2011 Recap - short and sweet - cause the season wasn't ...............

For those of you following this baby blog - 2011 was a bit of a missed season for my horses and myself.  Life events forced me to focus on a new home for the horses, entailing weeks of putting up fencelines, barn, pasture, etc...  You get the idea!

I did find the time to get El through his 1st 55 mile event in 2011.  We completed the DRAWARAMA 55 mile ride on Thursday, September 1, 2011.  This will begin El's journey toward becoming a member of the Decade Team, which I think is one of the most prestigious recognitions that an endurance horse can achieve.  For more information on Decade Teams, please check out Karen Chaton's blog on endurance riding.
A little recap of our 55 mile ride.  The weather started out quite pleasantly.  It was about 55 degrees, overcast - a typical fall day in Wisconsin.
The ride was held in Palmyra, WI, which I felt would be perfect for El's first attempt at an endurance event distance.  These trails are our 'home turf'.  We condition on these trails on a weekly basis.  Nothing like trying to stack the deck in your favor! :)



The ride consisted of 4 loops, 16/9/16/9.  Good friend Ann and her mare, Kassie, rode the 1st 3 loops with El and I.  Ann wisely noticed that Kassie wasn't feeling entirely sound after the 3 loop and decided to rider option.  About this same time, the wind and rain began to let loose.  What to do, what to do?  I never start a ride without the intention of finishing, but I have to admit that I was tempted that day!  The temps had dropped to the high 30's, along with howling wind and driving rain at times.  Not pleasant.
As I headed out of camp for my last 9 miles alone, I knew there weren't any other horses on the trail.  Not a cheerful thought!  I consoled myself with the knowledge, that if things got really ugly, I knew how to get quickly backed to camp. 
I was so proud of El as he trotted out of camp all alone.  He let out a couple of anxious neighs and trotted away from his riding buddy.  The miles were going by quite quickly and we reached the turnaround to head for home.  Yippee!
Not so fast with the yippee, the rain began to fall with a real purpose, just as the sun began to set.  We headed back to camp in ankle deep mud in the dusk.  Not quite what I had envisioned for El's first endurance adventure.  He was quite the trooper and finished up with mostly A's on his vet card.  He was a tired pony, but I think a 'proud horse.'  I know I was a very proud mom!

Interested in Endurance Riding?

Last year, I began competing a young (6 years) Arabian in the sport of endurance riding.  Here in the midwest, we have the opportunity to compete in any of the following divisions -
Endurance - Rides of 50 miles or more, to be completed in under 12 hours.  Winner determined by first horse across the line.
Limited Distance - Rides of 25 - 35 miles, to be completed in 6 hours (for a 25 mile event).  Winner determined by the first horse that crosses finish line and reaches pulse criteria.
Competitive - Rides of 25 - 100 miles, averaging 5.5 to 7 miles per hour.  Competitive rides are not managed as a race, but rather as a test of a horse's fitness.  Winners are determined by a scoring system that penalizes heart and respiration scores above a norm.

In the Midwest, conventional wisdom dictates that one should be begin competing a horse in the competitive division. Looking at the divisions listed above, that seems to make sense, doesn't it?  Competitive riding theoretically takes away the 'racing' aspect of our sport.  The rides should be emphasizing the physical fitness of our equine companions.  After riding El in the comp division in 2010, I have some serious mis-givings about offering that advice to new riders. 
Some things to consider when beginning a competitive career for your horse:

• What are your ultimate goals for yourself and your horse?  Do you aspire to ride longer distances? Multi-days? Decade performer?
• How old is your equine partner?  Although UMECRA allows 4 year old horses in the competitive division and AERC allows 5 year olds to compete; I would not recommend begin to compete a horse until they are at least 6 years old.  Dr. Deb Bennett has written an excellent article on the maturation of the equine species. 
• Are you and your equine partner comfortable riding alone, in a group?
• Would you like to be able to get off your horse and 'school' through a difficult obstacle? (Competitive rules in UMECRA) do not allow forward progress unless mounted.)
• Would you like to be able to put water on your horse to aid in cooling? (Again, competitive rules - UMECRA) do not allow the use of water, except for natural water.

