WordPlay

By Patty Wilber

I have been looking for data on vaccine efficacy and longevity of immunity for  tetanus, West Nile virus, rabies, eastern and western equine encephalitis and equine herpes virus (rhino), so that I could make better informed vaccination decisions for my horses. Turns out there is not very much in the way data detailing the length of immunity produced by the vaccines.

Tetanus.  This is caused by toxins produced by the bacterium Clostridium tetani, an organism is found in the soil, horse intestines, fecal matter.  It is every where!  It can cause the disease when it enters a wound (even a really tiny insignificant wound).  Uninoculated  horses infected with this organism have a 75-80% death rate, and should they survive, recovery can be long.

The toxin that causes the problem is called tetanospasmin and it is one of the most potent toxins known.  In humans only 2.5 ng (that is a billionth of a gram)/ Kg body mass can cause death, although only about 20-30% of people that are infected die.

CDC graph of tetanus cases in the U.S.

Human cases have steadily declined since the 1900′s due to better wound care followed by a vaccine that was introduced in the 1940′s. Almost all cases seen now are in the uninoculated or those who have gone more than 10 years since a booster. (When was my last booster?! Ahh!)

The American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) page on tetanus cites a study showing that protection against the tetanus toxin in horses remained high for six months after vaccination, but says longer term studies do not exist!

What?  Really? Then how do we know how often to vaccinate if there is no data? Cuz the vaccine maker said so? Seems like the fox might be guarding our chicken house full of $ we need to spend on vaccines.

A 1979 study I found from Europe indicated immunity to the tetanus toxin could persist for 128 months and with a booster, for an additional three and half years.  BUT that was not using the vaccines commercially available  in the U.S.

Zoetis (formerly known as Pfizer) markets a vaccine in New Zealand and Australia called Equivac-t that has the following recommended schedule: 1st shot, second shot in four weeks, third shot in one year, and then vaccinate every five years. I suppose this vaccine has not been approved for use in the U.S. by the USDA?

In the U.S. the AAEP recommends yearly boosters for tetanus. There are tests (or at least one I found) you can purchase to measure tetanus titer levels in horses, so that could be one way to see if you really need to boost your horse yearly. You might have to order from Germany…

It’d be kind of nice if there was titer data somewhere easily accessible!

West Nile Virus.  In New Mexico in 2012 there were 46 human cases of WNV, 10 veterinary cases (most likely horses as 96% of non- human mammal cases are horses), and 20  mosquito samples tested positive.

Veterinary Cases of WNV, New Mexico, 2012

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Human Cases of WNV, NM, 2012

Positive Mosquito samples, WNV, NM 2012

These maps are from The USGS disease maps site.  Very cool.

In WNV challenge infections of unvaccinated horses, 90% became infected, 40% developed clinic signs of disease and 10% of those died.  Thus, 3.6 % of uninoculated horses might be expected to bite it if they got infected.  Forty percent would need treatment.  (Read $$$$)

As far as the fox guarding the chicken coop goes, Zoetis says,“Efficacy of the West Nile fraction was demonstrated in horses that received two doses of the vaccine and were challenged one year post-vaccination with WNV. The vaccine protected 95% of the vaccinates against infection, while 82% of the controls were viremic.” In other words, the vaccine worked at one year post inoculation.  Data! Yay!

Rabies.  I kind of lied about Rabies. Although not common in horses (because most dogs are vaccinated and many horses  are too–thus protecting the unimmunized–herd immunity!!), if contracted, rabies is 100% fatal.  The vaccine works, and the recommended vaccination rate is once every three years according to Albuquerque Equine.  The balance between cost, protection and possible side effects seems skewed to “JUST DO IT”, so I did not look for any additional information.  

