At 06:05 PM 4/12/2002 -0400, you wrote:
>How do you guys get away with leaving home for weeks at a time? Who takes
>care of your animals...or your spouses?
Angie -- it's an addiction, and when you get it, you'll figure out a way to
do it.
Basically you take your animals and spouse with you. If you have too many
of either, get rid of the dead weight <G> (just kidding). Okay, so if you
can't take your spouse with you, then leave them at home to take care of
the animals.
Be really nice to your neighbors. Offer to look after their place while
they are gone. Then pray they don't need to go away at the same time you do.
Lots of my friends use their sick days to recover from their illness
(endurance addiction, that is).
It really is less expensive to go to a multiday ride. You only have to
travel to one ride that way, and the entry fees per day are less
(usually). When you factor that in and the cost of travel then you end up
with a much lower cost per mile. Plus, you usually get an embroidered
jacket, sweatshirt, or vest which has your name and your horses name, if
you complete the entire ride. You also get daily awards, at the last
multiday it was a mug with the ride logo one day, and a t-shirt another
day. I like going to the XP rides because they always feed you lunch
(included), and dinners are available. So, it's doable to go to those
rides by yourself and not have to deal with food. I really do it though,
because I love the trails and to ride and the bond you get with your horse
from riding them thru a multiday. (go see trail pics: www.xprides.com ,
or www.endurohorse.com )
The thing I've found, after doing the last 100 in February, is that it is a
letdown to have it over in just one day. It's much nicer to get to get up
day after day and ride. I'm still not recovered from last
summer. :>) I also think that doing multidays really is a great way to
teach your horse how to take care of itself. So that when you do go do a
100, it's a piece of cake for them. I view 100's as a lot less of a mental
challenge as I used to. Now I view it as it's going to be over in 24 hours,
no matter what happens, by tomorrow at this time it will be over. If I'm
on a multiday I am aware that tomorrow at this time, I'm going to be out
here again, and I guess when you are really addicted that is a good thing.
Next year if you want to do a multiday, let me know. We'll get a horse for
you, and of course you know I have ways to make sure you feel no pain. {g}
k
ughh.....all of my email accounts are down, this one is bouncing and the
charter.net address is completely off-line (cable is out)
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