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Outlaw Trail

Valerie Newson

This is my second year of 50s and my second time at Outlaw Trail. I joined up for Thurs and Fri last year and did the same this year, yes I was a Pinkerton! (twice) One of these years, maybe next year, I'd like to ride the whole thing, although I have to say that after seeing Karen's pictures of Day 1 and 2 it kind of scares me. Maybe if I can ever become an actual Outlaw, I'll be brave enough to talk to the other ones at camp, or maybe if I can actually ride in control then I won't be too embarrassed to talk to more people at camp :))))

coming into the finish on our second day Anyhow, my horse, Bakdom (Bak for short) had been having a little gas colic problem this year after rides and I wasn't sure if we could even do one day, yet alone two. Well I have started to use some probies (new to me) and changed electrolytes, and we managed to complete the Scipio 25 with a good tummy in August and so we trained hard to be able to do one day at Outlaw. Here's my story:

WE did it! Bak and I managed to do both Thurs and Fri and finish is basically good condition. Now I'm not really impressed with the manner in which Bak decided he was going to compete but he seems not too worse for 100 miles and several hours in the trailer later.

I overslept Thurs morning, don't ask me how? I haven't a clue, got up around 6 am and still made it for the 7am start, Crockett was running late (good for me!) so we didn't leave till about 7:20am. I put Bak in a borrowed S-hack since he had been so well behaved recently and I knew we had a really good (3 mile) controlled start. Lesson #1, Bak cannot handle the beginning of a race in a hack. He tossed his head for approximately 45 of 50 miles, pain in the butt. I dismounted early for a downhill stretch and Howard was totally impressed with my remount at a trot, I over-catapulted and had to pull back over. Bak was not even giving me the time of day. At this point we are not friends!

At 17ish miles we had a 15 minute vet check with no crew allowed. I had hooked up with a nice couple Bobbie and Paul, hubby and wife. I actually think Bobbie was an angel in disguise because she saved my butt over and over all day. Bobbie's horse was doing his first 50 and Paul's horse at 19 was doing his last. Bak did drink/eat and was looking good, way too focused and driven though. It's really interesting to me that the more relaxed I get the more nervous Bak gets and it also seems that the stronger Bak gets the more nervous he gets. Someone told me that the more in shape the horses are the more energy they have to screw off with, maybe they have a point! One of my reins came undone (never has happened before, but this was unprecedented head tossing) Bobbie hooked me back up. Lesson #2, Might want to try a little tape on the reins. On the way to the hr vet check we (Bobbie, Paul and I) dismounted to walk down a part of Burro canyon and Paul's a runner so he took off and Bobbie and I were trying to remount. Well, Bak wouldn't hold still to let me on and I landed square on my butt and Bak took off down the trail, Bobbie went to fetch him and I ran along behind. Sigh! As I watched Bak trot out of sight the sad thing is I wasn't too sure I was sad to see him go! At this point the head tossing had made for such a rough ride that I was exhausted. This does lead me to Lesson #3, we need to work on standing still when mounting. Bak stopped 1/2 mile down the trail with MJ, Linda, and Dana at a water crossing, at least he was drinking, only bright spot at this point. Thank goodness they were stopped, as I think Bak would have gone all the way to the check (maybe further) without me. I retreived him from MJ, thanked them profusely and managed to mount. Off we go again. We had lost Paul, after Bobbie being so kind to me yet again, but we caught him later. His horse had decided he was lonely and was kind of waiting for us and we trotted into the check.

The hour hold is at 31.9 miles and as soon as we came in, I turned the reins over to my hubby, not really sure at this point if this is fun or torture! (Still basically wondering about that one - I'll have to get back to you with a final decision!) Bak vetted pretty good, some interference with his fronts, the vet wanted to know if he was tired! I managed to say politely that I didn't think he was tired but that he was definitely riding strung out and not heeding where he was placing his feet, basically I was not riding in control. I know, I know, it wasn't going the way I had planned either.

We left the vet check right behind/with MJ, Linda and Dana. Our horses felt good so we kind of passed them and took off, Bak was still being a little bit of a spaz but somewhat better. The last part was rather uneventful except for one more dismount at a steep downhill. Paul took off running, I sure wish I could do that, and Bobbie was a little way behind him. I managed to actually mount by myself and then Bak decided to take off to catch Bobbie, which we did and then both of us caught Paul and then we finished nice and easy through the bottom of the riverbed.

Bak vetted in well, still perky, but the vet was worried about his interference marks, they were quite sore. They told me to ice them for the swelling and slather them in furacine and see how he was in the morning but felt that he was fine to go on Friday. I put Bak in his new snow fence corral and he looked like he was going to get sick to his stomach on me so I sent Chris to walk him and ran for the probios. I gave him like half a dose and about 20 minutes later he was looking much more comfortable, read as perky. I guess it's good that I know exactly what he looks like before he going to get sick but it's really an area I would like to do without. I hope to get to managing this a little better and actually had no problem at all on Friday, so that was wonderful.

Friday morning I managed to get up on time, yes the alarm does work! I was surprised that Bak's back wasn't just sore as can be since my riding skills had gone to pot but he felt good. His front left really hurt when I touched it. The vet had told me to put some guaze and vet wrap under my interference boots to hold the medicine on so it wouldn't rub them more raw. I'm thinking that Bak's going to be tired after already going 50 the day before. NOT!

