not fast, just steady

en·dure

enˈd(y)o͝or/

verb

verb: endure; 3rd person present: endures; past tense: endured; past participle:endured; gerund or present participle: enduring

1. 1.

   suffer (something painful or difficult) patiently.

   "it seemed impossible that anyone could endure such pain"

   synonyms:

   undergo, go through, live through, experience, meet, encounter; More

2. 2.

   remain in existence; last.

   "these cities have endured through time"

   synonyms:

   last, live, live on, go on, survive, abide, continue, persist, persevere,remain, stay More

   antonyms:

   fade, short-lived

You can't change the weather. Spring follows winter. This too will pass.

This was my mantra for the past 3 months. And I was one of the lucky ones who escaped to warmer climes. Running in the Ragnar Relay in Arizona in February gave me a fitness goal, but I have fallen off the wagon since Spring Break. Spring snow storms sent me diving back under the covers on Saturday mornings as I abandoned the running club. The snow never really froze to the ice and the horses have been landlocked in the paddock since January so no real riding to speak of.  Woe is me!

So March goes out like a lamb. The snow is melting fast and spring has sprung. So why am I still enduring?

Yesterday morning, I saw an old man running. Not fast, just steady. Reminded me of my Gedo. No, he wasn't a runner. He was a storekeeper in Lenswood, Manitoba. He got up every morning and went next door to open the store. Sweep the floor. Stock the shelves. Serve the customers. He did this for over 50 years. Not fast, just steady. 

Today I decided to embrace Spring. Got home from work, put on my runners, put a leash on Karma and headed out the door.  We ran 2 miles in the hood. Not fast, just steady.

This is my strategy for riding the Vermont 100 this year. Not fast, just steady. Make haste slowly. And the gods willing, get around with a happy horse!

Gratitude

It has been a month since Team Luba returned safely home from our Excellent Adventure in Florida.  Thinking back on this experience, my overwhelming emotion is one of gratitude.

So many people supported us in so many ways, I barely know where to start.  For today, let me begin by saying that I was blown away by how many people stepped up to become supporters of Team Luba.  My wool basket runneth over.  I delivered the first of many toques and socks today.

THANK YOU!

Allison

Andrea

Anonymous

Bob Peter's Garage

Eileen

Gordon

Horses of the Sun

Kathleen

Kathy

Mimi

Mom and Ross

Monia

Navan Vet

Pamela

Randy

Renegade Hoof Boots

Rosemary

Sophie

Stacey

Stephane

Wayne

Bob Peters Garage has been established in Ottawa since 1975.
By providing good, old-fashioned customer service over the years, proprietor Bob Peter has gained a loyal following in the community. Many hundreds of area residents have come to depend on him, and to rely on the technical expertise of his friendly staff to keep their family vehicles in peak running condition.
The success of his neighbourhood business has been built on a foundation of customer satisfaction. Indeed, satisfied existing clients are Bob Peter's best advertising. Their 'word-of-mouth referrals' continue to be his largest source of new customers.
Perhaps you yourself are visiting this Web site on the recommendation of a friend or acquaintance. Whether a referral led you here or not, one thing is certain: You too can entrust all of your vehicle's service and repair needs to the team of automotive professionals at Bob Peters Garage.
Call Bob Peter today and find out what good customer service is all about!

Tel: (613) 722-4289 

http://bobpetersgarage.aaro.ca

Experience life with horses!

Sonja Koch at Horses of the Sun:

(613) 835-9523
hots@295.ca

1944 Forced Road
Vars, Ontario, Canada
K0A 3H0

www.renegadehoofboots.com

J'aurais ben l' goût d' sacrer mon camp jusqu'au printemps!

We unloaded Luba at Horses of the Sun around 9pm on Tuesday after a day of white knuckle driving.

The worst was when Deanna had to expertly thread the truck, camper and trailer through a mess of cars and trucks spinning out around us on black ice on the I-81 at mile 25 in New York State.

This is after Deanna safely guided us onto the shoulder after the truck hit black ice and we had no brakes!

As we round the corner, we see more cars in the ditch.

Endless stream of ditch pigs for about 2 miles….

Luba none the worse for wear, having a bite to eat when we stopped  for gas after the I-81 madness.

All the way back, we kept thinking about comments on Deanna's FB from her friend, Linda. "You should take Team Luba and head to Disney!" "Find another B&B and stay there until spring!"

