Cooley Ranch Adventure Pt II

Hello everybodies, how are you? Are you ready for the next bit of my adventure story? On Saturday I didn't go pony riding. Cyd came to see me really early in the morning, it was even a bit dark still. There were some ponies getting their things on ready to go do their enduring. I wasn't doing any enduring this weekend, but Cyd was going to go to the vet check to help the people and their ponies. She gave me a sloppy bucket, and made sure I had loads of hay foods in my net, and that my water bucket was full and not dirty. All the vet checks at this enduring ride are 'out checks', which means the ponies don't come back to camp until the end of the race. A whole bunch of volunteers went to help the ponies, make lunches for the riders, hold the ponies while their riders went to pee, help the vets by writing stuff down, and check the pulses of the ponies when they came in to start their exam. I wouldn't get to see a vet check until tomorrow, but apparently it's like a giant pony buffet. The 50 mile ponies came through twice, and the 30 mile ponies just came through once. When everyone had been and gone as many times as they were supposed to, the volunteers tidied up and came back to camp. Cyd came to check on me, and fixed our wobbly divider fence, then went to go help the vets some more while they did the ponies post-ride exams. It is helpful to the vets to have a writing person, but also helpful to Cyd cos for getting to learn tons of stuff. When it seemed like there was a trickle of ponies coming for exams instead of a whole bunch, Cyd asked Vet Dr B if we could maybe bring me over for a pretend exam when no enduring ponies were in line.

Dr B doing my vet exam

We like Dr B cos even though all the vet people are nice, she is very patient with excited squiggly young ponies like me. First we did my Cardiac Recovery Index (CRI). This means my pulse is measured, then I trot a set distance while the stopwatch times one minute, then I stand still for however long of my minute is left. Then my pulse is measured again. My CRI was 60/64 cos for me being all excited.

Doing our trot out, we've been practicing at home

We need to get me to be calm, cos for that not being very good if I was an enduring pony, but lots of us start quite high while we are learning and new. They also watch for other things while I do my trotting, looking at my attitude, how bouncy I'm feeling, and that it doesn't look like I hurt or am limping. I looked great, but apparently Cyd is like a paso fino cos for her running funny. After doing my CRI I have to have my mouth checked to look at my gums. We need to practice this cos for me not liking it and Dr B was very gentle with me, but some of the vets are a bit more enthusiastic.

Why are you in my mouf?

Next Dr B runs her hands over me to check my back doesn't hurt and looks to make sure I don't have any owies. That was okay. After that my belly is listened to for gurgles, to make sure I am digesting my foods. They listen in two different spots on each side. I didn't mind the high up one, but when Dr B went to check the lower bit I swung my back leg out at her. Luckily, I totally missed, but Cyd was super embarrassed and told me off and promised that if any pony of hers ever kicks the vet people that she will definitely buy them dinner! I behaved to have my guts on the other side checked at least. Dr B said it was okay cos for me learning and that I didn't get her and didn't really try to be mean, but if I had bomped her it would be a different story. Now we have to practice lots of people listening to my belly so it doesn't surprise me and make me be bad, otherwise I can't do enduring. Kicking is absolutely not okay and gets you in Big Troubles! After my exam I went to get weighed on the pony scale. The ponies were being measured for a research project, one weight before their enduring, and another one after. Even though I wasn't enduring they let me get weighed. Guess how much? 870lbs! I didn't care about the scale, just followed Cyd right on, then stayed up there by myself while she got off to make my weight accurate. Most of the ponies didn't mind it, but some thought it was super scary. then it was back to my pen to be tucked in for the night.

So lucky to do pony riding here!

The next morning, Cyd came really early again to give us ponies our breakfast and go to the vet check again to measure the pulses. Aunty K said once the big rush of ponies came through, Cyd could come back to camp and take me pony riding. The same as yesterday, the 50 mile ponies go twice, and the 25 mile ponies once. When everyone had gone through the first time, Cyd got to come and get me. We tacked up, then headed out to do Blue Loop Number One, just like the enduring ponies.

Got hills?

We had to go up a really big hill, and it was hot. I started off trying to do it fast, but really quickly realised that that wouldn't work! It took me a really long time to get all the way up, but Cyd said I could take lots of breaks. Then we go down the other side of the really big hill to get to the creek. Once we got to the creek and I got a big drink and Cyd sponged me I was ready to pretend to do enduring. We did my big trot on a loose rein, following the ribbons so we didn't get lost. Sometimes we did some canter on the flat bits, and walked the steep uphills and downhills. I drank from every bit of the creeks, and got a lot of washing. Cyd sponged herself off too cos for her getting hot.

So pretty, and lots of water for drinking and cooling

I ate plenty of snacks when we were stopped too. It's really important that enduring ponies drink and eat a lot during their races, otherwise they run out of steam and can get sick. The trail was so pretty, Cyd had not ridden here before. I had no troubles with my go-faster booties this time, they stayed on no matter what I did. After a while of pony riding we found this sign:

Nearly at a resting point

This helps the pony riders know that it's nearly time for them and their ponies to take a break. Some pony riders get off and loosen their pony's girth and take their bit out, since it helps their pulse come down faster. Usually Cyd does this, but since we were just doing a fun ride she stayed on top. I came in to the vet check and used my big pony voice to announce that I had arrived. Almost all of the ponies had come and gone, so I was allowed to eat as much as I wanted. There was a pony buffet of hay foods and carrots and beet pulp and even watermelons left over from the people. Someone held onto my rope for Cyd to go pee and get a drink and fill her bottles up. Instead of following the blue ribbons, we were just going on the road to go back to camp like we did to start our pony ride on Friday. We took a slight detour on our way out of camp to the creek where Cyd did swimming last time she came here with Aunt-E. I went nearly up to my belly and we both got soaked down cos for their being nowhere to do sponging all the way home. I didn't have much troubles going around the cattle grid this time, and Cyd stayed on my back all the way to the water trough. Today I thought the water trough was really scary, and I managed to break my reins doing spooking. Oopsie!

Hiding in the shade

We stayed there a while in the shade and I did some drinking while Cyd taped up my reins. While we were hanging out there a pony named Fancy Pants (really) and her rider came up. They were not doing too good and the rider felt sick. It was his first enduring ride, and he was very sad. The time they got to the water trough was the time they had to be at the finish line, so now he was overtime as well as sick and sad. His pony was hot and tired too. She got a drink and some water poured on her, and Cyd gave the rider her ice tea from her pack and said we would keep them company back to camp cos for them not looking too good. I was confused that we went a slightly different way to camp, that was longer than my way, but that was the way Fancy Pants had to go. They were happy for company, and the rider kept sipping at the water and tea Cyd gave him so he didn't get more sick. Once we got back and made sure there were people to care of them, me and Cyd went back to my corral to clean me up and get us some water and food. Then it was back to work for Cyd, but it wasn't super busy. Some of the ponies weren't feeling very good even though their riders took good care of them so she went to watch them be taken care of and see if there were things to learn. After I had a few hours to recover, it was time for our things to be packed back in the pony trailer, and us ponies loaded up to go back home. Cyd stayed another night at camp, so the Lady In Red left me where my friends live with my hay foods so I could go home the next day when Cyd got back. I had so much fun on our adventure, and got to learn a ton of things and have some fun pony rides. Thanks to all the peoples who helped for me to be able to go, we are very grateful!