Saturday’s ACTHA Trail Ride

 

I was considering titling this post “Choose Your Riding Partners Carefully” as it was shorter than the name of the actual ACTHA ride, “Caballos y Caballeros Warm Up Ride for the Guinness World Record Trail Ride”. I also considered the title, “Blown Away by Wind”, which would be a very appropriate title, too.

But in the end, I decided to keep my title simple. Simple is good. Because Saturday’s ride sure wasn’t!

The problems started with the fact that I knew absolutely no one who was riding on Saturday. All of my Horse Rescue friends were either not able to ride that day because they could only ride on Sunday, or they were too busy volunteering, managing and supporting Saturday’s trail ride.

So, I decided to just write my name on any old time slot and chose the second to the last time slot at 10:45 am. I decided I didn’t want to be in the first group so I wouldn’t have to rush around to get ready, and I didn’t want to be in the last group because that’s what I did last time, so I wanted to try something a little different. I happened to be the first person to sign up for that slot actually, so I had no idea who I might end up riding with. But on the morning of the ride I did find out that I “knew” two of the riders in my group, Mike and Kathryn Sikorski, the instructors of the CHAMP Trail Challenge Clinic that I posted about last month when I was there to audit the clinic.

Well, I figured that if I needed any instruction on the trail at least they might be able to help. There were 8 riders total in our group. Most everyone was nice enough, but the energy of the group was a little ‘different’ than what I’m used to. Three of the horses were high energy, barely able to stand still for even a moment, and at least two of them were very green on the trail, if not green under saddle, too.

Saturday’s ride was the windiest day I’ve ever ridden a horse on. We had gusts of at least 45-50 mph out there and a constant wind of at least 25-35 mph all day. But it was a hot, dry wind, and it sucked the moisture right out of ya. I was glad that I filled my two Camelbak Better Bottles on the back of my saddlebag, with Gatoraid, and the bottle on my horn bag with water. I drank everything I brought and was grateful not to be dehydrated at the end of the day.

Oh! And thanks to Jocelyn, who competes in endurance rides on her gorgeous paint mare Star, for recommending these Camelbak bottles.

I can’t imagine not ever having them out on a trail ride. The 25 oz bottles fit perfectly in my saddle bags and they have a place to hook a caribiner onto to attach it to the rings on a saddle if I want to leave my saddle bags at home. I love all the color choices but I bought the purple bottles of course! Being able to sip my drink while not having to tip a bottle above my head, staring at the sky, is brilliant. I can keep an eye on anything that might spook my horse, carry a conversation with a riding partner, and I can sit and sip while watching the other riders in my group take their turns at each obstacle, without missing a thing. Love it!

I also have to thank my special friend, Renee aka Army Wife as she’s been there for me from the very start of my journey back into horses, encouraging me and showing me support. She was also there on Saturday and Sunday to help hold my horse while I mounted and to give me some words of courage and cheer me on…before and after. She was generously volunteering at the front desk both days, so she wasn’t able to ride at all. I hope she knows just how special she is, though.

And I can’t forget to thank my friend and mentor, Colleen, who if it weren’t for her I wouldn’t be back in the saddle, nor have my wonderful horse Apache. She also helps me get my mare to the trail rides and treats me very well. She also insisted that I camp out in the main house at Cedar Hill Farm with some of the other horse rescue volunteers, instead of sleeping in the tent I brought. She sure takes good care of me.

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(Standing around in the fierce wind, watching the other riders complete the Mount/Dismount Obstacle)

Anyway, with the terrible winds, the new sights, new scents, and all the new horses and people everywhere, all of the horses were on high alert, even my dear Apache mare.

I was so excited about Saturday’s ride because I was told we’d be riding in areas I’ve not traveled before on past rides. Cedar Hill Farm covers over 400 acres so there are lots of new places to explore.

But alas, I didn’t get to see or enjoy much of those new trails because it went by in a blur.

This is why I was tempted to title this post, “Choose Your Riding Partners Wisely”.

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Because of the green horses and high energy horses that weren’t controllable to walk quietly, or to even stand still for that matter, along with the focus and drive of the leaders of our group, we were on the go, go go the entire ride.

