Big Horn: Big Solution!

Monday July 11 2011

We're going to crew!

After weighing options and analyzing everything, we have (sadly) opted not to ride the Big Horn 100 this year. Main reasons are the expense of getting there, and the fact we'd given up the idea of riding it months ago due to expectations of high snow. Which was easy to conclude from weather reports in the winter/spring.

There were rumors that Tevis wouldn't take place on its regularly scheduled July 16 because of high snow levels, and indeed, in June, it was announced that the Tevis was postponed till October because of the high snows in the Sierras. According to winter snowpack reports, the Sierras were at 120 to 200% of normal. The Owyhee Mountains were at record levels this year. The North Cascades in Washington were 300% above normal. A record winter snowfall in the Grand Tetons had left an unprecedented snowpack as of mid-June. The Wind Rivers in Wyoming were 330% above normal. The Big Horn Mountains had above normal snows, and as we'd heard that would affect the Big Horn high trail, that's what we adjusted our ride schedule to counting out the Big Horn 100 this year.

20-year-old Rhett did 110 miles over 2 days at the end of May and another 50 miles just 2 weeks ago. Jose did 110 miles over 2 days at the end of May, and 100 miles over 2 days just 2 weeks ago. We think it's too much to ask of them to change plans and do another 100 in a week; had we stuck to our original plan from April, we'd not have ridden them that much before the Big Horn 100.

And so the next best thing to riding it is, we're going to crew for Kevin and Rusty from Colorado, who both finished the Big Horn 100 last year.

Although... if Kevin and Rusty recall my dismal crewing fiasco at Tevis for Steph and Nance, (and I hope they don't), I will probably wonder, during the Big Horn 100, why I am being sent on an errand to I-Hope-You-Get-Lost-And-Don't-Get-Back-Too-Soon, Wyoming, to pick up 'supplies' such as Starbucks, or RedBull, for our riders.

If they don't send me on any errands, I promise to be a good crew this time.

Big Horn: Big Dilemma

Saturday July 9 2011

To go or not to go - that is the question!

As of April, we had the Big Horn 100 as a goal, on July 16th.

Around the time that the Tevis was postponed till October because of high snow levels in the Sierra Nevada mountains, we heard that the Big Horn mountains also had a lot of snow and it was likely they couldn't use the usual high trail because the snow wouldn't have melted. (Someone knew someone who'd driven through there, someone heard it from someone...) Then someone said the 100 miles would be in the lowlands - and we really weren't interested. If we go that far to do the Big Horn 100, we want to do the original traditional Big Horn trail in the Big Horn mountains.

So it drifted out of our minds, slipped off our goal list for this year. Other goals surfaced: local rides like the 2-day Pink Flamingo, the 2-day Old Selam, and the Yost's tough Buckskin Challenge 50 mile ride. Steph suggested that maybe I should try riding Jose all 5 days in a row at our Canyonlands ride in September.

We really thought no more of the Big Horn for this year - until July 7 (9 days before the Big Horn). I got a call from a friend who asked if we were going. I said no, because we'd heard the ride was in the lowlands, and we wanted to do the original trail. He talked with the Ride Manager, who said the trail this year is the original trail, and 'trails are in good shape.'

Hmmm. Flurries of emails amongst us.

It is a fact that 3 times in the last 7 years, part of the Big Horn trail (the part you ride in the dark) did not get marked. People got lost on the mountain. Some were stuck overnight.

We discussed our original backup plan of having the GPS points of the trail with us (and knowing how to read them!) for if the trail was not marked this year. I had gotten the GPS points from Tom Noll (those GPS points saved him one year when the trail was not marked) and I sent them to everybody.

We started entertaining the idea again... what if we do the Big Horn! More backup plans: there would probably be several people we could ride with who have completed the ride and know the trail... perhaps there were safety in numbers.

So perhaps our backup plan of knowing the route was indeed covered... but what about the snows on the high trails? I do not want to be riding on snow, or where snow has just melted. I did that in April near here, and our horses were sinking to their mid-cannons in mud. I also rode a horse once who fell into a bog and almost drowned. Not fun.

I emailed another gal who is already at the Big Horn to help mark trail. She told me they weren't certain yet if they were using the high trail, although they planned on using it. Another gal told another friend that the trails were clear.

On July 8 (8 days before the Big Horn) another gal posted a note to a discussion group: "The trails look great! We still have a little snow at the highest elevations, but it is melting fast!" How fast? How much snow?

Steph heard from the Ride Manager, who said she'd be marking the high trail Sunday, so she'd let us know then about the snow.

