Last weekend River completed her first 50-mile ride since being diagnosed with and treated for EPM. She did great! The new Fall Fiesta endurance ride proved to be a perfect event for River. A full 49 miles with a total of around 5,000′ total elevation gain, the ride proved challenging despite having no really steep climbs. Part of the challenge was that I felt very unmotivated… and based on her face before the start, so did River! Despite this, we finished in good time, with no issues.
Above: River right before the start of the Fall Fiesta endurance ride. She always remains calm, quiet, with a heartrate in the low 30s before a race. This doesn’t mean she’s thrilled!
The brand new Fall Fiesta endurance ride
The Fall Fiesta ride was yet another of John Parke’s new rides in the Pacific Southwest region. I’ve enjoyed all of them! (Read about my experiences: Treasure of the Sierra Madre in Cuyama, Treasure of the Sierra Madre at Huasna; this year’s Felix Cumpleaños–I missed the first one!) John’s rides are no frills, relaxed, and fun, Fall Fiesta was no exception.
John made a big deal about this one being “easier” than the others because it has no long steep climbs. He must have told people it was a “flat” ride, because I had several riders ask me if it seemed like a flat ride to me. It was certainly flatter than many rides in California; flatter than the Sierra Nevada foothills I condition in. But not flat! The total elevation gain for the full 49 miles was–according to all my apps (which do not agree)–over 5,000′.
Above: On the left or top, looking down on Ride Camp (photo credit: Donna Dubois). On the right or bottom, River looks for edibles under a large oak near the porta-potty. (She’ll wait for me patiently!)
The location
The ride was on about 2,000 acres of the Chamberlin Ranch in Los Olivos. Not a lot of land (well… tons of acres for most of us); for comparison, Rancho San Fernando Rey, where the Sesenta Anos and Feliz Cumpleaños rides are held, is around 30,000 acres. However, because the section of the ranch we rode on encompasses a series of canyons with well-kept ranch roads running everywhere, it was an ideal locale for the Fall Fiesta ride.
John had made two loops that the 50s would repeat. Now, I personally don’t like to repeat loops, but it was excellent for training, for people new to endurance, and for horses getting back into condition. A series of short loops ensures that the horses are seen by the vet and get breaks. You really don’t even have to worry about horse water over such short distances, but there were water troughs everywhere. There were no cattle–they had moved them for us! I don’t mind cattle but it was nice not to have to open and close gates. What’s more, the footing was excellent, the weather perfect, and the ranch has a nice combination of oak woodland, valleys, and ridges with gorgeous views.
Nick Warhol–the Ride with GPS expert–had helped John create trails for us to use with Ride with GPS. (You can also export them to the app of your choice.)
Loop 1
The first loop was, according to Ride with GPS, 13.4 miles with 1,201′ elevation gain. Basically, it followed the roads around the perimeter of the ranch, south along Figueroa Mountain Road, east, then north to the top and back down. Ride Camp was in the middle.
Above: Image of Loop 1 from the Ride with GPS event. When I tried to use Ride with GPS to record my own track, it wigged out and thought it was the day before at 4PM. It also recorded 14.5 miles, and I did not go off-trail!
When I completed the loop the second time, I recorded with STRAVA. (My Garmin watch decided to die overnight.) Well, I recorded with STRAVA after I remembered to start at the top of the hill! STRAVA recorded 1,305′ total elevation gain, and when I imported the track into Garmin Connect, it agreed.
Loop 2
Loop 2 was slightly shorter, at 11.15 miles with 1,273′ total elevation gain (according to STRAVA. Ride with GPS says 11.0 miles and 1,336′ ascent.) Whichever estimate of elevation gain we take, it was slightly steeper than Loop 1. I also thought it was prettier, with some winding through valleys and down gorges.
Above: The image from my track recording of Loop 2 on Ride with GPS. It wound up and down valleys and gorges in the inner part of the ranch. As with the first loop, we rode counterclockwise.
LD vs. 50
The LDs (limited distance, i.e., 25-35 mile rides) rode Loop 1, had a 30-minute hold, and then rode Loop 2. The 50s rode Loop 1, had a Gate-and-go (we had to pulse down to 60 and trot out), rode Loop 2, and then had an hour hold. We then rode Loop 1 a second time, had a 20-minute hold, and rode Loop 2 for a second time.
