Spring ride season has officially ended following the WWW ride this past weekend. The weather, food and company were all perfect, Friday night we were entertained during supper by a young man named Luke Powell, and Saturday night a historian from the Fort, Eric Abercrombie, talked to us about the characters who travelled through the area, prompting the “Tombstone” themed ride. The wildflowers were beautiful as well. The WWW gang announced they are taking a break in 2024 but plan to return with this ride in 2025. Carla put together a wonderful raffle table, and cash was raised to donate to Fort Griffin during a special “side” raffle. Many thanks to Kelly and Ginny, Greg and all the judges, all the volunteers who made this weekend possible.
There were a couple of new riders, prompting a discussion among some of us waiting to head out on trail Saturday morning. If you were giving a new rider one piece of advice, what would it be? Out of about 8 of us standing around, here are their answers: Have fun (and smile)! Don’t rush at the obstacles. Have a plan. Try to take one new tip away from each ride. Get up early enough to warm your horse up well. And this one applies to so many aspects of life, always remember to STOP AND SETTLE!
Kate has offered to do a new order of a pullover many members purchased prior to 2023, see below. This reorder is not meant to be a profit-making venture for the club, nor for Kate. Please get with her if you think you want to order, she will be collecting your money and sizes. Thank you, Kate, for offering to handle this.
I had asked Carol Warren earlier this spring about submitting an article regarding hauling horses in the heat of summer. (I hauled Jill to NM last September, taking two days, and when we arrived at Gila Wilderness, I unloaded a dehydrated mare). Please enjoy and learn from her article which follows.
Traveling with Your Horse in the Summer:
Many of us enjoy traveling with our horses in the summer. Traveling through the Texas heat is hard on our vehicles and our horses. Planning our route wisely, timing our travel, preparing our vehicles, and preparing the horse can help everyone arrive less stressed, healthy, and ready to ride. Here are just a few tips that I have found helpful in my 30 years of hauling. There are so many do’s and don’ts out there, and we all have our routines, but I hope this is a helpful starting point.
Vehicles–Make sure ALL tires are properly inflated and have not dry rotted. Tires 4 years and older are considered past their useful life when towing, no matter what the tread looks like. You can check the age of your tires by using the DOT Tire Date Code system published anywhere. The extreme heat from the asphalt and high speeds can easily fatigue tires leading to a blow-out. Be able to change a flat tire by yourself. Consider purchasing a battery powered impact wrench and drive-on trailer jack. Have a good truck jack and know where to place it on your truck to change truck tires. It’s not always safe or even possible to wait for help. Two spare trailer tires are even better than 1.
—Make sure your vehicle is capable of pulling AND STOPPING your fully loaded trailer. If you are going into the mountains, this is essential that your transmission, brakes, and engine can handle the load. Many a flat lander’s truck has failed going up mountain passes because it has been over-loaded. Worse yet is if the brakes overheat and make stopping difficult or even catch on fire!
—Make sure your trailer floor is sturdy and clean. If traveling longer than a couple of hours, I like to put shavings down. This adds insulation from the road heat and noise, and allows the horse to urinate without splashing himself. If I am traveling quite a distance and in the heat of the day, I like to place at least 4 inches of shavings. I will also sprinkle the shavings with water to keep dust down and to allow some evaporative cooling.
—Make sure your axles are straight, bearings lubed, lights and brakes work.
—Great ventilation is essential to keep your horse cool. Open the windows to allow ventilation but don’t forget to protect your horse’s eyes. Either a fly mask or screen on the trailer windows helps prevent road debris from hurting your horse’s eyes. Open the front roof vents to face forward to catch the air and open the last vent backwards to allow the air to escape, or flow over the horses. Fans would be great, especially for when you are trapped in traffic unable to generate ventilation by just moving.
