Petplan Equine
Sponsored Rider - Lorna

April to June Update

Perhaps I shouldn’t have mentioned setbacks being inevitable in my blog post at the start of the year! Whilst our plans may not have quite worked out, we remain happy and healthy, and I am appreciative of that. We have still had a lot of fun, which of course is vitally important!

April started with myself and a friend enjoying a really nice training ride together doing about 30km on the Correen Hills, above Alford. The tracks on these hills are remote but after periods of dry weather offer superb going, great fittening hill work, lovely views of the Aberdeenshire Countryside and nice way to spend time with a friend (not sure Lisa’s Ollie would agree though as Spangle appeared to have enjoyed eating him on the way there in the trailer!).

Spangle was looking well, I incorporate lunging into her work as it gives me a good idea of how she is looking, moving and feeling, in addition to what I experience when riding. It often gives a nice confidence boost that we are on the right track. Mid-April I certainly got a good feeling for the season ahead when I lunged her one evening.

We attended a three day training camp at Loch Ness Riding with the Highland Branch of Scottish Endurance Riding Club. The plan had been for me to lead a group on each of three days but there were some drop outs so the numbers in the end did not require that. On day one we woke up to a covering of snow – completely unexpected and not particularly helpful! However, it soon cleared and we got some great weather throughout the rest of that day. We did 34km with superb views of the stunning Scottish Landscape in ideal conditions. A map and details of the route can be found on Endomondo if you click here. We had a lunch stop by Loch Bunachton, Spangle happily ate her lunch from an improvised bowl made from a bag for life. She also seemed to enjoy the views.

On day two we did an amazing 50km ride round the back of Loch Mohr. Again the map and details were tracked using my phone, using the Endomondo app and can be seen here. It amazes me that I have been to Loch Ness Riding numerous times yet almost every time I get to experience new tracks and sights! We had another very scenic lunch stop overlooking Loch Mohr and the surrounding moorland. The tracks were varied and interesting and we all had a really good time.

Unfortunately about an hour after our return to base, Spangle showed signs of discomfort after having a pee. She was back to normal after 10 minutes of looking uncomfortable but it was enough to say to me that her system was under stress and that I shouldn’t take her out on day three. She did however appear to be perfectly fine the following day but got to enjoy a day of rest regardless – I wasn’t taking any risks with her.

On day three it was the plan that I was to lead out a group, therefore Candy’s lent me one of her horses, William, a cob x TB, who was a complete star, doing everything he was asked and going wherever he was put at whatever pace was requested.

In May we prepared ourselves for the PK Scottish Horseshoe. PK stands for Pauline Kidd who generously sponsored the event. We successfully vetted on the Friday and then ride day dawned. I was excited and nervous. My ride plan was slow and steady, we had a lot of distance to travel and the going wouldn’t be easy so I wanted to make sure we kept plenty in the tank and planned to pick up pace as we progressed through the stages of the ride. Spangle had other ideas. There was a compulsory walk section at the start, which she was no problem about, however when those in front set off at trot she wanted to be up front with them, calming her cost me time but it was worth it to ride at a good pace for us. After a few issues, we were well behind time and had not gone a great distance and both Spangle and I were stressed, our long suffering crew were wondering where we were and what had happened but eventually we came to the crew point and everyone saw we were fine. The rest of that loop rode beautifully, Spangle took me round willingly and happy and we felt like a partnership again.

Then it was back at base for a vet check at 40km, which Spangle passed. In hindsight she was quite quiet during the compulsory rest period but appeared to be fine when we set off initially. A couple of miles into the second loop she started to feel lethargic and I wondered if I should continue. Then it started raining and the temperature dropped and Spangle power trotted into the weather. She felt better and I thought all was well. The rain however got heavier and heavier and became torrential. Spangle put her ears flat back, slammed on her brakes and turned her hind quarters to the weather and just stood, the rain turned to hail and it was cold! There was nowhere for us to shelter so I just let her stand for a few minutes but decided that enough was enough and that everything was pointing towards me needing to call a halt. I knew I needed to do it before the steep uphill section as I am well aware that if something is not quite right, doing a section as demanding as what was in front of us could be really detrimental to Spangles health. I phoned my crew to advise that I was heading back to base and could she go on and let the check point know. She said she had had to stop the car as she couldn’t see to drive as the rain had been so heavy.

I asked Spangle to walk on back in the direction of home and there was an enormous thunder rumble that went on for what seemed like ages, I think it also echoed up and the valley of the loch too, which made it seem worse. I knew I had made the right decision as Spangle was happy to walk and not offering to trot or canter, which is unusual. We got back to base and had her checked by vet. Her vital signs appeared okay, but she was quiet for a few hours. We kept a close eye on her and took her out hand grazing often as she wanted to eat grass but not much else (another sign that something was not just quite right). The vets were on site and kept a watch of her too. She remained okay and didn’t need any treatment.

