“You can trot and barf at the same time”
The endurance community has a lot of fun sayings. The main one is “To finish is to win.” A very nice sentiment and very true when you complete. But there are also more practical ones like “You can trot and cry at the same time,” closely followed by its cousin, “You can trot and barf at the same time.”
Day three was an immensely humid day. We woke up at 6 am on the back of not getting bed until 11:30 pm after the previous night’s ride. Day three had a daytime high of 83 degrees with 100% humidity by our 9 am start time which brings the heat index to 99.7 degrees.
I’m a heat sensitive person and due to a cardiac condition (that I am medicated for), it’s very difficult on my body if I don’t have the proper amount of sleep and salt. Guess what I’ve been sweating out for the previous two days? Hint: it wasn’t sleep, it might have been, but not likely.
Before each successive ride, we had to trot out for the vets tacked and in hand so they could double check that no lameness issues had emerged between completing the previous ride and beginning the next ride.
My magic is never giving up
By 8:53 am, black spots are forming in my vision and I feel so nauseous. I was not sure if I had it in me to continue. I had all my sure fire things though: PBJ, nuts, a protein stick, an avocado, and 2 L of liquid IV in my pack. Angel was watching me cautiously and offered her hang around the neck fan which I gratefully took. I wasn’t going to quit. No. I was at least going to try.
I figure I’m in a western saddle. I can tie myself in if I have to just like cowboys did to sleep. After galloping in the previous night, I was not going to let this be the thing to take me out and end my run at completing the trifecta.
We mounted up and gathered our two babies. Two riders we’ve made friends with during previous rides both had two new babies on their first LD and, understandably, didn’t want to die. Roach and Jessie, who are well known for being decent, no nonsense good citizens, were definitely not going anywhere fast anyways. So, we gathered our babies and the Babysitter Club hit the trail after everyone else (all 30 other entrants for the LD, def the biggest field of the weekend for the LDs) went ahead.
About a quarter to half mile in, we picked up yet another baby. This one was a bouncing baby boy named Sonny. His very brave rider had already been tossed once by him that day but she was bound and determined to have her first Intro ride.
On the trail again
Off we set, and boy was I feeling it. I started repeating to myself “You can trot and barf, the Mongol derby riders even say you can gallop and barf.” I knew I may have to decide which side to do it from. Ultimately, I decided the non-sponge carrying side (riders typically carry sponges so we can sponge the horses down as we come across water).
Thankfully, once we picked up some cantering, the wind in my face helped push the nausea at bay. Roach and Jessie settled into a really cute babysitting pattern. At first, when I brought Roach to Jessie’s head, they both thought we were going to race. But after a bit, they figured out their jobs were to be side by side. What were doing, for nonhorse people, was blocking the trail so if the babies decided to bolt, they’d have to body check Roach or Jessie. Essentially, Roach and Jessie were there to model good behavior, good energy, and body block any potential bolting.
We later found yet another horse who needed babysitting. I was not a fan of this one. We came accross this horse and rider before a section of deep water. The rider was standing next to the horse saying the horse wouldn’t go. The horse was absolutely covered in sweat and shaking. His nostrils were flared and the whites of his were showing. There was no one home in this horse’s head. You could tell his brain had left the building and he was in pure survival mode. Now, there are not great folks in any sport and this is the first time I’ve come accross a horse in this condition in endurance. Generally speaking, everyone’s horses seem to be very well prepared mentally as well as physically for the rigors of the sport. This horse not that horse. Especially mentally.
Mental preparation for endurance is, I think, more important for this sport than arena based sports. Our competitions are held at trailheads, some of which can be very remote. They aren’t kept in stalls. The horses are camping whether that’s in electric fencing or on a high tie or portable corral. On competition day, they’re watching most of the horses leave camp and many are leaving at a highrate of speed. Once the animal itself is on trail, it will be passing and being passed by other horses. It has to conserve its energy and not get wrapped up in chasing down the next horse. It possible will be spending hours alone on a trail it has never been on and can be spending the next 4 to 24 hours working depending on the distance. It’s a large mental payload and is very taxing on the unprepared, herd bound prey animal.
This horse was very erratic and had just not good vibes for our crew. Clearly it was not mentally prepared. It would refuse to move if it did not believe it would be with other horses. In the rider’s defense, he did not own the horse and it was his first time riding this horse. He was going off what the owner had told him. So our pattern changed. Jessie led ahead with the crazy horse behind her. I headed the rest of the babies behind that, helping them to pace and keep distance and energy from Sir Nutcase in front of us.
Roach was used to riding head to head with Jessie at this point and was very insistent on being with her. However, I would ask him to pull back to give Sir Nutcase room. Sure enough, that horse would scuttle around on the trail like one of those possessed spider people in horror movies. His legs would go everywhere. Roach then, I swear, said, “Yup, you’re right. He’s a nutter. We’ll stay right back here.”
Ten miles in, our first two babies decided to split off from us. It was a good time for both of them I think. The babies had gotten the top of their energy curbed off and seen what their job and rhythm is going to be on the trail. Sonny and his rider stayed with us and Sir Nutcase, thankfully, moved on his own too.
We made it into the first hold. All three of our babies passed checks. Sonny was done since his ride was a 15 mile Intro. The other two babies went on their own and rode their own rides. Angel and I rode slow and paced to complete 5 minutes before cut off. As always, our goal was finishing all three days.
We came into camp at 2:55 pm. Pulsed down and PASSED our final checks. We had officially completed the Trifecta. To finish the final placing of the Trifecta, we had to weigh in with all our gear. Roach had carried 205 lbs all three days. That’s almost 23% of his body weight. Jessie had a remarkable pulse down to 44 bpm and placed first in the Trifecta.
During our trot circles, My quads started to seize and black spots started dancing in my vision. I couldn’t gear Roach up to trot the final circle. But that’s okay. I kneeled with my head between my legs trying not to pass out and I could feel Roach just standing watch over me. He didn’t move off or graze, just stood sentinal over me like a pasturemate. He even put his face to mine a couple times as if to check on me. He didn’t bump me with his face or do any of his typical gooberness. Just lowered his head, gently touched mine and went back to watching. I’m not one to anthropromorphize animals, but I feel like he could sense my weakness and was definitely watching over me.
We finished second in the trifecta. I’m so thankful to this mule. He is incredible.