A new format for John’s rides
John Parke tends to send us out on long loops where we have to use our own judgement about taking breaks. It’s usually a good idea to carry a snack for your horse and for you. I have to admit that it was nice to know we’d be back at the trailer after little more than 13 miles at the most. Less planning required. I even gave River a break after our first loop, just because it was easy.
But! My first reaction to the idea of four short loops, two repeated, was I’m going to get bored! I love steep climbs and technical trails, and I don’t mind being a long way from my trailer. Nonetheless, I was eagerly looking forward to the ride… up until after my pre-ride.
Above: Our pre-ride. River and I did an easy 5.05 miles in an hour and 15 minutes (623′ ascent). I set off cross country along ridges and cutting between cattle roads, knowing I wouldn’t be able to do that the next day. It was a very windy but pretty afternoon.
My brand new lack of motivation
Despite having a very enjoyable pre-ride, I just didn’t feel motivated as I got things ready for the next day, waiting for the ride meeting to start at six. This was a first for me. Oh, I am often unenthusiastic about very hot or very cold weather. But I have always been eager to ride.
Not this time. I felt tired and completely uninspired. If I hadn’t thought it vital for River’s conditioning to do the 50 miles, I might have switched to the LD. I did the bare minimum of preparation, and then opened a beer and sat down with my novel. (OK, it was an iPad with a digital book…) I am enjoying the book (it’s fantasy, the third book in Brandon Sanderson’s Stormlight series, pure brain candy), but… I didn’t even finish half of my beer!
Clearly, something wasn’t working properly in my head!
Why the new lack of motivation?
It certainly wasn’t the fact we were going to have to repeat a couple of loops. This went beyond just preferring new views. I felt a sort of general mental malaise, without the physical weakness. Yeah, I had my usual bad hip, sore neck, and a sprained wrist that is taking forever to heal. None of these things ever affects my interest in riding.
Correction: my interest in completing an endurance event was lacking. I wasn’t uninterested in riding.
Argh. I’ve got a lot going on in my life right now, so it was probably just stress. Whatever it was, I didn’t like it. I talked briefly to Nina about it, and she made me feel a bit better. She said it happened to her sometimes too. Lack of motivation loves company as much as misery I suppose.
River’s condition going into the ride
I did wonder if my lack of motivation had to do with River. She has been a difficult horse in a lot of ways. First, she’s a different type of horse than I am used to. She’s generally quiet and rarely wastes energy. She is Not Hot (I love hot horses). This means she has an excruciatingly slow walk (I am trying to speed it up). It means she is content to mosey… unless she’s pointed towards home or ride camp. Then she can be anything from nicely forward to downright naughty.
In the long run, River will be a quiet safe mount. She was very smart in the high sierra. But she’ll never be very exciting to ride. Could that explain my lack of motivation?
If River does have to do with my motivation, it’s more likely due to health or soundness issues. River has had one issue after another, the worst being a pulled pectoral muscle in May 2024, and most recently, her EPM diagnosis. The EPM could definitely explain a lot of the mysterious fluctuating minor lamenesses.
Fortunately, River appears to have recovered completely from EPM. (Read about her treatment.) Yes, the Fall Fiesta ride would be our first 50, but we had done two challenging backcountry rides in the high Sierra in August. (The Golden Trout Wilderness on horseback.) If River had still been symptomatic, we’d probably be at the bottom of a cliff somewhere.
The semester started August 25th, and since then I have only been able to ride on weekends, but River was ready. Yes, she could be fitter, but I thought the Fall Fiesta ride with its four short loops would be an ideal return to endurance distances.
Completing our first 50-mile ride since April
It turns out it was! River and I completed the ride around 5:15, with an entire hour and 45 minutes to spare (that might be our record), in 10th place out of 15 starters. River had met criteria by the time we reached the vetting area every time… At the halfway mark, they couldn’t even hear her pulse. (I stopped riding River with a heartrate monitor a long time ago. Her pulse rarely gets above 150 and plummets as soon as she slows.)
Getting ready
I got up at 5AM to feed River (Enrich and a handful of Purina Active Senior). The ride started at seven; there was plenty of time for my standard breakfast of yerba mate and instant oats. I saddled at 6:30, earlier than I like to, but ever since River tied up (read about River’s mysterious tying up), I make sure to handwalk her 20 minutes before the start.
