Mr. Sandman and I had a GREAT ride last weekend as we completed another 50 miles in very rough undulating terrain at the Old Pueblo Endurance event.
When I got home, a friend asked, “what is endurance riding?” So in an effort to describe this unique sport, I draw upon this very succinct quote I found on Facebook from Tamarack Hill Farms, March 24, 2013.”The COURAGE OF AN ENDURANCE HORSE, while not being as dramatically displayed as the courage of an event horse, racehorse, or a steeplechaser, is every bit as real. Say its 2:00 AM, and you have 17 miles to go. Your horse has clawed his way over every kind of terrain imaginable for 83 miles. And he’s game, game, game to keep going, keep trying. Is he tired? You bet. Is he a quitter? No way. It`s maybe just courage in a plain brown wrapper, not many bells and whistles, so not so easy to recognize.” credit, Tamarack Hill Farms, 2013.
I really like this quote because it speaks to the quiet determination of these horses while capturing in a nutshell, the essence at least for me, of both of the relationship we have with them but also the sport of endurance, but I’ll add, it’s the BEST kind of courage, because it leaves you as the rider, with simply no room for “quit”, and in this sport, we are often the weak link and even though your tired, and you’ve been in the saddle for 10, 12, 15 hours or more, and maybe it’s cold and raining or pitch dark and your dehydrated and nauseous, and your muscles are cramping, your horse isn’t quitting on you, so you can’t quit on them.
These are “one of a kind” experiences we have while out on the trail in the middle of nowhere and what you learn, is that these horses who do endurance with us have an indomitable spirit and willingness to push on that we must honor with our own commitment to finish and often we need to summon up our own courage and spirit to endure as well and ride thru whatever it is that ails you, psychological, physical or both, as they are willing to do for us.
I don’t know how many times, far to many to count, in sketchy situations and when the odds might seem to be stacked against us, I’ve said to my horses, Masquerade and now Sandman, and earlier, many years ago, Buck, Tim, Sea Ruler, March Along and Sweet William, “okay buddy, we are out here in the middle of nowhere and we are both dead beat tired, but it’s time for you to take us home now, you gotta take us home” and when called upon, there’s never been a time, that when I’ve asked, that my horse has not risen to that challenge”, and for that reason, that quiet persistence and commitment to finish, must go both ways.
I’ve had some amazing rides on some amazing horses who without exception were partners in every sense of the word and really more than partners, these horses are family and so I guess I say, to my friend who so innocently asked, “that’s really endurance for me” in a nutshell. 😊
I want to thank Debi Sanger and Karen Leiman, Marilyn and Brooke and all the volunteers who worked together to put on a fun event. I also want to thank the amazing Vet’s led by Dr. Mark Anderson and the VET scribes who all had their hands full this weekend, but they did it all with professionalism and a smile and were great to work with.
We rode this ride with Aileen and Rocky and it was always fun and upbeat (with the exception of that last lollipop loop that seemed to go on forever 🙂), you just couldn’t ask for a better person to share time in the saddle with.
We also enjoyed camping with Kacy and Leonard and their pups who were very entertaining and a lot of fun.
All in all, it was a fun ride weekend with great friends and great horses.
Enjoy the ride!! 🙂