Eastern and Western Equine Encephalitis

Eastern Equine Encephalitis does not, and apparently has never, occurred in NM, but there were numerous veterinary cases (pink on this 2012 USGS map), as well as human and mosquito cases (not shown) East. (Yellow show states where it has historically occurred and white shows areas where it does not occur)

I also looked at maps for Western Equine Encephalitis back to 2007 and there were were no human, veterinary or mosquito cases in 2011 or 2012, but there were positive mosquito samples in California and Nevada in each of the other years. According to the AAEP, WEE has not caused many problems in horses for nearly two decades, but mosquitoes are still testing positive (as evidenced by the USGS maps).  In addition, the virus does mutate so new strains may develop, necessitating new vaccination.  The recommended dosage is once per year (after the initial series).

Equine Influenza.  According to the AAEP, 100% of naive horses exposed to the flu will get it, and it will spread rapidly. Horses aged one to five are most susceptible.  The intranasal vaccine provides protection for up to one year although it is only rated by the manufacturer for six months.

The horse immune system (well human, mouse–all of them) is an amazing and complex system!  In the case of flu, it turns out the intranasal vaccine may be the best because not only does it promote the production of antibodies that circulate in the blood, but also antibodies that line the mucosa–just the spot where this virus likes to find and enter the cells it infects.

According to Wikipedia, horses competing in FEI events in Europe must be vaccinated every six months and have a card to prove it.

Geez, now I think I should go intranasal on this one! Maybe I’ll throw in a tube worming at the same time for good measure because the vet would have to do the intranasal flu thing.  Or maybe not…it does not look too hard! And maybe I could order it on line.

Rhino (or Equine Herpes Virus 1).  This is a DNA virus and once the horse is infected, in 80% of cases, the virus will embed in the DNA of some cells and lay dormant.  Thus, it can be a  life long infection. Unfortunately, even when infected naturally and embedded, immunity in horses seems short-lived (3 months).

This virus is everywhere horses are though, and on the plus side, according the AAEP, mature horses have been repeatedly infected and this bolsters their immune response, so they do not usually develop serious disease.

Chicken pox in humans is also a herpes virus and it also embeds in our DNA, sometimes reappearing as shingles later in life.  EHV does not reappear as shingles in horses, thank-goodness–after all EHV is a respiratory virus (Ok there are some brain-releated cases) whereas chicken pox likes to embed in neurons of the peripheral (not brain or spinal cord) nervous system.

Horses under two are most prone to EHV infection and according to most sources I read, vaccination doesn’t produce strong immunity and doesn’t do a very good job at controlling either the respiratory or the neurological disease.  More than one source recommended eliminating this vaccine.

Here is an except from the Veterinary Extension Service in South Dakota, May 2011. “Not all vaccines have published data supporting efficacy, and studies on the same vaccine sometimes have produced inconsistent results.The ubiquitous nature of the virus and propensity for the virus to become latent makes it difficult to study groups of animals that are similar immunologically. A recent review of EHV vaccines was unable to draw any conclusions about vaccine efficacy.” 

The article goes on to say that the vaccines do seem to work, right after saying they didn’t, though…

On the other hand, newer vaccines for EHV are being developed that may end up being really great! And of course (**disclaimer disclaimer**), I am not the source you should consult for vaccination decisions!  Talk to your vet!

So, finding all this out was rather time consuming!  But kind of interesting too.  Now I can go buy my vaccines, and at least have reasons!

by Doranna

Ahh, yes.  April weather. 

Actually, this whole winter has been like this.  Achingly little precipitation of any kind, and going into what they’re calling a neutral year.  No La Niña, no El Niño.

When we do get wet stuff, it’s invariably somehow on those days of “zero percent chance of precipitation.”  And then it’s just a tease–a taste of what it might be like if it actually snowed.  Meanwhile the temps are all over the place, from hot to cold and back again.

Last night, the wood stove was going full blast.  The night before, I had the bedroom windows open…  Today, I freely admit to be hiding from the cold day and the cold wind, when my body was getting used to spring.   I haven’t, in any recent days (and also thanks to copyedits), managed to saddle Duncan up and ride.

This does not please him.

And snow in mid-April?

No.  DuncanHorse is not pleased.  No one, he says, consulted him.

by Doranna

I swear I would have.

