Because I'm Not Insane Enough

For your consideration and considerable amusement, I present to you the following Facebook conversation:

A: Perfect weather for a morning run...pony fitness is good, so time to work on the rider.

K: Ahhhhhhhh!!!! Ashley's running!!!!!! YES! I'm already thinking of the San Diego rideNtie possibilities. Can't help it, it's what I do.... ;)

A: That would be awesome! And Mimi's the perfect RnT height...easy to get on! We'd have to do something about the vastly different stirrup lengths...

K: No big - are you riding in an english or endurance right now? How's mimiers at being tied to a bush and left as other horses ride by?

A: English saddle -- Duett. I have no idea how she'll do, I've never tried it. The idea would be to try to find a RnT practice session and/or mentor before signing up for a race. Errr...you do know you'll have to be the stronger runner of the two of us, right?

K: Consider it COVERED woman! i'm training for the calico 30k this jan and the goal is to eventually be THAT PERSON who people remember at rides because she runs WITH her horse. ;) If it's english and I'm not spending more than a couple miles in the saddle at one time it shouldn't need adjusting. Just a fleece cover :) Your legs will love you for it. I'm thinking about the Manzanita and Descanso RnT's that concurrently happen with the endurance ride...but later, when you're in SD and don't have to pay for coggins/HT's. ;)

A: Already got the full sheepskin cover after Descanso NATRC in 07...can't imagine riding without it now!

K: For sure - i love those things though i rarely use mine due to the cholla and creosote that seem to be magnetically attracted to it!

A is, obviously, me. K is friend Kaity. We've sort of grown up together, despite living in two different states. We both used to show in POA, showed against each other for years (and we're still best friends), both started riding NATRC, then both switched over to endurance.

She used to ride a POA gelding, Sonny. He and Mimi are cousins, same grandsire on their POA half -- he's POA/Morgan cross, Mimi is POA/QH cross. Sonny is 21 now, I believe, and retired from competition, and Kaity is starting a new horse - a 5 year old (I think...4 or 5 now) Arabian/Appaloosa gelding named Kody.

Kaity and Sonny at Descanso NATRC 2007. We rode together all day, with Dad and Beamer happily sandwiched between the two Bad Ponies.

Kaity loves runing, and is fortunate enough to live right up against trails she can run and ride on. As evidenced from the above conversation, this translates into a want to try Ride N Tie, and I have to admit, her enthusiasm is contagious. I've wanted to try RnT, but have lacked a willing partner...Dad is having trouble generating any sort of interest in the sport, as he really hates running. Also, the complete lack of any RnT activity in AZ makes it all sort of a moot point.

I'm not that great at running, but I enjoy the feeling I get afterwards. Yesterday, I got a couple-mile run in...which consisted of "run about a 1/4 mile, then walk pathetically for a bit, then run a bit, then walk a bit." The idea behind this is to get fit enough to get off and keep up with Mimi for short periods of time while jogging, thus giving her a break while still making time.

And I think Mimi's got a solid enough brain to handle being tied off while others pass. I think. The advantage of using her is, she is short. The disadvantage -- her saddle rolls when you mount, so you have to tie off next to a bank or rock or some elevated surface with which to swring from. Also, Kaity is about 5'9" or so. I am (barely) 5'5". She can vault onto a pony no problem, probably without stirrups. I tend to pathetically slither and scramble on.

So maybe Mimi will have an endurance and RnT career, or maybe she gets shuffled down to the RnT horse after I can afford to keep a second horse (right...looking at San Diego prices for horsekeeping...I'm going to have to produce a lot of transcripts...). But that's still a ways away.