ACTHA was created for riders to have fun with their horses while exploring new trails and trying out and testing their skills on obstacles and challenges…….not to compete to see how fast you can run to get to the next obstacle and to finish the ride. No riders or horses get extra points for finishing first. It’s not an endurance race at all.

But that’s what Saturday’s ride felt like to me. We’d trot and canter to an obstacle, complete it as fast as we could, then turn tail and canter to the next obstacle.

This plan might have actually worked in getting us to the finish line in record time, but the problem was, that every time we’d race to the next obstacle we’d get there just as the group in front of us arrived and then we’d have to wait for that group to complete the obstacle. And if you’ve ever stood in line at the grocery store with someone in a hurry who is staring at you and breathing down your neck, you know it’s not fun and is just extra pressure you don’t appreciate.

I’m sure that’s how the riders in front of us felt, as well as the judges who then had two groups backed up, often 15-20 horses/riders, to go through the obstacle. ACTHA organizers plan for each group to go out with at least 15 minutes in between to properly space each group so they can complete each obstacle without having to stand around or feel pressure from another group waiting to go after your group.

So, there we were standing around at each obstacle waiting for the group in front of us to complete the obstacle. Now add in our group’s impatient, high energy, can’t-stand-still green horses who were pawing, stamping, snorting and circling the trees creating clouds of dust that got lifted into the powerful gusts of wind that blew into all of our faces, ears and eyes. ugh! Boy. Was that fun. Not!

Apache very quickly communicated to me very obviously that she wasn’t happy with the pace of our ride either. She probably felt my frustrations, too. And much of the open pasture was pockmarked with deep prairie dog holes so cantering or galloping across those fields was just asking for serious trouble. Even at a walk, Apache kept tripping over the mounds and sinking into the soft, freshly tilled prairie-dog dirt. And along with the horrible wind, the fast-paced, high energy of our group, and the uneven footing I think we were both unsettled. Finally, my normally, calm, willing, sweet girl told me in no uncertain terms she wasn’t happy.

She bucked.

It wasn’t much of a buck, but it still qualified.

I stopped and had one of the safety riders (Richard, one of WNCR’s volunteers who rode his bay mare in the CHAMP Trail Clinic last month) check our girth to make sure it wasn’t cinched too tight, but it was actually too loose instead.

But I knew why my girl bucked.

After that communication from my horse, I decided to pay attention to her more closely and not ask anything unfairly of her (or I, for that matter). I refused to canter her across the open, tall grass fields or any ground that was obviously covered in mounds or lots of loose rock.

That decision, of course meant that we lagged far behind, which seemed to annoy a couple of the riders in our group, though some were very understanding and patient and actually seemed to like the slower pace.

But it didn’t last, and the leaders in our group kept us moving faster. Apache and I still kept our slower pace, even when we lost sight of the other horses, but she didn’t mind and neither did I.

Sometimes I’d rather ride by myself than with people who just want to rush ahead instead of stopping to admire the flowers at our feet, the expansive views stretched out ahead of us, and watch the beautiful Mama hawk flying overhead screeching at us as she protects her nest.

Saturday’s ride was so frenetic that I only took one photo and one video the entire ride, and I was so glad when it was over, I even forgot to ask someone to take a photo of Apache and I. I did remember to snap a quick photo of my new fringe riding tights and half chaps after the ride. (That strange bulge on my left leg is my cell phone pocket that I keep strapped to my leg)

Sorry, but that’s all I got.

In the future, before I head out on any group ride, I am going to locate my potential trail partners and get a feel for what they are expecting from the ride. I am going ask them:

1)How old is your horse?

2)How many times has it been out on the trail?

3)Are you riding to compete, win, and then go home?

4)Or are you riding to have some fun, explore new trails, enjoy a relaxing ride out in nature with your horse, meet some new friends, and all while trying out some new skills with your horse?

As you can probably tell, I’m in that last group. Thank you very much!

(This post ended up too long, so I’ll add another post with the details of the actual trail course and obstacles next. So hang on for the ride, please)