Actually, it’s my own self-imposed deadline for the first draft of LYNX REVEALED, so no one’s wringing their hands or cursing over me.

I’ve already made word count, and I’m days away from meeting and beating my Friday deadline–which was generated with the knowledge of how long it should take me vs. polishing the results vs. other working obligations.

Part of being a self-employed writer is knowing how to juggle all these things, and that means such deadlines–even self-imposed–really do matter.

And then, lo…copyedits.

These are for CLAIMED BY THE DEMON, so I’m really excited to see that book making its way toward the shelves.  But…they’re short-turnaround (I should have two business weeks; these are due in four business days after receipt).  And I had no notice, so…I had other work scheduled.  Other appointments.  ‘N stuff.

A view of the CE process, thanks to Word(spit) and very much thanks to Mouse Without Borders

Let’s not talk about taxes.

Well, I wrangled a few more days to get it done, but basically everything I take for CEs will be taken away from my time to do proofs.  Yay.  So for several days, I’ve tried to do both first draft and CEs–much to the detriment of my health, my cognitive ability, and my other obligations.

Today, I’m giving up.   LYNX REVEALED will have to wait.

Let’s not talk about how the muse feels about this.  (Hint: temper tantrums.  Mourning.  That sensation of being riiiipped away from immersion in the home stretch of the story.)

Deadlines, even self-imposed ones, are important to me.  This one was especially so–after years of household transitions and relocation, I’ve finally found a writing routine that works for me.  In winter, anyway–I’m not sure how it’ll turn out for summer, when the heat dictates the timing of other activities.

After years of writing at night, with a natural window of between 10pm and 4am (not kidding, though I haven’t allowed myself that one for a while), I’m now writing the very first thing in an early day.  It still kind of boggles me.  But it’s working, and I’m racking up words the way I used to before all the transitions, and it was…

REALLY REALLY IMPORTANT to me to make this deadline.

A view of the LYNX REVEALED workspace about 10K words ago… “Come back–! Come back to me!” Can’t you hear it?

I coulda done it.  I swear.

By Patty Wilber

It is SPRING!   Has been for a while. (I suppose everyone knew this already!)

The days are getting warmer. Well, some days.

Here is how THAT works in NM in spring:

Monday, 80F in the afternoon.  The hair is coming off the horses in clouds and they sweat whenever I make them do anything over a slow jog.

(The whole shedding thing is fun!  Toots is losing her long white winter hair and becoming more mottled.  LT is dropping her pale  winter coat so her spots and gold summer hair are showing.  Lacey is chucking her very dark winter attire and right now her gold-toned summer coat is showing through in bizarre patches. One year I am going to take one pic/month to show the color changes of these girls–better do that soon as I must eventually sell two of them–at least that was The Plan!)

Tuesday:  Cooler, and LOTS of wind and then SNOW.

Wednesday, 23F in the morning and  more snow.  The horses are all cold because their hair fell off Monday.

Thursday, 60F by the afternoon and the horses are covered in mud because they rolled while there was still damp ground to roll on.  Why do they do this? It just makes more work when I have to get ready to ride!

******************

We got to Spring ahead.

I was doing a lot of cooking while I was trapped indoors by the pesky setting of the sun (and I was really enjoying it, too.) Not any more though.  Am at the barn.

All that extra day light at the end of the day is a good thing because now that it is warm, people are thinking about getting back to riding and business has picked up to the point where I am… over extended.  Surprise, surprise.

Just last month I was whining to another East Mountain trainer that I might not have ANY outside horses in the barn.  Be careful what you worry about.

Now I have got three outside horses and three of my own to ride.  And two more probably coming at the end of the month.

These three outside horses are all over 16 hands in height while my three are barely breaking 14 hands, so it is quite the contrast!

*********************

Spring means spring shots. 

I recently read an article suggesting that we tend to over-vaccinate dogs, and that research has indicated that the normal series of puppy shots might be enough for the dog for eight or more years.

So, I did a very little bit of research on horse vaccines and the diseases for which I vaccinate.  Not enough to make any decisions yet…

But I found: Over vaccination can result in decreased immune system function.

