Fun In The Sun

Well, it's all over and done, and couldn't have been better for a first endurance experience. My last post was the night that I arrived, Thursday night- why not pick up from there?

The photo above was my view from my tent on Friday morning of the vetting arena. Pretty, isn't it? Throughout the first night I heard what sounded like cayotes and plenty of horses. I didn't sleep well but eventually did get to sleep, only to be woken up by the sounds of riders at 5:30am up and ready for the 6:30am start. I'd like to mention that when I got out of my tent, there was literally ice covering it like little studded crystals all over the top and sides. It was as low as 40F over the night, and about that in the mornings. Though the RM said she didn't have need of me until about 9am, I wasn't going to just sleep away my first morning at Ridecamp! I meet with the RM's husband to ride in the truck for the controlled start of Friday's 50's and 75's. While I missed all of the horses actually leaving camp, it was interesting to see how everyone spaced out even in those first few miles. Once the first front runners were on the trail, we counted out the riders before heading back to camp.

Arrived at Camp

I'm here!

After a long drive (about 4 hours), I'm set up at FITS. My lovely and amazing boyfriend was dropping me off, around 8:30pm, so it was pitch black. We called the number left out on the gate, and the Ride Manager Gail kindly listened to my thousand questions trying to get my bearings on where to set my tent up. Maybe I was too busy drooling over all the big and shiny trailers out here, but I got my directions wrong and nearly set my tent up in the main path of traffic. Thankfully, she had called a lovely gentleman to come out and give me a hand. 

My Army boyfriend quite quickly set my tent up with all of the bells and whistles needed to camp out in about 45F. I'm warm and bundled up under plenty of Army-issued blankets, just beginning to hear the horses around call, and what could only be buckets or ties banging against trailers across the camp. Maybe it was because I arrived so late and riders have such early morning starts, but I did not expect it to be so quite. There were hardly any lights on. I've yet to actually see a horse, as I'm "tented" right at the edge of camp, but cannot wait until the morning.

Packing for FITS

It has been far too long since I've made a post. Some updates on my path to endurance include finding a new barn that hopefully will continue to work out perfectly. The horses include Thoroughbreds and large draft horses, along with a little half-Arab. I did my first lesson there on Friday, which went wonderfully. The lovely TB I'll be riding for awhile is a 17 hand mare named Angel, who has a trot to dream about. For one of my first times in an English saddle, I really enjoyed it! As we continue our lesson program, my trainer and I will be doing short trail rides to a local Equestrian Park to work in the arena there to do dressage foundations and eventually broaden to jumping and ground work. It's a great low-key barn that by combining trail riding and arena work will be a good place to spend my pre-horse-owning years. I spent a few hours after the lesson to help with the barn chores and spend some more time around the horses. I'm going back out today for my second lesson at the barn with the darling Angel. Only difficulty will be continuing to afford lessons until we can get to the point I can work towards a lease of a horse in exchange for barn work. College budgets are hard!

Now on to the real stuff: Endurance!