Above: River after walking around ride camp for 20 minutes and before I climbed into the saddle about five minutes before the start. She was calmly unenthusiastic. (Except about picking up my chair!) This was partly because I lost her carrots. She wasn’t happy to be stretched without them!
Loop 1
River walked calmly out of ride camp with about nine people ahead of us. The rest were close enough behind she could hear them, so it was a mark of her improved training that she did not get excited until we started going downhill towards the road. I didn’t fight with her, but let her trot slowly past Abigail Madden’s pretty grey mule. (I really have mule envy!) They would pass us not long after, as would Nina and Kerrie.
After the initial excitement, River settled down and did very well with horses passing us. Not one kick the entire ride! I let her choose her pace at the trot as much as possible, as long as she was polite. (Polite means no headslinging!) We loped for several short stretches of good trail. Once we had reached the northern part of the loop, River recognized where we’d been on our pre-ride. At that point I had to do more serious negotiating to keep her at a polite trot, but she did very well.
Above: John had told us to look out for an anomaly on the trail. We had all missed the one at Huasna (though I took a picture of it). This one was unmistakable! As I understand it, the Queen Mary is named for one of the owners and managers of the ranch.
Stats?
I used Ride with GPS to record, and it was a disaster. I speculate that it may be because John appears to have recorded the trail starting at the bottom (southern end) rather than at ride camp. Whatever it was, it was incorrect. It didn’t even get the date correct! It says we started October 3rd (the day before) and rode 14.5 miles with 1,522′ total elevation gain. The only thing I believe the app got right was duration: two hours eight minutes sounds about right!
Above: About halfway through Loop 1, just after 8AM. The morning was crisp and clear with gorgeous views.
Loop 2
River’s pulse was almost undetectable, and I let her drink and stick her head in all the water buckets. Then I stopped by the trailer and let her eat while I changed hydration packs before starting Loop 2 at 9:13AM.
River did very well on the second loop. She moved out willingly, following or leading as we leapfrogged with other riders. Again, I let her rate herself, as she was calm enough to do so responsibly.
This time Ride with GPS worked well. You can see our track in the image above; we completed the 11 miles in a total of one hour 55 minutes. River’s pulse being taken at 11:12, our out-time was 12:12.
Above: Chicken of the woods growing in an oak. John had told me to be on the lookout! The huge fungus was easy to spot!
The hold
I rinsed the sweat off of River’s neck, chest, and legs, then tied her to the trailer with mash and hay. Then I proceeded to eat the other half of my Subway sandwich and a lot of shrimp, accompanied by half a jar of Tart cherry Juice and a beer. At 12:05 I adjusted the saddle and my brain, put my helmet and hydration pack on, grabbed River’s bridle, and headed back to the vetting area. I let River splash in the water troughs before bridling, while I used the porta-potty. We headed out after some chit chat at exactly 12:12.
Loop 3
After a morning of excellent behavior, River’s good-girl rations were nearly used up by the third loop. Unfortunately she wasn’t tired enough to be obedient against her better (sic) judgment. She recognized the trail immediately, and every time we turned toward camp, she’d speed up and power trot. Every time we passed what she thought might be a short cut, she’d try to zoom off in that direction.
Above: Nina trying to help Kerrie with her hydration pack against a beautiful backdrop. (I did wonder what they were doing; later I learned Kerrie’s hydration bladder had split along its seams.)
I was trying to ride behind Kerrie and Nina, but I soon decided to let River pass them so as not to bother Kerrie’s Magnet, who doesn’t need extra stimuli. I tried not to fight with River. I knew she would slow down before overdoing it. Well I hoped so anyway!
She did calm down, and we walked a good distance. It was getting warm and I had no desire to sweat more than necessary. After my lack of motivation, I was proud just to be finishing 50 miles!
By the time Nina and Kerrie caught up with us again, River was nice about letting them pass. As usual I dismounted about a half mile out from Ride Camp and led her in. As usual, River’s pulse was almost imperceptible by the time I got to the vetting area. I believe I should reconsider getting off and leading in.