Horses are weirder than humans, immune system-wise.  Humans can form very long term immunity to various diseases for which we have been vaccinated, but horse’s produce immunity which may last only a year.

Horses produce antibodies just as we do, using the humoral immune system, but another branch, the cellular immune system, may have a bigger role in horses than in humans.

Vet’s often like the frequent vaccination schedule because it can cause people to visit the vet and thus keep up with other health needs of their animals.

Some of the things I vaccinate for are mosquito borne  and pretty unlikely to occur to my horses.  What are the odds I want to play?

Vaccinating older horses might not be necessary…

In humans, if about 80% of the population is vaccinated for a particular disease, the illness is unlikely to break out because there are very few “naive” or susceptible hosts to infect.  In effect, the unvaccinated free-loaders are protected by those that are vaccinated.  This is called “herd immunity”.  It applies to horses, too.  So, if I failed to vaccinate, would I be putting other peoples horses at risk?

These and other questions remain incompletely answered.  Guess I better make a decision soon though, before “spring shots” become “summer shots.”

*******************

The first Spring buckskin point show is coming up this weekend. Toots is semi-ready to show but I might toss LT into a thing or two, too.  Both these girls are reiner/cowhorse types, so we are sticking to the Saturday events for this show:  Ranch trail, ranch pleasure, reining (we are not ready for cow competition yet…bummer).  But, I am still planning to push cows home for those in the cattle events if they need me (and if LT–and maybe Lacey–) can handle it. Toots can!

With the extra paying guests, my girls get fewer rides per week, at least until the semester ends at the start of May. This is ok for level-headed Toots.  It is not so ok for my Fizz Kid, LT.  LT is super busy minded and without a really regular schedule, her sessions can be a little bit less than satisfactory.

Lacey is packing this summer, so if she never makes the show ring, this season, oh well, she still has a job.

Next Spring will be fine.

by Doranna

You may or may not have seen discussion of the recent hooded man phenomenon…there’s been some conversation.  Like here.  And here.  And just try googling “hooded man book covers” in Google images!

Well, now I have one of my very own.  Though I just want to say, it’s not my fault.

I swear, nowhere along the line did I suggest that Devin should wear some sort of…

Sweater-hoodie?

With a spiffy black stripe down the center?  And is that a…zipper?

Don’t worry.  He doesn’t wear it in the book.  In the book, he’s rocking a leather jacket.  One that fits him, even.

And he’s rocking a demon blade, too, which makes everything more interesting than it really probably ought to be (which as far as my muse is concerned, is exactly how it ought to be).

But hey!  In years hence, I can say I was part of the great Hooded Man Craze Phenomenon!  And hey, when push comes to shove, Natalie and Devin look like they’re facing something just a little bit bigger than they are…and they’re facing it together.  Works for me!

TAMING THE DEMON

Miniseries: Demon Blade
Harlequin Nocturne (#160)
May 7, 2013
ISBN-10: 0373885709
ISBN-13: 9780373885701

PRE-ORDER PRINT: Harlequin | Amazon
Barnes & Noble | Books-A-Million
IndieBound | The Book Depository
PRE-ORDER EBOOK: Kindle | Nook

Their passion threatens her life and his tortured soul…

Devin James wields a demon blade. Or does the demon blade wield him? The bond between man and steel is soul deep, the source of Devin’s power and an ever-present torment. Struggling against the evil forged within the blade, Devin patrols the dark streets of Albuquerque, searching for innocents to rescue. That’s how he finds Natalie Chambers….

Natalie is sure that helping Devin is another in a long series of very bad decisions, but she can’t abandon the man who saved her life—a man who believes that the demon blade might turn him into a monster. She is powerless to resist their fierce attraction.

But love is their only chance at salvation. Can they now find the faith to take that chance? And can they keep the demon blade from the man who would destroy them both?

by Doranna

Yup, the new comment system is up and running, with all the old comments back in place.  I still have to tweedle and tweak things around, but I’m already having fun with it and I hope so are you!

