My Enduring Adventure Pt1

Hello everybodies, how are you? I am fabulous, and so very grown up now. I am still a bit brain tired from my adventuring. I have lots of stories for you so there is going to be two parts to my typing. Firstly big thanks to Aunt-E for helping me and Cyd with my adventures!

My adventuring started on Friday morning, when a pony trailer that I never met before showed up outside my house, with Cyd and Aunt-E. They gave me my bucket foods even though it was morning, and I didn't do any pony riding yet. While I ate, they were taking my things like my saddle and my go-faster booties, and Cyd's helmet, out of my shed and putting them in the pony trailer. Then they put my alien mask on, and put me in the pony trailer! I took a few minutes to get in, cos for it being weird, and a narrow gap, and smelling strange, but Cyd led me, and Aunt-E waved her hand behind me, so I got in like a good pony. We drove for a really long time, with one stop to check on me, and got to a warm sunny place called Cuneo Creek. Cyd got me out the trailer, and my eyes got really big with all the looking I had to do in a hurry. We went for a lap of the campground, and found a rolly pit for itchy ponies, and super scary water tanks that I couldn't drink out of yet, and saw some of Cyd's friend people so we said hi. Someone had saved a corral for me, so I got put in there, with my halter wrapped around the gate and buckled tight so I couldn't set myself free, and my water bucket and my hayfoods. I got right down to eating, like a good enduring pony should, while Cyd went to go get us checked in, and find Aunt-E's rent-a-pony. Once we were all set to go, I got my saddle and my bridle, and my front booties for safeties, and we set off to meet Rushcreek Nicky, who was to be my new best friend for the weekend. Even though she is a girl pony, she was never grumpy with me, and she is very smart at enduring, having done over 3000 competition miles. Today's task was just to go for a short pony ride for Aunt-E to get acquainted with Nickypony, and for the peoples to check all of our gears was ready and set just right.

Aunt-E and Nickypony

I did going in the front, and in the back, and we did walking, trottings, and some canters. I did a bit of stopping but Aunt-E was patient while me and Cyd discussed the appropriate behavings of a nearly grown up enduring pony. After pony riding, it was time for our first vet check. This was my biggest disaster of the weekend. I was good for being touched all over and my pulse check (though it was still 50bpm cos She Was Touching Me!).

Um, she's touching me...

Then we do trottings to check I'm not hurt. Total fail! I didn't want to go, so a nice volunteer did a bit of running behind me and I was not a fan. Then I had to do it again cos for being so bad, and I tried to bite Cyd. Everyone laughed at me and said we have some big learnings to do and Cyd was embarrassed cos for us practicing so much at home!

Not Good Behavings!!!

Even though I was bad, I got all A's for my check, which is good. I was ready to go! Cyd put me in my pen with some mush, and went to dinner to learn all the things we needed to know for our Big Ride.

First red, then black/white

We all woke up early ready to go pony riding. The ponies going 50 miles went an hour before us, so they were getting ready while I was just eating my breakfast. I stayed calm; Cyd took this opportunity to put my booties on securely. After the peoples had their breakfast, it was time to get our saddles on. Me and Nicky went the wrong way away from the start, cos for the peoples not wanting me to get all amped up with the other excited ponies. There was another pony who wanted to start late, and the peoples went back and forth on who got to start last. Cyd got on me while they were discussing and I had a small hop but then was mostly calm. The other lady agreed to go in front of us as long as we stayed way back from her, which is exactly what Cyd and Aunt-E wanted to do anyways. We didn't see her all day so it was perfect! There were also two sweep ponies, so they were told about me being a baby and to please give us some room and thank you for being helpful. Then we were off! Just walking to keep things calm and let us ponies warm up our muscles thoroughly. We took turns being the lead pony, and did some walking and some trotting. A couple of times I could see the sweep ponies down the hill from us, but other than doing looking I was really very good.

This wet patch was scary

After a few miles the vet was waiting to watch us do trottings to make sure all the ponies were doing okay once they were warmed up. She said we look great, so on we went for our long loopy of about a bajillion miles. Mostly we had to go up. Me and Nicky took turns being the leader, trotting the flatter bits and walking the steep ups so we didn't get tired too soon. We ate a few grass snacks and had lots of fun.

Leading the way

After going up and up it was time to go down and down. The peoples got off us and we did trotting/running on the not steep downs. We had to be careful for Nicky pony, she couldn't go down too fast. This section was very good for my learnings at how to be a good running pony, cos for me being really bad at the first bit, and quite polite by the end of our enduring ride. Look, I have my concentrating face on, cos enduring is Serious Business.