But at the end of the day, there is no place like home. Luba was very happy to be turned out with Mama Sera. She danced into the quarantine paddock as Sera called out welcoming whinnies. First order of business was a big roll and a shake. Then she gobbled up a pail of warm sloppy beet pulp, soaked hay cubes and electrolytes. Sera got some leftover soaked hay cubes too.

Here is Luba, sporting the newest winter turnout colour - turquoise - hiding behind the round bale as Sera watches over her.

I laughed and laughed when this song, Lit vert by Plume Latraverse came on the radio. 

Roughly translated, the chorus says:

"It's cold,  even if winter is beautiful. I should get the hell out of town until spring!"

Pheasant Field B&B

We overnighted at Pheasant Field Bed and Breakfast near Carlilse, PA.
Warm and friendly welcome.
Just what we needed.

There is snow here and we got a dusting last night too.

Just finished breakfast. Poached pears with cranberry and walnut, mushroom, spinach and cheese fritata, sausages and pumpkin pancakes with maple syrup. Yumm.

Day 3: Homeward bound!

Multidays

I have learned to treat a long distance trailer trip like a multi day ride. We drive from gas station to gas station with a nice 30 minute hold at each one to rest, eat and drink. We have a routine that we follow to the letter every time, so Luba knows exactly what to expect. She eats like a horse every time! And then we do it again the next day.

Today is Day 2: We left Florence Horse Centre at 8:30 this morning. Destination today is Carlisle, PA at Pheasantfield Bale and Breakfast, a trip of just over 800 kms.

Ziggy, Kim, Mike and Stephanie are planning to stop there too, so looking forward to arriving around suppertime and having the evening to relax with a glass of wine. Tried to buy wine last night, but they do not sell alcohol on Sundays in Florence, SC.

Here are a few pics from this morning. Bright crisp morning with frost on the grass!

Live to ride another day

Luba and I gave it our best shot. Sometimes you eat up the trail and sometimes the trail eats you. Pulled after 35 miles for mild lameness. Luba is fine and we live to ride another day. Very proud of my mare and the way we represented Canada East. Grateful to everyone who supported us along the way. Congratulations to all our teammates for accepting the North American Endurance Team Challenge!

We are on the road home and finally have real internet access at the hotel in Florence, SC. Luba and Ziggy are safely settled in 70 foot round pens at Florence Horse Center. We are taking three days to drive home.  Hopefully the weather holds once we get further north!

The Eagle has landed

After our lovely Georgian morning, including a ride on the sandy trails in the woods around the farm, we carried on to the Sunshine State on Monday afternoon. The temperature gauge on the truck reading 29 C.

We arrived around 3:00 and found our way to Cabin 4. Each cabin has 4 stalls attached at the back, but we set Luba up in a lovely shaded paddock with many of the other Canada East horses.

Luba looked visibly relieved to see all the electric fence pens. “Oh, this is ride camp! I know how to do ride camp.” And she promptly set about eating hay. She must have wondered what the heck was going on for the last two days.

Kara and Deanna are sleeping in the cabin and I am cocooning in my camper.

First order of business was clipping off the winter coat. Luba had a surprisingly thick winter coat. She is a “flea-bitten” grey, which means she had darker flecks like freckles in her coat. After clipping, she looks like a leopard! 

Then Dr. Hie adjusted Luba. She was quite sore in her hind end from working so hard in the trailer. He also adjusted me later in the day. I was quite sore in my hind end from sitting in the truck and in my shoulders from travel stress. Traveling in truck and trailer for over 2400 kms is not for sissies!

All horses had to be on site by 12:00 yesterday. The FEI officials came by to check the FEI passports to make sure you brought the right horse, to take the horse’s temperature to make sure they were not sick, and gave us numbers to attach with zip ties to the horse’s tack for ride day and to the halter.  Luba was wearing her ratty old barn halter, so I sprinted over to the trailer to get a nice leather one. This is the big league!

Afterwards, seven of the Canada East team members went out for a stretch out ride in the Goethe Forest. We walked about 5 miles. Saw a deer! Then Wendy M and I took our horses for a short canter just to take the edge off. I felt all the accumulated tension of the travel flow out my fingers, my toes and the top of my head. 

This is what we came for. Baby, we were born to run!