Today, on July 9 (7 days before the Big Horn), we heard that the trail for the 50 milers would be the same trail that the 100's take on their return to camp. So, that would seem to eliminate problems of unmarked trails. That's good. But what about the snow?

There's also the important factor of the drive there: about 11 hours (2 days of driving, or one long haul day), and the gas it will cost to get there.

We'd love to do the Big Horn. But what about the snow situation? There's still time to get re-psyched up for it, but that time is running short.

Is it in the cards for this year?

(top photo by Darlene Anderson, who completed the Big Horn 100 last year)

Baldy Snow!

Friday July 8 2011

The littlest leftover patch was enough to make me giddy.

It was a quick trip up to the Bellevue-Hailey-Ketchum-Sun Valley Idaho area, land of the old and new (ridiculously) rich, old hippies and new yuppies, outdoor enthusiasts and horse people.

I got to ride the gondola and ski lifts up to the top of Mt Baldy (and the lovely patch of snow - hiking it would have been great, but no time),
[slide show here]


and then a great little hike in a small piece of the Sawtooth National Forest.
[slide show here]


It was a brief but lovely intoxication with the mountains and forest.

Next up: a visit to Drinkers of the Wind Arabians.

Chip Chase Sadaqa: The Oz Endurance Legend

5 July 2011

The legendary endurance stallion Chip Chase Sadaqa passed away peacefully June 15th 2011 at the Toft Endurance farm in Marburg, SE Queensland, Australia, at the age of 34.

"Such a kind natured, wonderful performance horse; an unparalleled ambassador for his breed," said Jo Hamilton-Branigan, of Kholonial Performance Arabians. "There aren't enough superlatives to describe him."

It was Peter Cole who saw the yearling colt Chip Chase Sadaqa, by Cherokee Mecca out of Silala, by Silver Spot, advertised in 1978 in an Arabian Horse News advertisement. He liked the look in the colt's eye, and bought Sadaqa sight unseen from breeders Pam and John Roydhouse.

Sadaqa, a 95,996% Crabbet Arabian out of the Kehailan Rodan strain (Rodania, 1869), would likely have excelled in the showring. However, Sadaqa became a legendary endurance horse, "many times carrying huge weights and winning rides by significant margins," Hamilton-Branigan says, on her Tribute to Sadaqa webpage.

His endurance record speaks for itself:
He competed for 15 years with his owner Peter Cole, from 1981-1995, with 4,488 lifetime km during these years. He completed 48 of 54 rides (an 88% completion record). He had 14 First Place finishes; 33 top-five placings; 17 Best Condition Awards, 29 First Heavy Weight finishes. He won the 1983 160-km Australian Tom Quilty Gold Cup and was second in 1987 with another endurance legend, Ron Males, riding. He won the 1984 160-km QSC Cheerabah, and he was the Australian National Endurance Champion in 1983. He was awarded the 2008 WAHO Trophy, annually bestowed by the World Arabian Horse Organization, to an Arabian horse in each country who has been an excellent 'ambassador' for the breed.



I visited the Tofts and Sadaqa in Australia in 2007, where Sadaqa was still standing at stud at age 30. According to Peter Toft, early on, Pete Cole had bred all kinds of mares to Sadaqa, not select ones; and early on he appeared to be throwing good offspring. Often an endurance stallion becomes great after he’s dead, because after a riding career, he’ll start breeding, and it may not be till his first crop is 10 or 11 before you see if there’s a really great horse or two in there. Then you wait for the next crop or two to see if that was just a fluke. With Sadaqa, it appeared early on that he was no flash in the pan.

Peter Toft liked Sadaqa offspring, "because they’re intelligent, very tractable and easy to handle, on the ground and in the vet ring, and, they’ve just proved to be good."

Into Sadaqa's 30's, seventy percent of his progeny had competed successfully in endurance. His offspring had won major endurance events in Australia, the Australian National and State Championships across Divisions (Junior, Lightweight, Middleweight and Heavyweight), State Pointscore and Distance Awards, and Best Conditioned Awards in all Divisions over all Distances.

He will be greatly missed by the endurance world, but his superb performance record in endurance, and his influence as one of the great world-ranked endurance sires will likely remain with us a long time.



In this video – Chip Chase Sadaqa – a purebred Australian Arabian stallion (reg AHSA) was honoured by the endurance fraternity as a “living legend”. In this historic video Sadaqa is 32 yrs of age (b.Jan 1977) and he is presented by Ron Males (on behalf of Toft Endurance). The presentation took place at the National Championship 160km (Endurance) Ride – the Tom Quilty Gold Cup 2008. Sadaqa was also the recipient of the inaugural Australian WAHO Trophy for 2008. (Video courtesy of Youtube: Kholonial, Jo Hamilton-Branigan).

