30 / Sport and Trail Magazine
NEVER TOO OLD
By Terry McDonald
After being into endurance off and on since the early 80’s and being out of endurance for the past 7 years, I recently retired. I was not sure if I wanted to get back into it or not, but I knew I wasn’t particularly fond of just trail riding. So, I volunteered at a local endurance ride, rode their 10,15, & 20 mile (2 times) loops and helped mark trails in 95-degree heat. At the endurance camp, I talked with a lot of the older riders that I knew from way back when and I realized I truly do love the sport, but was I was not sure if I was physically up to it anymore. I was confident my 10-year-old home bred Arabian, Rowdy, could do it.
I had always been riding and working him with the intention of doing endurance at some point so I had trained him endurance style. I had promised him I would teach him everything he needed to know to be an endurance horse and he was a star student. And why not, that was what he was bred to be. His daddy was my champion Endurance stallion, Ravenwood Rakus+ and his Granddaddy was the grand endurance stallion Tezero. His mom was my best Pure Polish mare.
There was a local 30/50-mile ride coming up so I decided I would take Rowdy and just DO IT! So, off to the ride we went. He camped well, he vetted in well, no problem there. So, next morning, it was a great start, but alas, through no fault of Rowdy’s, we faced challenges late in the 1st 18-mile loop. Rowdy lost his 2 rear shoes, vet checks were in camp, so we made the last 4 miles with no rear shoes.
(Yes, I did have one boot in my pack) We vetted in and then I hunted the ride farrier down to see what I could do to finish the last 13-mile loop. He checked the front shoes. The right front nails were sheared off on one side and he said that shoe would never make it. He recommended I pull the fronts and head out on the last loop. “What do you have to lose?” he said. I talked to ride manager and was told the last loop only had a couple sections of rock but otherwise the footing was good. Back at my camp I was trying to decide what to do. I looked at Rowdy tied to the trailer and he was so obviously ready to head out. He told me he was willing to try it and I think I heard him whisper something like ‘Idiot owner’ under his breath! So, 1 hour and 20 minutes into my hour hold we headed out shoeless. Long story short, that last 13 miles I couldn’t have asked for better footing and I couldn’t have asked for a better partner. Rowdy was simply amazing! We completed, thank goodness! I knew if we didn’t it was on me for being so stupid as to try this 30-mile ride on shoes that were 6 weeks old. In my defense, the ride was on the 23rd and my farrier was due out on the 29th. I really felt we’d make it – my bad! Never again. What was I thinking? Anyhow, to all of you older gals out there like me wondering if you should return to the sport after a while out of it, wondering if YOU can still do it … JUST DO IT…you won’t know if you don’t try!
Learn more about the nonprofit American Endurance Ride Conference, which sanctions rides of 25 to 100 miles throughout the U.S. and Canada visit www.aerc.org. 866-271-2372