Don't get me wrong - this is not an article bashing competitive trail riding.  I think comp riding has a real place in our sport.  I also think the Limited Distance division has a legitimate place in our sport.  In fact, Bert excels in the Limited Distance events.  He is currently in 9th place in lifetime AERC mileage for Limited Distance horses.

So, what's my beef? :)  I don't think competitive trail or limited distance events teach a horse to take care of himself.  I also don't think the restricted mileage events teach riders to take care of their mounts.  I can hear the protests already - please take a moment listen to my reasoning.

Conventional wisdom dictates that the average backyard horse that is being ridden on a regular basis should be able to comfortably complete an endurance/competitive event of 25 miles.  While this may be true, is completing this event in the best interests of the horse?  In fact, I would argue that the horse that gets comfortably through 25 mile events may never learn to 'take care of himself.'  I would also argue that the rider that only rides 25 mile distances never learns to truly take care of their mount.

I believe it is only when the horse and rider are faced with longer distances that the horse and rider form a team that has to work together to get through the distance. I always remember the quote from Matthew McKay Smith, "Never hurry, never tarry."  I view every endurance event as a test of my horse and myself against the trail.  The other riders out there are just obstacles on our way to the finish line.  :)

Events of 50 miles or more teach a rider to watch for the subtleties in their horse.  Is he eating, drinking, peeing and pooping as normal?  And while the rider is learning, the horse has even bigger lessons to learn - drink at every water source, eat at every opportunity.

Horses are incredibly adept learners.

The mud puddle they used to step delicately around, now presents an opportunity to stop and drink.  They quickly figure that they can walk and sometimes even trot down the trail and grab snatches of grass.  I have a rule for my horses - as long as they maintain forward motion, they can eat at will.  While this may be frowned upon by trail riders, it is essential that my horses learn to eat while being ridden.

Dr. Barney Fleming has written an excellent article on his views of limited distance events.  

Here's another very interesting article by Stagg Newman regarding Endurance Riding vs. Endurance Racing. 

I would encourage everyone to read as much as possible about endurance riding before attempting your first ride.

El's recurrent hind end abscess - solved! (Hopefully)

Subtitle -  How and Why a Barefoot Trimmer ALMOST Ended Up Putting On Shoes.
I am a bit hesitant writing this article.  On the surface it would appear that I am about to violate everything I believe in, regarding hoofcare.  But that is simply not the case.  I became a barefoot advocate and a barefoot trimmer because I truly believe it is in the best interest of horses.

Okay, what the heck am I talking about? :)

Here's the issue and some background:  El began competing last year as a 6 year old.  He completed roughly 150 miles barefoot, in 25 mile rides.  Then in August, I decided to take him to a multi-day ride in Michigan called Shore to Shore.  I was a bit concerned that his hooves might not be tough enough to handle 25 miles per day, so I decided to boot him for the week.  He completed 100 miles that week and looked great.  Here's the glitch - 3 weeks after Shore to Shore, he blew an enormous abscess in the right hind heel bulb.  At the time, I didn't think too much of it, as abscesses are relatively common.
Fast forward - 5 weeks later, El comleted a 40 mile competitive ride in good shape.
Fast forward - 4 weeks.  El blows another abscess in the heel bulb.  At that time, I had a vet look at the heel.  We thought it might just be a residual effect from the initial abscess, just a pocket of infection that needed to work itself to the surface.  No big deal.
Fast forward once more - March 2011.  El and I take a vacation to the Shawnee National Forest.  I read quite a few articles on the difficulty of the terrain in the Shawnee.  I decided to bring hoofboots along just in case.  As I said in an earlier entry, I rode several days completely barefoot and then felt El was becoming a bit hoof sore, so I booted him the remainder of the week.
Fast forward last! time - April 2011.  El is once again lame in the rear hind.  3 days later, another abscess.