We start like maniacs and Bak is now in his french-link snaffle and still not paying attention, but at least I feel like I have something to pull on! Bobbie and Paul were not riding today and I was trying to find someone to ride with. Bak didn't want to be with Linda and Dana's horses - don't ask why, I don't know. He kept searching out horses that look like my sisters horse or Bobbie's horse from yesterday. The problem with this is that these horses happen to belong to people that I should not be riding with like Phyllis Barthomlew (sp) (won won BC for 5 days). Each time I tried to stop him he would just act like such an idiot that I was afraid I would come off and not be able to remount or lose him again. So we ran with the big boys, for a while anyway.

Well Bak hit a bit of quicksand and sunk his front feet in clear to his chest and then hit his face into the ground. All I could think was that he was going to break his neck and I was wondering which way he was going to roll and how much it was going to hurt to have him roll on me because I couldn't get myself clear. I managed to flip out of my right stirrup and was sitting high on his neck when he managed to crawl out on his knees and pull us both out with his strong front end. Truely amazing in retrospect, his strength. Phyllis B. was dually impressed, that he pulled out and that I stayed on, sometimes fear is a great motivator I guess. She pointed out that my boots had slipped (that happened within the first 5 miles but it was impossible to stop) and so she held him while I pulled them off quickly and tighten my saddle and remounted. It was awfully nice of her to take pity on me, both Bak and I were mud from head to toe, he had mud up to his ears. My sports bra had also come unzipped but I wasn't about to ask her to wait for me any longer so I was free hanging until the check. Great, just great! Lesson #4 wear sports bras with no zippers, no matter how much easier they are to put on in the morning. Phyllis and I continued on and we missed the turn out of the riverbed and ended up having to turn around and go back, she was not happy. I was so "not with it" that I have to say I was not a lot of help. We met up with two others that had also missed the turn. We found the turn and made it into the first vet check at 23 miles.

I had honestly thought that today would be easier than yesterday but as I slipped off Bak at the check and gave up the reins to my hubby I knew that it had gotten worse, this isn't the way I want to ride. Bak took about 10 minutes to come down, we had run into the check and then with the fall and riding too fast, I wasn't too surprised. For a horse that doesn't like to get his feet wet he sure trotted and ran through the river like he'd been doing it all his life, I felt like I was in the Man from Snowy River. I managed to get the rest of the vet wrap off his legs it had all bunched up above his hoof. Lesson #5, vet wrap and boots don't work in water/riverbeds, after he heals try splint boots.

It was a 45 minute hold. Bak drank well but wasn't eating enough and his left front hurt. I soaked his leg and told the vet I wasn't leaving til he ate. I also knew I couldn't leave with Phyllis, etc. there was no way me or Bak could go like that for the next 27 miles. The vet wanted to see him trot before I left. Linda, Dana and MJ came in and I thought about leaving with them, but Bak still wasn't ready. Then Howard came in and his horse was looking good but a little tired. I trotted out for the vet and Bak was sound, and his gut sounded good. I asked Howard if he wanted company and the vet was actually glad to see us join up because at this point we both needed some support and company. I stayed at the check for an hour and half. NOTE to newbies, you can stay as long as you want at checks, the vets were very happy that we had stayed until Bak ate good.

Both the horses liked the sandy, soft footing and moved really well. We had to dismount twice for some slickrock and I followed Howard, his horse is really sure-footed, whereas Bak is a bit more of a scrambler on the slickrock although he was better this year than last. Last year he slid down a huge rock and scraped his heal up pretty good. We made it down to the river and the horses drank and Howard sponged his horse. Bak doesn't like to be sponged although he got better at it because Howard sponges often and his horse loves it. We were in the riverbed for what seemed like forever but we stopped alot in the shade and sponged and the horses drank a ton.

When we finally came out of the riverbed there was one more vet check, actually a pulse down and 15 minute hold and then it was six miles to the finish. I sponged Bak in the river and he pulsed down right away and was just starving so he ate really well for that hold. In the riverbed, every once in a while Bak would hit his left front and fling it clear out and hop for a step or two, I know it really hurt. Howard and I finished just fine. I gave Bak a small dose of probios and a total sponge bath and then vetted. Other than his left front he was in great shape, no upset tummy YEAH! I wrapped his legs and he ate and took a nap and ate and took another nap, etc.

I pulled off my boots and my ankles swelled up immediately and I wasn't able to put another pair of boots on until yesterday. I had spent so much time slipping forward that the tops of my feet were just trashed and still have quite a bit of road rash on them today, at least I can see my ankle bones again as the swelling is gone. I was so completely beat up that walking was hard, I was sure pissed off that I got that 3 inch lift on the Sundowner because I couldn't get up and down in it. I was not this beat up after Outlaw last year, so I have some things to work on. I'd like to think he would be better with a buddy but don't really know for sure. I'd also like to think that I can ride with more control and respect but that kind of flew out the window too. Bak lost some weight but he looks fabulous, his left front is still sore to the touch but he is sound and I guess I'm shopping for splint boots of some sort. I am truly amazed at his strength and I guess riding an average of 25-30 miles a week really works at getting your horse in shape. He accomplished a lot more than I thought he could and for that I'm totally proud, next year I want to do it a little saner and safer. Our ride times were about the same as last year but it was so much nicer for me to ride with his buddy last year.

Thanks to Sharon, Crockett, and all their helpers for all their hard work, this ride is wonderful and yes, I'll be back next year!

Copyright 1999, Valerie Newson


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