Whilst the weekend didn’t go to plan or how I would have liked it was still a great experience and always a learning curve. New acquaintances were made and I had fun with both them and folk I have known some time.

What made this event even more special was that it was a fundraising ride. The Scottish Horseshoe, from both the raffle and the ride combined, made a staggering £2117.42 – split evenly between the Equine Grass Sickness Fund and the South Loch Ness Access Group.

After the out of the ordinary symptoms at the past two events I knew I needed to reassess. The Cairngorm 100 was now out of the question. We didn’t have the 180km of the Scottish Horseshoe under our belts which would have been part of our preparation, and the fitness of both Spangle and I was not as it should be.

In addition, I’d lost confidence about our resilience. I asked myself, and discussed with Nic, my crew, who knows both Spangle and myself very well, what we should do next. Should we drop to the 50 miles at the Cairngorms which was a linear route, which would be good mentally, or should we drop the distance right back and do some short faster rides and have some fun and build both our confidences in ourselves back up and ensure our fitness was where it should be? I needed to decide quickly as the entries for Cairngorms needed finalised.

I decided to go with the Cairngorm 50mile and also a 30km at a reasonably local ride a couple of weeks before as a confidence boost. I then went on to think about what was different just now to when we had been competing successfully. The main thing that stuck out when I went through things was Spangle was not on Regumate to help with her seasons. I decided, therefore, that I needed to put her back on it and see how things went from there.

The 30km Ride at Dinnet, I ended up not going to as a I was tired and stressed from more sleepness, disturbed nights due to problems with my neighbours at home and the weather was not promising. Therefore I decided against it as something just saying it wasn’t right. Instead went with other Riding Club committee members up to Burgie BE Event to support our Findon Teams at the Area 22 Horse Trials Qualifiers for the National Championships. I am delighted to say our 90cm team qualified and will be heading to the BRC National Championship soon.

As we drawed closer to the Cairngorms ride I was no longer staying at home, in my own flat and had moved in with a friend on a temporary basis – Carol, you were a saviour – your generosity and company during that week and a half were worth more than you’ll ever know.

Again quite a few things began pointing to the fact that I shouldn’t be doing the ride. Spangle had a small cut on her leg with lots of blood spurts down it, I’d had a bad kick on my thigh from a friends pony, the neighbour issues, I’d reversed my car into a gatepost an indication that my mind was not really working as it should.

Fitness of both of us not as it should have been. I know how rider fitness, straightness and balance impact heavily on the horse and did not wish to jeopardise Spangle.

I was beginning to realise that on a ride with such exposed and challenging terrain was not for us. If the weather came in, it is very easy to become disorientated. With knowing my mind is not functionally at its best I felt that it was unwise to venture into such an area, even on an organised ride and with a fantastic organising team and back up support. That would be unfair on everyone involved and would be far from responsible.

The work I should have put in, between Scottish Horseshoe and Cairngorms hadn’t happened and I knew deep down that it wasn’t the right thing to do. I was very disappointed. I followed the trackers of the riders that were doing it and the Faceboook updates from fellow endurance riders and wished I was there and part of it. But equally knew it was just not meant to be and that I had made the right decision despite the awful disappointment I felt.

Marco is having a short holiday. He went through a phase of losing shoes in the field. He was being a bit jolly in the field and ripping them off, the wet ground from the winter followed by an extremely dry spell was not helping. After yet another lost shoe I decided we should take his shoes off for a spell, let his feet sort themselves out and then take things from there. He is currently on field rest but I will soon try him with some boots on his front feet and start some gentle walk work again.

We have come to the end of June now and finished the month positively, we have done some nice schoolwork at home, been hacking locally and building our fitness and confidence back up and done some work over some logs. There is lots to be happy about and pleased with, out hacking from the yard we are often reminded about how well educated our horses are with planes, trains and automobiles (and construction works of a major new road round Aberdeen).

Now it is time to take stock and re-plan the next few months. The general plan is to find some low level rides to have fun at. Just get out there and enjoy and get us both back into it, enjoying it and trusting each other. When I talk about confidence and trust, it is in our abilities together to undertake the challenges of Endurance. Spangle has had wee things that haven’t been right and I feel she is a bit unsure whether she can do what is required and just a bit hesitant. This has been an issue in the past with schooling work where she just doesn’t quite appear to feel she can do things so resists but when we find the key suddenly everything falls into place. With her reacting like this, I then lack belief in myself for having not got everything right for her. I do believe, however, that this is a phase we will get through. Spangle is a sensitive mare and I also believe she has known that I haven’t quite been myself, hasn’t understood this and it has affected her. Hopefully I am now back on track and she will be too.