Transition Tuesday Week 17

Boots At The Front And At The Back

Bryce XP 2009

Bryce Canyon XP.

I managed to squeeze a couple of days between work obligations to get up to the Bryce Canyon XP this weekend. I came home feeling blissed out after seeing so many beautiful vistas.

Preparing a boot for application.

We used Easyboot Glue-Ons for the ride. We applied them on Thursday morning before work and left on Friday morning to make the 8.5 hour drive to Bryce. Some riders seem hesitant about applying the Glue-On boots themselves, but let me tell you: if I can put them on, anyone can! Each horse took no longer than 45 minutes each to apply the boots. More on that next week.

Not all of the trail looked like this, but I was pleased to be in boots.

I rode with Rusty on Day 3: I took Redford and Rusty rode Rocky. We used some experimental glue on the boots and they held up really well. We started at the front of the pack and kept up a steady pace all day. The horses moved out nicely over the rocky roads and seemed to have a lot of fun.

I estimate that about a third of the riders each day were using boots.

We finished in 8^th and 9^th place. It was supposed to rain most of the day, so the Duck changed the trail and kept us on good footing trails. It made for a fast ride: we finished in a smoking 5h20. Both horses looked fantastic at the end. We showed for Best Condition, even though the Duck said we did not have a chance against Garrett! His horse looked awesome.

There was lots of green grass along much of the trail.

It is fascinating to me to see that boot users are spread throughout the pack. I used to have the sense that boot users tended to ride a little slower and accumulate more miles. Now the boot users are at the front of the pack; at the back of the pack and spread out nicely in between.

Garrett applies boots to a horse after dark.

After the ride meeting, Garrett spent a couple of hours applying boots to some first-time Glue-On users and to a couple of converts. He and Christoph Schork worked well after dark and managed to gather quite an audience.

I rode Redford again on Day 4 and had a blast. I enjoyed the stunning scenery and the good company of strangers out on the trail. The views really are quite breathtaking, and the long day was full of many moments of pure exhilaration. Dian Woodward and Christoph Schork tied for first place and Dian got BC. They were two of at least four riders who finished in boots in the top ten. Barb Debi got third place in her first ever Glue-On attempt, and Kevin Waters was not far behind her, also in Glue-Ons. Kevin was riding the same horse he rode at Tevis, and would go on to ride all five days on him.

The views make your heart sing.

The scenery makes you feel free and very much alive.

Boot users everywhere.

Redford finished strong at about 4:20 PM – he was a monster most of the day. I came home on Monday – Day 5. It was a drag to leave all those wonderful trails before the ride was over, but I am glad I made it up there and I had to get back to work. When I got Redford off the trailer, I was surprised at how little swelling he had in his legs. He used to get huge windpuffs when I rode him in steel shoes. There is almost no swelling in his legs now: the reduction of concussion obviously makes a significant difference.

Keep up the boot legging!

Kevin

 

Comments

[Jenny Moncur]

I am really enjoying your series, Kevin.
It is very inspiring just how quickly your horses have taken to being booted and seem to have gone from strength to strength without missing a beat.
I would also like to echo your comments about no leg swelling since being booted and bare. Those days are gone for my horses, too, even after 100+ km rides.
Jenny Moncur
Oz

[www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1165650184]

Fantastic post Kevin. Thank you for such breath taking photos opts as well. Definitely a ride on my wish list! Sorry you missed Day 5 and equally as glad that you and Rusty with horses made it home safe and sound. Best wishes always.

D'Arcy