Agility trialing in New Mexico generally means dealing with at least three seasons, usually all in the same day.  When I show up at the trial site, it’s with a full complement of winter gloves, coat, and hats over sweats…at least two different pairs of shoes…sweats, several lightweight layering jackets, and–of course–shorts.  And, oh–baseball cap, shade hat, and sun block, plus cooling coats for the dogs and the $5 Home Depot garden sprayer of water.

This past weekend, I used them all.  Typical!  But nothing got too extreme–if you don’t count the moment the microburst charged through the trial, prompting the dreaded warning–”Grab your shelters!!”–and we all dove for the shelters as the wind tumbled through, taking out a series of shade shelters along the way (and prompting many of the rest of us to pull the canopies off).

Still, this weekend the permutations stayed relatively mild (as opposed to 20F or 60mph winds), and although Dart and I experienced some so-sad almost Qs (tear hair, rip clothing, wail), in general we had a really good weekend.  Which we all really needed, so there you are.

Plus, we took pictures.

In the end it was Dart’s best weekend so far, with four of six Qs earned, a completed Excellent Standard title (finally!), and a completed Masters Jumper title.  Good boy!

Plus, did I mention…we took pictures?

In which Dart demonstrates that he has no issues with core strength

I like this one just for the little Beagle butt disappearing around the inside curve of the tunnel…

And this one for his speed up the A-frame!

A moment at the start line.  Good boy.

Some WHEE! at the end of the course…

I love this shot (well, of the dog, ahem) because it’s everything I want to see in him–drive, a beautiful slice, and the obvious understanding of the handling–not just the rear cross, but the 180 degree jump pattern to follow.

Love him in this one, too–driving for the finish.  (The hand is compensating for a funky angle on the final jump.  Or at least, that’s what it’s supposed to be doing.  He made it, anyway!)

by Doranna

You may have noticed that things look different around here.  Not vastly different, but if you head to make a comment, you’ll see what I mean.

New!  Cool!  Exciting features!  You can respond to someone specific in a thread! Share the page super-easily!  Get replies in email super-easily!  (Yes, I have a surplus of exclamation points on my hands today.)

You might also notice that all the previous comments are missing.  No fears!  They’re all still here, behind the scenes; they’re just not currently showing.  Or they weren’t when I wrote this.  I did put a process into motion that’s supposed to make them show up.

We Shall See.

Meanwhile, here’s a little something for your Saturday while I’m off running agility with Dart, and Connery is wishing he was running, too.  A couple of the reasons the boys are rarely inside while I’m writing…

By Patty Wilber

Last year about this time we went to California to try bungee jumping (see Bungee!!).

(Not my idea.)

It was wet!

It was windy!

The jumping was cancelled–for the first time ever.

(I was not very sad.)

So, we got a free upgrade–an extra jump–yippee.

(Or, Not yippee.)

We rescheduled for September.

Thick smoke rises Sunday (Sept. 2, 2012) from the hills above the San Gabriel Mountains in the Angeles National Forest near Los Angeles

There was a fire.

They cancelled.  For the second time ever. Darn.

(Or not.)

I figured two cancellations was a sign that bungee jumping was something I should not endeavor to do.

I have never thought jumping off much of anything was all that great.  I have trouble leaving dry land for water only a few feet down.  But I seem to be related to a gob of adrenaline junkies.

In 2010 they all went solo sky diving, from 10,000 feet  “You have fun!,” I said.  “Not gonna watch you all plummet to your demise.”

Of course, they survived and “It was GREAT!”

So much fun! (for them)

Other parties  took those two cancellations as a challenge.  “Bungee Jumping Gods, game on!”

So, we re-rescheduled. Ok, I went along, but if there was any hint of a plague of locusts, frogs falling from the sky or earthquake, I reserved the right to be done with bungee jumping, Forever.

Or course! The weather was perfect.  So we, and the gazillion other people signed up for this insanity  hiked  the five miles to the Bridge to Nowhere prepared, nay, EXCITED to jump.