Okay, the rocket scientists reading this, perhaps have already put the pieces of the puzzle together.  For the rest of us, myself included, here's what has been happening - the backstrap and/or gaiter has been rubbing El's heelbulbs, creating a blood blister, sore, or abscess.  More importantly, because of the location of this abscess it is almost impossible for this area to drain.  I haven't quite figured out how to tip El upside down. :)

So, now I have a problem.  The recurrent abscesses in the heel bulb have taken the integrity of El's heel and pretty much trashed it.  I am now faced with a choice, turn El out for 3 -6 months and hope that he would move enough on turnout to grow out a heel on his own or put a shoe on that hoof to support that heel.  The addition of the shoe will allow me to work him and accelerate the hoof growth.  Exercise stimulates blood flow, which in turn stimulates hoof growth. Okay, now I have a problem - I know that exercise will stimulate hoof growth, but the addition of metal will constrict blood flow.  Think, think, think.

When the vet initially gave me his recommendation of putting a shoe on that hoof, I felt very conflicted, but unless I can figure out a way to support that hoof, shoes it will be.  Wouldn't this violate my basic belief in my profession?  I thought about this for about 2 seconds, then remembered that the reason I became involved in hoofcare was to help horses and do what was best for the horse at all times.

If a vet that I really believe in tells me that El's heel needs to be supported by a shoe, and I don't know of any other way to help him - I have an obligation to do what is right for him, no matter what.

UPDATE:  After spending 24 hours pondering, researching the internet, calling friends and friends of friends, here's what I came up:
Basic problem:  Very low heels due to the repeated abscessing and boot rubbing.

Possible solutions:  Rear shoes for a short period to support hoof OR!  this is very exciting - Equi-casts. 
Equi-casts are a product similar the stuff that doctors use to cast a human's broken arm.  The use of Equi-cast will allow me to support and stabilize the hoof, allowing the heel to grow out with being abraded!
Many thanks to Pete Ramey, who wrote an excellent article on the use of Equi-casts.  Click the link below for the complete article.
Pete Ramey Article on the Use of Equi-casts
Pictures to follow.

Thanks to everyone who emailed or phoned with possible solutions.  Thanks even to those that chastised me a bit for thinking of putting shoes on.  Made me angry enough to keep searching.  Whether that was your intent or not - it worked!

New Boots!

I have been using Easyboots since I began competing in endurance riding in 2005. Mainly, I have used the basic Easyboot.
These boots worked really well for Bert.  The only alteration I made was the addition of duct tape to the sides to ensure that his walls weren't scuffed up from the repeated use.




When I began competing/conditioning El in 2009, I noticed that the Easyboots didn't seem to be working as well for him.  What I meant by not working is - I spent more time looking for and picking boots up on the trail than I spent riding the trail! :(  I played around with different sizes and finally came to the realization that perhaps he needed a different type of boot.  To be truthful, I experimented with Renegade boots.  I had a very scary experience with Renegades while on vacation down in the Shawnee.  I will write more about that later.  Let it be said, that for me, Renegades are not a safe booting alternative.
The Great Boot Search for El continued in 2010.  I began using Easyboot Epics on him and this seemed to be a good alternative.  The addition of the gaiter really seemed to stabilize the boots.

 The Epics stayed on but I still had issues on a deep, single track trail.  El would get interference dings from the hardware on the Epics.  Okay, more searching. 

  Aha! Easyboot Gloves! These boots fulfill all my requirements for a perfect boot - lightweight, little to no hardware, easy to fit, and they stay on!!
I love, love, love these boots!

Riding Vacation in the Shawnee National Forest

Shawnee Riding Vacation March 2011

The last week of March, good friend, Karen Farnsworth and I traveled to the Shawnee National Forest in southern Illinois for a riding vacation.

The Shawnee forest in managed by the federal government and is comprised of over 280,000 acres of forest.
We decided to stay at Bear Branch Horse Resort, which is centrally located near Lusk Creek Canyon.