Some stats
This time I used STRAVA to record my track. According to STRAVA, River and I completed 13.23 miles in two hours and twenty minutes (2:14:12 moving time; average speed 5.9 mph), with 1,305 ‘ total elevation gain. Despite River’s impatience, we still went 12 minutes slower than the first time. It was warmer, in the low 80s. Though still a pleasant fall afternoon, I made sure to walk River in the shade.
Above: My track on STRAVA. I have the app set not to record the beginning or end of my tracks (for privacy when at home), but I did remember to start as we left Ride Camp and stopped it not too long after getting back!
Loop 4
We had a 20-minute hold between Loops 3 and 4. I took River back to the trail even though it added time and walking. She had some hay (with options of mash but she wasn’t interested). I had more tart cherry juice and a few shrimp. We were back out at 2:57PM.
This time River was much better behaved. I ended up riding with Nina and Kerrie for nearly five miles, which is the most I’ve ever been able to accompany others with River… Not counting Heidi Helly and her horse OP, with whom we’ve completed entire 50s. I also rode much of the LD on Day 2 of Fire Mountain this year with Kerrie and Donna, but River was not restful then! She was constantly thinking about kicking other horses. On Loop 4 of the Fall Fiesta, River was experienced enough, trained enough, and tired enough to be a pleasure to ride, accompanied, for a long time. She is improving!
At the end, I once again dismounted about half a mile out while Nina and Kerrie went on ahead. River’s pulse was below 50 when we got in. Next time I will ride all the way to the finish!
Some stats
Again, I used STRAVA to record our ride. The app recorded 11.15 miles in two hours, 19 minutes (2:10:30 moving time, 5.1 mph average speed), with 1,273′ total ascent. This time when I got off to lead River, we walked with Nina and Kerrie, so it was a bit slower than I otherwise would have gone. (I jog with River.)
Aftermath
River finished the ride sound, and I had noticed no gait abnormalities the entire time. I hosed her off after the finish and checked carefully for soreness or wounds. The only issue was some tenderness over her topline that I got rid of by adjusting her back.
River was cheerful once the saddle was off, and she ate hay, feed, and oats well. She was not interested in her mash. (Again, not having carrots was a problem!)
My lack of motivation had disappeared during the ride, but by the time I was leading River into the finish, it had returned. I had entered the LD on Sunday, because I could have ridden it and still got home before dark. During the last mile of Loop 4, I was making lists of everything I had to do when I got home and thinking that I had already done both loops twice. By the time I went to bed, I had decided I wasn’t going to ride the next day.
The next morning
I was sore the next morning, and this reinforced my decision. Besides, I figured it I was sore, River would be too! She trotted out surprisingly well when I tested during our leisurely stroll around ride camp after breakfast. However, when I was chatting with Donna, I happened to look down and notice her left front pastern was a bit thicker than usual.
Above: Right or top, River’s lower right foreleg. Left or bottom, her left fore. It’s difficult to see in the pictures, but her left pastern is slightly swollen, only on the sides.
Her right pastern seemed fine. In the past, she has exhibited swelling in both front pasterns. In fact, all four of entire legs would stock up from foot to knee whenever she was in a smallish area, even without work. This isn’t happening anymore. I have seen both pasterns thickened occasionally after hard work.
Eventually, I’ll need to have my vet ultrasound her. After the Fall Fiesta ride, the swelling was down by Monday morning. This has been the usual pattern. Unfortunately, this means I’ll need to make an appointment the day after a ride, which isn’t going to happen during the semester.
What next?
In the meantime, I’ll continue my current regimen. I gave River last weekend off, and will ride this coming weekend. My plan is to do back-to-back 50s at Sesenta Años. I’ll incorporate icing River’s front legs up to the fetlocks at holds and completion. I hypothesize that the swelling is an acute reaction to stress, and ice will help with that.
Beyond Sesenta Años, I’m planning for the Fossil Falls ride, and then Fire Mountain, always depending on how River evolves. I don’t expect that the pastern swelling will be anything serious, but I’d like to have my vet look at it after a ride. That should be possible after Fossil Falls!
Above: Following riders at the new Fall Fiesta endurance ride. River and I did a lot of good brain training, following, passing, being passed, and moving away from other riders. Below you can see us following Nina and Kerrie!