Planning your route. Consider this as important as having a safe vehicle. In Texas, road construction is everywhere. Especially try to avoid construction in densely populated areas, as this usually means prolonged traffic jams. No movement means no ventilation for your horse. Stop and go traffic is more likely to result in traffic accidents causing even more traffic problems. Stop and go is also very taxing on our horses as well. I prefer to drive on the secondary roads and try to avoid the typical high volume traffic rush hours. Secondary roads usually go through the smaller towns. Smaller towns have great places to stop and allow you to give your horse a break. County fairgrounds, rodeo grounds, auction barns, even small city parks are safe places to unload, giving you and your horse the much needed lunch and potty break. I prefer these places over roadside parks because they seem to be safer, are away from traffic, and often have helpful and friendly people.
I stop every 3-4 hours if possible. If I have a 12 hour trip, I plan to allow my horse to get off the trailer around the 6 hour mark. If my trip is only 6 hours, I plan to stop around the 3-4 hour time mark for at least 30 minutes to allow my horse just to quietly stand and rest in the trailer. I think offering some water and soaked feed around the halfway point is a good idea. Some people keep hay in front of their horses. Mine do not like to eat much while traveling and I think the hay just blows in their face and eyes. Of course, soaked hay cubes and water is offered at each stop. If you are making the trip in a stock trailer or box-stall type trailer, unloading is not as necessary, but please stop to allow the horse a chance to relax. It takes a lot of effort to balance going down the road!
Horse—The most obvious things first. Make sure your Coggins is current for your destination. Health certificates are may be required by some equine events and for out of state travel. Find out if your destination requires weed-free feeds and start feeding it at least 1 week (or appropriate time frame recommended by your destination) prior to departure so your horse is adjusted to the new diet and his system has cleared all the noxious weed seed out. Vaccinations may be required depending on your destination. Make sure to pack all needed documentation in a convenient location, and double check they are actually packed!
Traveling in the heat can rapidly dehydrate your horse. Do your very best to super-hydrate him before the trip. Beginning at least one week before departure, I like to soak my feed as much as my horse will tolerate, serving it as soupy as he will eat it. Begin feeding small amounts of electrolytes or salt early to encourage drinking and to get them used to the flavor in their feed. Pack plenty of water from home and offer it frequently during the trip. Have enough water for your horse for a few days until he gets used to the local water. Plan to have some cubed hay that can be soaked as well. Keeping the gut well hydrated will keep your horse hydrated!
If it is already hot when I have to load my horse, I like to hose him off, then scrape off the excess water. I will sprinkle the shavings in the trailer with water. These steps will add some evaporative cooling to keep him a little more comfortable during the trip.
Check on your horse at least every couple of hours. If he is really sweating, you should consider stopping and unloading him in a shady area, give him plenty of time to rehydrate and rest. Your horse should only develop a mild sweat in the trailer. Too much sweat indicates a ventilation problem or excess stress.
How do you know if your horse is dehydrated? The skin tent test is a simple test. Just pinch some skin on the neck, pull it up, then release it. A normally hydrated horse’s skin will immediately go back to normal position. A prolonged return to normal position indicates at least 5% dehydration. The longer the delay, the more dehydrated the horse. Check the horse’s gums. Look at the upper gums where they meet the upper front teeth. Normal gums are pale pink and moist. The gum will blanch white when gently pressed, then return to normal within 2 seconds. If it takes longer than 3 seconds to return to normal color, there is a problem. Red or purple gums are abnormal and indicate a medical emergency. Practice evaluating these on your horse now so you know what his normal looks like. A horse that is 5% dehydrated (that has a prolonged skin tent) will require up to 25 liters of balanced IV fluids to return to normal hydration. This is approximately 10 gallons! A dehydrated horse is a medical emergency! Dehydration leads to colic, electrolyte imbalances, muscle weakness, kidney failure, shock and eventually death.
A quick note on using electrolytes. Do not give a full dose of electrolytes to a dehydrated horse. The salts and sugars just pull more fluid out of the horse’s body into the gut, causing more dehydration. It is ok to offer some electrolyte infused water, but make sure there is plenty of fresh water as well. The best electrolyte is just plain old salt added into the feed daily. Avoid the electrolytes with lots of sugar—these have very little value to the horse.
These are just a few tips I have learned over the years. I hope this helps. We all want our partners to arrive safe, healthy and happy.