The Owyhee Parade: Coming to You

Monday July 4 2011

"People in Owyhee don't go to Parades; here the Parades come to them!" said neighbor Linda, who brought the Owyhee Menagerie Parade to visit the homesteads on the crick for the Fourth of July.


Here comes Goat Dog and Edna!


Holler is all dressed up.


Our horses are not used to Fourth of July Parades!


They are especially not used to a flag waving hairy donkey and her Goat Dog pal!


On to the next house.


Goat Dog and Edna leave the Parade Route.


Everybody loves a Parade, even the animals putting it on!


Off the Owyhee Menagerie Parade goes, to spread Fourth of July spirit at the next house on the crick.

Paean For Quincy

Sunday July 3 2011

She was a kind and gentle soul - unless someone caught a rabbit, in which case she became a Demoness and took command of it, and it was HERS! Everybody knew not to mess with her then.

She was always happy. Sometimes she happily barked for hours, trying to get the dunce she was barking at - or any dunce - to throw a rock for her. ("Come on, just throw the rock! It's right there") Once at an endurance ride here, she parked herself in front of Henry of Griffin's Tack, who was sitting in his chair outside his store tent, and barked happily for hours at him. He'd probably turned off his hearing aid so he couldn't hear her, but she happily carried on barking, bark-bark-bark-bark-throw-the-rock-bark-bark bark-bark-bark-bark-throw-the-rock-bark-bark and Henry happily sat there in peaceful silence not listening to her.

She was the best Rock Carrying Dog (she always picked one up and carried it when she hiked - some as big as her head, some so big she could barely hold her head up and she could barely breathe, but she had to have that rock),



the best Rock Collecting Dog, (she loved to deposit rocks in front of the lawn mower when you were trying to mow, and she loved to bring her rocks in the house after she carried them on a hike)(I think she actually ate rocks),


the best Snowball Dog, ("Um - how do I get these things OFF me?")


the best Halloween Dog,



just The Best Dog.

Bye Quincy, Happy Trails and many lucky rabbits feet and good rocks.

Say hi to Zico up there.

Hold Your Head High, Run Fast, Pull Pull Pull!

Saturday July 2 2011

There are two kinds of FAST endurance horses: the one who will slow down to give himself a break either on his own or when you ask him to, and the one who will go fast till he drops. The second type will make it harder on him and you when he resists your requests to slow down.

Sound familiar? I expect it's more common than we endurance riders would like to admit.

Batman is a talented endurance horse who knows how to go FAST; but he doesn't know when to slow down. The rider has to do that for him... but Batman doesn't really have a good set of brakes. He knows how to pull and he knows how to resist with his head up in the air, back hollowed and mouth braced against the bit. He wants to just go and go and go; but his young body (7 years old) is not yet up to the kind of speed that he wants and knows how to do.

Steph took the time on the 50-mile Day 2 of the Cheap Thrills ride to work on slowing him down. She worked on him the whole 50 miles. It was exhausting.

We're lucky enough to have a crick neighbor Connie, who is extremely talented at ring work. She can get the hardest mouthed horse to soften, stop resisting, and move forward relaxed, with his head down and back rounded. She's been working with Batman the past couple of days.

Day 1 took an hour for him to start getting an inkling of what she was asking. I didn't see Day 1, but the following photos are from Day 2. It took even longer this second day to get him to stop resisting and start dropping his head. It took a while to start getting any response from him, and at first it was for just a stride or two, then his head would go back up in the air. As the session went on, Batman started dropping his head a little longer.

Head High [slide show]


"He doesn't get what I'm asking, and his muscles - his neck, his back, and his hind end - aren't developed to work like this," Connie said. "It will take time for them to develop, and then it will get easier for him." You can see in the Head High photos that his neck muscles are well developed on the underside of his neck, from holding it high, and not on the top.

Getting Better [slide show]


Going Good [slide show]


Mix it up with lots of backing up


and sidestepping. [slide show]


Give him a breather once in a while and tell him what a Good Boy he is.


We all agree that while Batman is the kindest horse, he's not the smartest. That doesn't mean he can't learn; It just means that getting him moving in the correct rounded way will take more repetition for it to become a habit. But he'll get it eventually.

Every endurance horse can benefit from this kind of 'dressage work' - if you want to call it that. (Every rider can too, though it has been documented that I SUCK at it.)

You won't take the 'Go' or the spirit out of your fast horse if you teach him to slow down, drop his head and not pull. He'll still have the Go, but he'll also have the Whoa, when you need it, or when he needs it... and it will make your rides a whole lot easier and more fun, for you and your horse.