The Race

We finished the race! With no lasting injuries!!

The Vet check in was Friday afternoon.
J and Jessica trotted well to the cone and back. A breeze considering we had 30 miles ahead of us the next day. We then saddled up to take a short ride but Jessica didn't want to participate. She had a bucking and rearing fit so J took her back and lounged her. She was perfect for the ride though. When J lounged her Saturday morning before the ride he said she was just like a kitten.
We took our friend Aimee and her 16.1 hand 4 year old QH mare Inny. She decided that the first time ever that she would trail ride Inny would be the endurance ride. Never been on a trail, never trotted or cantered on a trail, never had 2-way horse traffic, never crossed water, never trotted across rocks... Did surprisingly well.
We were disappointed to get to the halfway point 25 minutes late (had to wait on Inny a bit) but we thought we could make up some time on the way back. Because we were running behind, the photographer had already left so we have no trail pictures. We cantered most of the last 6 miles and got back with 12 minutes left. Unfortunately, the horses' pulses didn't drop until 23 minutes later so we finished 11 minutes over the time limit but we were not disqualified on metabolic. (because the pulse dropped before the 30 min. limit.) The only injury (other than sore muscles) was when Inny jumped a creek, squeezed past Hank then kicked him in the stifle. It left a hoof shaped cut but no swelling or lameness. Jessica had a bad muscle cramp but was better after about 10 minutes. J is already planning his strategy for next year and looking for other rides to go on.