Did we have fun or what?? First (hopefully annual) Junior Clinic was held at Parrie Haynes March 25, with 16 Junior riders attending, accompanied by parents, grandparents and adult friends. It did my heart good to see friendships form, and relationships between riders and mounts expanding. BIG THANKS to Karen and Greg for all the hard work, good ideas, great format, interesting obstacles, as well as the practice challenge on a 4-mile trail with 6 obstacles. A hamburger lunch was provided, and awards given out as well. Thank you, too, to secretary Tiffany, and all of the above who served as clinicians and judges, as well as Kelly, Cheryl and Nancy. Alex orchestrated a taco dinner potluck for the night before as well. This couldn’t have happened without all the extra volunteers and especially the adults who got the kiddos there for the day. Sunday followed with a full adult clinic, again managed by Greg and Karen, with Nancy as secretary and everyone working again in judge, clinician and volunteer positions. We had 42 participants, many of whom were new faces. Again, thank you Greg and Karen, for your hard work and labors of love to this organization.
THOUGHTS FROM ANN STACY, PRESIDENT
We had our first General Meeting for 2023 at the Smiley ride. We had between 50-60 folks attending. Tiffany handed out information related to our financial status (see below), Bill updated folks on our membership numbers, Karen encouraged folks to consider being a Ride Manager for 2024, Greg provided information on the clinics for youth and judges, and I discussed the various ways of communication used by the Club. The web site is the recommended manner to reach members, FB is not a primary source. Refer to the website for updates and our newsletter is an excellent way to keep current as well.
There were two clarifications of rules discussed. Keeping on the marked trails is important for safety reasons (getting lost is not intentionally departing the trail). Also, we provided the definition of equine professionals verses an equine instructor.
The BOD is here to serve our club and answer your questions, you may contact any BOD member if you have questions. We look forward to our next General Board meeting at Salute to the Troops in November! Stay safe on the roads and enjoy your equine partner! Ann
Editor’s note: I had the privilege of attending the Smiley ride this past weekend, and Carol, Karen and Devin did a wonderful job of incorporating Texas History of the area into the obstacles. Specifically, the Runaway Scrape. Our learning moment was provided by a young man, Alamo reenactor, and associate of the Texas Historical Commission, a veritable font of knowledge. Thank you all for the extra effort, proving we are never too old to learn! See page two for income statement provided by Tiffany.
Next weekend is our first attempt at a Junior Clinic….and it appears we have found a new obstacle! Kid team sports! Not sure how to get around the fact that many youth are involved in their local area sports teams, but if a handful of juniors show up to do the clinic, it certainly will have been worth the time and effort of leadership and volunteers. Saturday’s clinic is followed by an Adult clinic on Sunday. It appears some of the youth are riding Sunday clinic as well. What a wonderful way to maximize their time with their ponies, while building on their trail and obstacle skills.
SPRING RIDE UPDATES
*Smiley Ride is the first ride of April, so expect to have a TTCC raffle there!
*Cat Spring Fling …. from Nancy Fenimore…Please post your ride fee prior to 3/29/23. The ride is full and the waitlist is long. If your payment is not received by 3/29, the 30-day rule will be enforced and your name will be moved to the waitlist. Also, if you have to cancel and have reserved an RV spot, please call Nancy, 979-338-0133, as there is a long waitlist for hookups as well. The BBQ meal is brisket and chicken, 2 sides, tea & dessert, $20.00, payable to Karen Boone, see paypal below.
We are taking orders for this cool red cap, also $20 payable to [email protected]. Remember to use friends and family.
*Wild West Wrangle…from Kelly Beard…The WWW gals are putting together a fun trail, new and fun obstacles (along with a few challenging ones!), and great prizes! Jean and Gary Prescott will entertain and the Albany Icehouse will once again cater. Praying for great weather…no hail…and for a fun ride with the Tombstone characters! Remember to send Ginny Mayfield a copy of your coggins at [email protected] . See you all at Fort Griffin in May!