(Except me.  I was in denial.)

The party members looking forward to the day. Erika, Mark, Maegan, Jim

 The hike seemed markedly easier this time– my little (10 minutes a day of cardio or stretching) fitness program seems to be paying off!  Hiking under a clear sky, without the threat of landslide was also a plus!

 

In no time at all, we were there!

The bridge, from below.

Progeny #1 was born ready.  She volunteered to go first.  Out of everyone.

Almost ready!

No hesitation and off she went. I held on to the bridge.

Progeny #2 thought it was fine, too.

Where’s the floor? (Photo by Erika!)

He looks like he is having fun! (Photo by Erika)

Jim, between jumps. (They all did four!) He is having fun, too. Odd.

Erika CLAIMED she was unsure, then she stepped up there and rocked it. Four times. I am so out of my league.

I waited in line–toward the end of the line–but I didn’t feel particularly nervous–denial still.

When I put on the harness, my stomach got a little hollow.

The Bungee Guy said, “You have three jumps, which will you do?” He was awfully cheery.

Me:  “&%##.  Just gonna try to do one.” Kind of a conversation killer.

Hesitated before climbing over the wall to the itsy bitsy jump off platform. So, Bungee Guy had me practice–jumped backwards off the curb.  Awkwardly.  Did not make me feel better.

Went over the rail to the platform.  “This was a &%##ing stupid idea.” I told Bungee Guy.  To his credit, he said nothing.  Then he did the count down.

5,4,3,2,1 BUNGEE!

I didn’t even move.  NO intention of leaving the platform.  Really considering grabbing Bungee Guy around the neck and making him drag me back to safety.

Bungee Guy took a deep breath and said, “Do you want to do this?”

I nodded.  “Gonna to do it.”  I still didn’t WANT to, but I had fans.  What kind of idiot bungee jumps because they don’t want to bungee jump?  Apparently, that was intriguing.

Bungee Guy said, “look at me and bend your knees.”  He started counting…I closed my eyes and…

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! (photo by Erika)

No one else in my group went hoarse on their jumps.

Screamed all the way down.

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH (photo by Maegan)

Then I shot back up (it is a giant bungee after all). More screaming.  I have no pride. And down. And up.

Stop already!

Caught the cable and got winched back up.

I might look happy here–and I am. But we are not talking Joy of the Jump. We are talking, “I am not dead!” My hands were shaking–adrenaline rush.

How was it?

Well, they asked….

IT SUCKED!

(But I got it done.)

Once.  That was enough.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

by Doranna

It never does get any easier.

But sometimes, it goes as well as it can.

This shouldn’t have surprised me, Belle being who and what she’s always been–utterly focused on being perfect.

In the middle of March, I learned of Belle’s illness and wrote her a bucket list blog.  What I didn’t anticipate was how well she’d respond to the new management.

At the time I wrote the blog, I thought we’d have a week with her–the changes had been coming so quickly even between the time of calling to make her vet appointment and taking her in, it seemed pretty inevitable.

But she did really well on the new mealtime protocol, and even better on the new supplement.  She luxuriated in her new access to the Forbidden Tripping Zones (AKA, “Sleep under mommy’s feet”) and what had been a rising edge of anxiety turned gentle.  She spent her mornings in the spring sun and her afternoons with me in the office.  Evenings she shared with the Beagles here in the office.

Hospice suited her.

It worked for me, too–quiet final days with my best princess girl.  Good days.  The only thing that truly bothered me was that I wasn’t…well, all teary-eyed and stuff.  Instead I kept smiling at her, and absorbing her presence, and enjoying her.  Didn’t seem quite right.

In the end, we got two weeks.  Each day presented subtle new changes, but nothing she found distressing.  First she stopped losing weight, and then she gained back what she’d lost in the first place.  For a couple of days, she seemed to be holding ground.  But really, she wasn’t.  And then there came a day when I knew it was close, and the next day I ambled out into the kitchen to feed her breakfast and she looked at me from her crate, and I burst into all the tears I’d been hiding.

So I knew, in the way that the heart does. 