  Our host, Dick, was very pleasant and informative.  He gave us maps of the forest area as well as his personal maps.

We got the horses settled in their stalls for the night.  Stalls are pretty basic, clean and shavings were included in the cost of $12/night.

 

Due to a scheduling snafu, we were unable to stay in our originally requested cabin and we were offered the Bear's Den for a couple of nights at a discount.  Not a problem.  We settled ourselves in the Bear's Den cabin.  It was as small as it looks! but it did have a shower, toilet, heat, air-conditioning, fridge, sink, and most importantly, a coffee maker!

  

We were a bit apprehensive setting out the first morning.  The Shawnee Forest encompasses over 280,000 acres of land.  That's quite a bit of trail to get lost in!  Our plan was to explore out 2 -3 miles, find our way back and then venture out again.  Well, after a short ride out, our worries were put aside,. the trails were extremely well-marked and we never once felt that we were in navigational danger. 

The scenery was breath-taking.  Beautiful hardwood forest interlaced with gravel covered trails.  We were quite fortunate to make our first trip during the spring.  The lack of foliage made navigation quite easy! 

We averaged between 15 and 20 miles per day over mostly gravel covered trail.  The trail is criss-crossed with numerous stream crossings.  Perfect for a horse that is a bit water apprehensive.  Read - EL. ;)

  After crossing 15 streams the first morning, he never batted an eye at water the rest of the week.  Cross that item off my to do list! :)

I rode the first 2 days totally barefoot and felt the rock covered trail was starting to bother El's hooves.  I decided to boot for the remainder of the week.  I had brought 4 Epic Easyboot with me, so I could boot front and rear if need be.  Karen decided to boot her mare also and she was doing some experimentation with Renegade boots.   

On the third day, we were able to move into our new home away from home, the Wrangler Cabin.  The Wrangler is able to sleep 6 people and we had much more room.

Okay, now that we were settled in our new home, had our horses booted, we decided to become adventurous.  We packed water and a snack and headed out on a long ride.

  

Once again, beautiful trails and large rock formations everywhere.  The only hiccup today was after crossing a small river.  We began to climb a rather large hill, when Karen yelled out, "Snake, snake."  I looked up and told her, "Don't be silly, that's a stick." 

 Obviously, I need glasses!  Sadly, I already have them.  Karen's mare wanted no part of the 'stick.'  El wasn't sure what to make of it, but was a little too interested for my taste.  I asked Karen if she was in a hurry to get going or perhaps we could just wait until the snake decided to leave the trail.  We decided to wait!  A funny moment.  If that snake hadn't decided to leave the trail, we would probably still be sitting there, chatting nervously. :)

On the 5th day, I had a goal of riding out to Cedar Grove Road, about 12 miles from our base camp.  No particular reason, just an idea.  The weather looked a bit dicey as we set out, so I packed disposable raingear for us.  These raincoats are so handy and cheap, I have at least 4 or 5 on hand at all times.  I pack them in my saddle bags, in my crew bag and one in my trailer. 

Good thing we packed the raincoats as we were rained on twice and had a bit of hail on our way out to Cedar Grove Road.   

Doesn't this look like beautful riding?

Here I am at our destination.  You can tell by El's expression, he is as thrilled as me!  Next year, when we go back, I want to go past this marker, cross the road and explore that unknown area!

All in all, it was a great vacation and a wonderful riding experience.  I would encourage everyone to take a few days and explore the Shawnee Forest area.  Beautiful scenery, well-marked trails and excellent horse and human accommodations!  Please contact me if you would like more information about our trip!

New Blog!

Hi! My name is Joslyn Seefeldt. I am an endurance/competitive trail rider here in the midwest. I have been thinking of starting a blog to detail our adventures for quite some time and finally took the plunge!

Currently, I am competing 2 horses -

DSD Starstruck (El), 7 year old Arabian gelding.

Pasarab's Abierto.  A 13 year old Paso Fino Gelding.  Bert was AERC's Limited Distance National Mileage award winner in 2010.