Happy trails to you all! Gayna (Please enjoy the following bi monthly feature by Kim Gehring)
CAMP LIFE. PREPARING FOR A RIDE WEEKEND
1 Clean and Prep Trailer…Oh Boy, there is a lot that is involved in getting ready to head out for a ride! So much so that I am breaking it into multiple parts. (trailer ready, pack for human, pack for horse(s), load and go) As you all know, Jim is very particular about the generators! Ours are run a week or so before the ride, to ensure all was good to go. REMEMBER, always use premium gas in your generators, Jim says some of the additives help keep them running better for longer. I like to start on the outside of the trailer, so I check tire pressure and air up any low tires with a small battery operated DeWalt air compressor. I hate looking for the correct psi on the tire, so I write it inside one of the side storage compartment doors in permanent marker. If there is a Blocker Tie or any ropes hung on trailer I remove them. I check the inside of the horse area to make sure old poop has been scooped and the area has shavings evenly distributed. I know some folks don’t use shavings, it is a personal preference, as I think it helps with road heat in summer and if a horse wants to pee it cuts down on them splashing. I put in hay for the ride and check that the water tanks are also full. We have a 50 gallon tank mounted in the hay pod, another 25 gallons in the tack area, and one that fits in the truck bed. I also top off the water tank in LQ. I believe horses drink better if they have water from home. Sometimes we take three horses, so we use a lot of water.
Once inside LQ I like to spray and wipe down: shower, counter, sinks and commode. I also check that I have a few extra garbage bags, rags and that there is plenty of drinking water in the fridge. I always check the microwave, because sometimes we store a few things in there for travel and I have discovered a “SCIENCE EXPERIMENT”. Yuck! I check our closet to make sure we have emptied our cubbies and have room to bring out our clothes, and that Jim has enough beer for the weekend. Our tiny living room also gets straightened up, as does the bed. I finish by vacuuming the floor. We put down a carpet remnant and have welcome mats outside and just inside the door. It helps cut down the grit on the floor.
Next, I pack for humans. I lay out everything I want to bring for the weekend on the bed. I have small piles of riding clothes for each day, one more change of clothes and then pjs. I also have a small gathering of essential non-clothing and comfort items like my medicine pill box, massage pounder, red light, sunscreen, lip balm, toothbrush, etc., plus a phone charger. About a week before a ride I start monitoring the weather for the ride location so I can bring appropriate clothes. I rode Equi-Frost 2022 and did not have enough socks to keep my feet warm and dry! I roll each day’s clothes to carry out to the trailer. Our storage is limited so I want things to be easy to pack and get in and out of my cubby. I also pack a jacket/vest, gloves, hat and even a scarf if the weather is cold. Now, try getting Jim to pack like this -HAHAHA. Oh no, he is always bringing way more than he needs, yet wears the same jeans 2 days in a row. He says because he puts on a clean shirt each day, no one will notice! Has anyone ever seen Jim in a clean shirt?? So, at the end of the weekend, we haul all of Jim’s clean clothes back into the house with the dirty clothes! Other items useful for cold weather weekends are hand/foot warmers, earmuffs (would really have loved those for Equi-frost), extra set of dry boots and gloves, etc. Living in Texas for 30 years has dulled my cold-weather comfort knowledge.
Meal planning…We frequently go one or two days early, so meals are planned to cover all days. We always buy the catered meal if offered; one less meal to plan. During the week I try to prepare a larger meal to package into portions and freeze. Jim likes a quick easy breakfast of oatmeal, and I can do it with a granola bar. I usually bring a bag of salad and some fresh fruit. Occasionally, I bring something that needs more than a microwave, so I have a neat little electric griddle that is also a panini press. I just must try to remember not to run it while the micro or coffee pot is on or risk blowing a fuse! We use real cups and silverware, and paper plates and bowls. I keep a small dishpan under the sink to run things into the house and put in the dishwasher upon return home. Rides are for fun, not for washing dishes! Other food items include yogurt, pickles, chips or pretzels, and a bag of ice for the freezer. We bring several small folding chairs and a folding table. I also have a battery powered stick vacuum and a small fan. It can be freezing on the floor and roasting up in the bed area, so a fan helps to move the air as long as temps outside are not extreme. NEXT TIME …PACKING FOR HORSES, SEE U ON THE TRAIL! K & JOSIE