After that I had to pull apart the pieces of the decision and second guess myself, but it turned out that everything still fit together, and after a morning of kisses from family and a chance to sleep out in the sun with her boy Beagles one more time, Belle’s Auntie Vet came to visit us and Belle quickly and quietly slipped away.

Good girl, BelleBelle.  Still perfect, after all that.

One last sunny snooze. Might not get any better than that.

By Patty Wilber

I have always wanted to do an endurance ride, and now thanks to JD and Marcia, I have!

Endurance rides are races (on horse back!) over long distance (25, 50, 75,  and 100 milers are the common distances).  There are mandatory vet checks and “holds” (required rest periods) to help ensure safe conditions for the horse.

The most popular breed for this kind of event is the Arabian.  They are metabolically well suited for long distance, having the flat endurance type muscle fiber rather than the bulky sprint sort.

Endurance Arabian

Racing Quarter Horse

I think you can see the difference in the two bodies–the leaner Arabian and the blockier quarter horse–built for explosive short-distance races (Uh, say, a quarter mile!).

Marcia enjoys endurance rides and wanted me to bring her horse JD, so what the heck!  I said, “Sure!”

Marcia and "I am a Paint not an Arab" Top.

JD is big (over 16 hands–I swear I am going to measure him one day) and he is not lean muscled at all, so I was kind of worried about trying to do a long distance race  on him, but Marcia assured me that we were not going to race to win. (What? We are not going to try to win??!)  No. We were just going to meet the minimum required pace of five miles per hour, and see some new country while having a marked trail with water provided and all the trappings of an organized event–such as a place to camp.

And we would only have to “endure” 25 (well the course was a bit short, so more like 22) miles, (but other riders went 50 or 75 miles. Yow.)

J- I am also a Paint (yes really) not an Arab-D!

 Luxury!  Marcia hauled the horses there on Friday and I showed up on Saturday afternoon to prepare for our ride on Sunday. Marcia provided all the food and paid me, too. I think JD needs to be in training with me for about two more years.  Just sayin’.

When I arrived on Saturday afternoon, the wind was blowing in gusts of 60? miles per hour and the camper felt like a boat on rough seas.  I thought I might have to take a Dramamine to make it through the night!

Looking East, away from camp.

People still competed in this wind, but we hunkered down inside, hoping Sunday would be better. (It was-lots!)

Yes, that is blowing dirt, not just a really bad photo.

Ok, so I messed with the color some, but that tail is due to the wind. Some folks rode 75 miles in that gale. Impressive.

Here’s how it worked for me.

Vet check on Saturday.  He recorded JD’s pulse, respiration, gut sounds, and made us trot around some cones to check for signs of lameness.  He checked other things too, but I forgot to look at that sheet, so don’t actually know what all was measured! The vet wrote JD’s number on his hip.

The vet commented on JD’s size.  He was easily the biggest horse there.  JD, Top and Tabooli (yes! Tabooli, now known in some circles as Christopher Robin because…drat…I forget…but there is some literary reason…that now we may never know…) were the only stock-type horses (ok non-Arabs) I saw except for two mules.

T (um, CR) and his mom! He cut his foot during the first half of the ride which is why he has a blue back leg! (A minor cut).

So, we ate dinner Saturday night and went to bed.  Except we didn’t really sleep.  JD was busy bawling his lungs out because Top was on the OTHER SIDE of the trailer, out of sight.  JD had been perfectly happy all day in the wind when Top was 50 yards away but visible.  Some people have barking dogs and some have bawling horses.

Since JD was right next to our camp, we cursed him frequently.

Then he stopped. 

I thought,”ah, silence,” but Marcia found it suspicious, so she went out to check and…Top had escaped. Really.  But apparently JD could see him, so JD was fine with it.

The good news is that when a horse goes off for a mid-night excursion in a camp full of other equines, it is a solid bet that they will not go far.  Top probably had had enough of JD and just wanted  to find some place where he could get some rest! T’s– I mean CR’s– mom located Top with in a few minutes and Top was back at home.