I'm a grown up, I'm a grown up...

We got to flat ground, and the peoples hopped on and we trotted away. There was a photographer lady waiting to take our picture, so we did some posing, and then we were nearly back to camp. There was some two way traffic on a single track trail for a while so Aunt-E and Cyd did loud bad singing, that way other pony riders knew we were round the corner. Nicky pony thought it was ok to do spooking at the other ponies, but lucky I know that is Not Appropriate. Once we were nearly to camp Cyd hopped off and loosened my girth and told me to think low-pulse thoughts. She's weird, I know. There were lovely volunteer people waiting to greet us and write down our times and check our pulses. My trimmer lady N was there and she came and took my pulse and it got to 60 really quite fast without me getting my saddle off and washed my sweats. I'm getting fit and strong. We went straight to see the vet people to make sure we were still being healthy and not hurt our legs or getting tummy ache. I scored 2 Bs and 2 Cs for my belly, but the vet said it was okay cos for me stuffing my face the whole time I was there and it was only the beginning of my break. Aunt-E was going to run behind me for my trottings but Nicky had to do her trottings first. Since there was enough room we went together and I did much better this time. I got As for all my other scores! Now it was time to eat and eat and drink tons of water. Even though I drank loads at all the streams and puddles, I drank a whole bucket and some more in my pen! Hydration is important.

That was a long ride, better fuel up!

I was a bit confused when Cyd put my saddle back on me. Didn't she remember we just rode a long ways? Silly Cyd. I followed her anyway and we went to the timing people to check out. Cyd and Aunt-E both stayed on the ground in case I did my stopping cos for not wanting to leave camp again, but I only had slightly sticky feet. This loopy was not so long, and even though it went up a lot it wasn't very steep so we did trotting most of the way. I did trottings in front, and in the back. I got stuck one time, but unstuck pretty quick without help from Nickypony or Cyd having to get off. Then I went right back to trottings. This was Cyd's favourite bit of trail, shady switchbacks going up up up. Then down down down again so the peoples did some more running next to us. At the bottom we played in the stream a bit cos for it getting quite warm and good practice for me. I like to be sponged when I'm sweaty, and kept leaning into the sponge to make sure Cyd didn't miss a spot.

Sponging off my sweats, see my happy face

Posing in the creek while my legs cooled

I drank even more on this loopy, and ate some snacks whenever I had the chance. Now it was just a few miles back to camp. Since I had been on this trail for our pre-ride, and again to finish up the previous loopy, I totally knew where we were going. I did my big trot and some small canter, just cruising along on a loose rein. At the same spot as before Cyd hopped off and loosened my girth and we walked down the hill where the nice volunteer peoples were waiting for us again. They had us stop in the shady bit so we didn't all get too hot. A nice man took my pulse but it was 68 and needed to be 60. Nicky was still being measured so we waited for her before going to cool me off some more. When buddy ponies are having their pulses done it is polite to stay next to each other so the pony being measured doesn't have the pulse go high wondering where their friend is going. Since we were waiting 30 seconds for Nicky the nice man measured me again and I was 60 already. Nickypony needed a couple of minutes to get her pulse just right so we waited with her, and I did some drinking and eating. Once we were both timed in it was time to go back to our pens and fill our bellies before our last vet exam. I did even better at my trottings this time! My belly got a slightly better score from all my snacking, but my back was a little bit sore so it only got a B score. Here is my vet card of my scores all day:

My vet scores

I passed my vet check which meant I officially finished my first enduring ride. Go Bugsy!!! I got put back in my pen with two kinds of hayfoods, a mush bucket, and lots of water and left to relax. A few hours after the ride all the people have dinner together, and get their awards and cheer for each other and the volunteers. Cyd looked in my direction during her dinner, and couldn't quite see me. I was totally laying down with my face by my food munching away. She watched for a minute in case I wasn't feeling good, but I was just relaxing cos for being a super chill grown up enduring pony now. After dinner she came to take me for a walk around to stretch my legs (our pens are very small like an outside box stall cos for being temporary). I got all excited and flipped my tail up and was doing prancing around to show off to everyone (although still doing good behavings). Three different people said how great I looked, and lots of people congratulated me for my first ride and how good I did. 

Big thankies to my Aunt-E for driving me and riding with us on Nickypony, and thanks to Nicky's person M for loaning her to us for the weekend! We had so much fun!

Scoffing my face after my ride