.
Totally sound, totally happy. Enough energy to take off at a dead run up a hill towards the trailers at the end. Derby here we come!!!!!!
HAHA good thing I took pics for your blog post! 🙂
Well OBVIOUSLY I didn’t take them. otherwise I would BE in them. LOL.
I like how this worked out actually. I whined, and you took great pictures.
LOOK AT ALL THE SUNSHINE!
I’d be jealous of that, but since I can’t ride right now anyhow and I’d go nuts if we had beautiful weather while I’m grounded, I’ll just be REALLY HAPPY FOR YOU instead.
There. That worked out nicely, didn’t it?
I think that’s one reason I love having a medium that connects people around the regions. You looked at my photos and was like “LOOK AT THE SUN”. I look my photos and immediately say “LOOK HOW GREEN IT IS”. This may be the only 2 weeks out of the year that where I live is GREEN. I know when you post riding pics in the middle of summer I’m always like “where’s the sun and why is it still GREEN”, since in 4 weeks all my green stuff will be brown.
You will be back in the saddle after what seems FOREVER, but you will look back and it will seem like just a blip compared to the time you spent riding in pain :). At least, that’s how it is for me when something keeps me out of the saddle for what seems like an agonizingly long time but it was for one or both of our own good and it’s SO MUCH BETTER afterwards :).
Haha I never thought about the green. You’re right!
Love all the photos (thanks Aurora? lol)! And Connor cracks me up in the last one.
Yes! It’s gonna be great (as long as you bring a saddle; fun not guaranteed without stirrups)!
I will point out that I HAD STIRRUPS. And fuzzy covered leathers. I was PREPARED. A point I tried to make near the end of the ride when I had an extra granola bar to give to the hungry junior……(I was so proud of myself because I had brought plenty of food and was TAKING CARE of myself) and I was told that no one could claim to be prepared who had forgotten their saddle. POINT FOR AURORA.LOL.
Oh fun! Except for the forgetting saddle part, but score one for the person who had an extra. Farley looks great, here’s to the start of a new season!