JD stayed quiet (or maybe he just went hoarse) and we got to sleep for a few hours.

The departure time for the 25 mile ride (all 8 of us) was 8 am. So up at 6 to feed the horses and us.

I decided to wear my English gear because the breeches are stretchy and I thought that would be the most comfortable for a long ride. (Got a chapped crotch for my efforts but let’s not go into that…)

My endurance outfit! Layers on the top--Under Armor lime green turtle neck (even though you can't see it), sweatshirt, vest, windbreaker and the winner of the Winter of 2012/2013 Best Thing Ever Invented Contest, the silk balaclava. Breeches, boots and half chaps on the bottom.

The balaclava is a silk hood that I wear on my head oraround my neck instead of a scarf. It is remarkably great--light, comfortable, cuts the wind and keeps my head and ears really warm! A must have!

Half Chaps are like gaiters for horseback riders. They protect the legs from the rubbing on the stirrups and since I wore mine with low boots, I didn't have a boot top rub spot either.

So, we tacked up, got to the starting line on time, and took off.

At a walk.

Pretty soon, though, we started trotting, and because we needed to cover some ground, we did a posting trot, not a soft jog-trot.  We wanted to complete the race in the slowest allowable time, so, like I mentioned before, we needed to cover five miles per hour.  Turns out that is a pretty steady long trot–nothing out of JD’s fitness range, but not dogging it.

We rode down Forest Road 225 to the foothills seen in the distance. There were water tubs set up by the ride organizers along the way for the horses (the dot in the middle of the picture).

The scene of the ride was the Binn’s Ranch between Socorro and Truth or Consequences, and the first part consisted of a 14 mile lollipop shaped route to the west, into the foothills of the San Mateo Mountains. Unfortunately, we had to ride out and back on the same stem of forest road, but the loop portion was on trail and in a really interesting wash.

Down in the arroyo! JD thinks it is pretty cool! Unfortunately, it is hard to take a lot of pictures when you are trotting steadily!

JD handled the trail and the trotting really well.  His two main issues were 1) other horses and 2) Top.

1) Other competitors passed us from behind (the nerve) and came at us head on along the forest road (scary)!  JD then seemed to think maybe we should be with them and was tense until they got out of earshot (JD’s earshot, not mine).

2) JD, had, of course, bonded with Top, so even though JD wanted to lead and he wanted to trot faster than Top, he did not want to get more than about 100 yards ahead.   So, we’d trot off and then when we reached the Designated Distance, JD would just quit!

Truthfully, that was ok, because I was happy to ride with Marcia and Top, too.

We completed the first loop, passed our That is a Big Horse! Vet Check. (Yep–riding 14 miles doesn’t make ‘em shrink!) and hung out for our 45 minute hold.  We pulled the saddles, ate lunch and poof the time was gone! We actually left for the second part (8 miles) a few minutes late!  The starting line guy was aghast!

Only four of the original eight rode out for the second leg.  Christopher Robin had cut his leg so Kate and her riding partner pulled.  Another pair had a horse that fell in the arroyo, so they pulled out, too.

This 8 mile section was balloon-on-a-string shaped, down Forest Road 225 again, but the other way.  Then we looped off to the South and came back. This ride was on more open ground and the views were nice, but I liked the hilly nature of the other loop.

The second loop. JD is still thinking the whole thing is pretty cool! Me too!

 Eight miles seemed so much shorter than 14 and we were back in a flash (about two hours) and off to the vet check!

The vet! The stethoscope gives him away!

JD was not so sure about eating the vet's apple at first! And the vet said, "This is a BIG horse!" (uh huh! still!)

We passed!  JD was definitely tired (plus he had done 25 miles on his own during the night while crying about not being able to see Top!) So, my “fitness program” of riding him for an hour 5-6 days a week, worked.

We broke camp (Marcia has a really sweet set up), loaded up, and headed home, without staying for the awards.

But you know what?  I think we probably tied for 3rd, since 4 of the 8 dropped out!

I’m not at all competitive.