Ride season Reflections:

The other day I picked up the entry form I had printed out for Owyee Fandango ride that is coming up next weekend in Idaho. It was all filled out and ready to be mailed off. A few months back, I had planned to attend this ride with two fit horses, Rebel and JB, doing a limited distance on each day. Seeing that filled out entry form was a reminder of how things really took a different turn for my endurance plans this year. Just a few days from now, I would have begun the tedious process of packing up the truck and traile and overall driving poor Tom nuts with my pre trip anxiety. He would have been trying to slip me Valium while I raced around making lists. I guess the silver lining is that I won’t have to deal with all that anxiety, nervous stomach, etc but I know I am missing a great opportunity to not only have a lot of fun, learn a lot of stuff but to meet a lot of endurance people. *deep sigh* Guess there’s always next year.

For now, I am focusing on being ready for the Blacktail Mountain Classic right here in Kalispell that is being held the weekend of June 20. My plan is to ride Rebel for the limited Distance. JB is still on endurance hatius for the season. For Rebel to be ready for June 20th, that might be a challenge . We'll have to see how our conditioning goes. Due to a huge project I have been involved with at work, I haven’t been getting near enough time in the saddle. Working from 7:00 am to 7:00 p.m makes endurance conditioning difficult at best. In the last couple of weeks, that has lessened thankfully but I have run into other obstacles. Our less than cooperative weather seems to keep me from getting much done. It’s been very cold and worse than anything, we have been getting winds that are just hellacious. Not just strong wind, no , I am talking about gale force winds, along with driving rain , hail and thunder storms. I tried last week to go out a couple of times, only to be chased back home by fast approaching black clouds , angry with lightning, headed right for us. Rebel and I turned tail and raced for hom, barely making it back in time before the ground shook with thunder and we were pelted with hail stones. Rebel couldn’t get into his shed fast enough. Don’t get me wrong, I am not adverse to riding in some foul weather or wind but it seems like our weather has been extra severe this spring. I draw the line when wind gusts reach 50 mph…with steady winds 35-40 mph and riding in a thunderstorm is just never a good idea if you can avoid it. Ofcourse, like clockwork, as soon as we got home, unsaddled, and got in the house to dry off, within a half hour, the clouds would part, the sun would shine and the wind would lessen. By then , it was after 8:00 p.m. Too late to head back out to do anything. So, it's been frustrating.
This weekend we are supposed to receive some 70-80 degree weather. You can bet I will be hitting the trail. Rebel has seemed to really enjoy getting back to having a job. He does 6 miles like nothing, which isn't saying a lot but for a 17 year old horse that has been semi retired for a few years , I would say that is pretty good.