Whoopsie, our (probable, possible) next 50 mile ride is (panic checks calendar) only 10 days away and boy are we…not 100% certain. I had always planned June off from endurance rides as part of my overall “I only have one noble steed” strategy. Most endurance riders end up with multiple mounts for various reasons, chief among them avoiding overriding one horse. The competition season in the Pacific Northwest is rather short, with the first ride being April and the last being October (unless I want to drive to California), and with so many beautiful places to ride it can be tempting to try for more than one a month, which is a lot for one horse. I also know that 50’s can surface problems rather quickly, and I wanted a solid month without stress to address any that might crop up.

A major and unexpected issue affects not just Tarma and I but a whole swath of horse owners. Our absolutely fantastic farrier, Jerry Huntsinger, had a massive and unfortunate accident and is on the injured list…indefinitely. He’s healing and itchy to get out of the house (exactly like a horse on stall rest poor dude!) but who knows how long it will be until he has a hoof on his stand again. This means that Tarma and Cody are shoved into other farrier’s schedules willy nilly, so now I’ve finally got the fire lit to read all the hoof care, trimming and shoeing books I’ve been putting off for awhile. We’ve been struggling to keep the Octos on ourselves, Tarma only has one on of the brand new set I just purchased. I was able to reset the other front so she’s not completely cock eyed, but the brand new rear set is buried in the high grass of the pasture somewhere.

This puts us in a tough spot hoof protection wise; she loves the Octos and goes like a monster in them, if I can keep the dang things on. I do have Cavallo and Scoot boots for back up, but the Cavallos rub no matter what I do if we ride long enough so I won’t ask her to do 50 miles in them. Even the Scoots will rub her heel bulbs eventually, though they take longer, and I think her feet have changed enough from when I originally purchased them two years ago that the fit isn’t perfect. I can get new Scoots, including trying the new Enduros which might fit her heel bulbs better, but I’m not sure I can get them shipped before I leave for the Ochocos next Wednesday as I can’t buy them locally. The good news is her feet are finally in an almost ideal place, and I know enough to keep them from backsliding too much. She’s sound, it’s just a matter of protecting that soundness for 50 miles of varying mountain terrain. I will toot both our horns for a moment, despite that fact that I’ve spent at least 6 hours over the past week sweating and swearing over her foot, Tarma’s stood like a rock and not fussed a bit, not bad for a mare whose feet we used to have to pry off the ground while shoving her against a wall and she shivered.

The second main concern is the white hairs on her back. She’s thin skinned all around I’ve found, but she had some friction and heat on her right side after our last ride. The best guess is she’s just too sensitive and the Jen X pads with the TRD inserts I use hold too much heat for her. I have a back up Supracor pad that is now my main pad, though I’m still adjusting and playing around with it and for 50 miles I might do a combo, Jen X in the cooler part of the morning and switching to the Supracor for the second loops…or just stick with the Supracor all day and see where that takes us. I also plan to remove the tack at vet checks, I tend not to as a signal that we’re not done yet and save myself the time untacking and tacking up again, but I think her back needs the time to cool off more.

The biggest concern aside from hooves is me. I’ve been sick so haven’t felt up to riding, let along my normal dog based workouts so whether I am fit enough for 50 miles again is an open question. I’m pretty sure Tarma is, once they’re legged up horses tend to stay pretty fit on their own. I, however, require more input given my desk based work and I just haven’t been doing it. That said, Tarma’s a smooth cruiser for not being gaited and I don’t have to post for 50 miles, which is a saving grace as that is absolutely not happening.

This all adds up to my plans for Bandit Springs being a lot less firm than for Grizzly or Mary and Anna. I’m on furlough from work next week, so after the holiday Kade, Benny and I will load up Tarma and Cody and head out to ride camp early. We’ll help finish clearing and marking the trail and based on how her feet and back look, I’ll either do the 30 miler with Rachel or try to 50 solo. I’m also going to prep more electrolytes for her, I think I have mine close enough but she could have used more doses, especially as I don’t give her a full serving each time. Either way, we’ll have some beautiful days together in the woods!