Barbara McGovern on Marie
Well, the day had finally arrived. The first CTR for my mule, Emma Jane, and me! Emma Jane is a 10 year old, 14.3 Hand molly (female) mule that was given to me 7 months ago in September of 2005. When Emma Jane came to me she had a lot of “issues” that had to be worked through. She was ear shy and afraid of people she didn’t know. Emma Jane and I bonded right away. It still has been a lot of hard work getting her over some of her problems. And we still have some work ahead of us. But she has come a long way and is doing great! My two biggest worries were getting her through the vetting process. She just does not like strangers handling her. She had also developed and abscess on her left front hoof in November of 2005 and has shown mild lameness on a few occasions.
Cindy Ross on Emma Jane
My friend, Barbara McGovern is leasing my horse Marie. Barbara was competing in this ride with Marie. I was thrilled to have both of my girls going to the ride!!! The ride was being held on a Sunday. Sunday morning vettings were being allowed. Since it is only 1 ½ hrs drive to Norway, Barbara and I decided to go up Sunday morning rather then camp out overnight. It was supposed to be a rainy wet day. We went prepared for anything! We headed out 5:00 AM on Sunday morning and had a quiet uneventful trip up. We arrived at Hidden Brook Farm at 6:30 AM. It was overcast and lightly sleeting. It didn’t feel cold enough for sleet but it was. The good thing is the sleet just kind of bounced off and didn’t soak in. After parking my trailer I went in search of Heather, the ride manager, to get our riders packets and find out what time to be ready for vetting. As I was walking down the driveway, a man walking the other way stops and quietly says, “Cindy?” Right away I knew it was Everett Grant. He is a fellow mule owner! I had only known him and his wife, Cyndi, through an internet message board, Atlantic Coast Mule Lovers. I was the first time I had met them in person. I hadn’t yet found Heather but I had to go and take a look at Jenny, Ev’s mule. Jenny looked very much like Emma Jane. The same dark bay color. They are about the same size and weight also. Jenny is 19 years old. After checking out Jenny, I found Heather and she said to be ready for vetting at 7:00 AM at the indoor arena.
Cindy Ross on Emma Jane
Everett Grant on Jenny
I had cleaned and brushed Emma Jane and Marie before loading them in the trailer earlier so we just had to give them a quick check and we headed down to vet in. Emma Jane was behaving very well. She has previously been used as a show mule but you could tell she was wondering what was going on. Emma Jane was standing quietly with me in the indoor arena until the vet, Peg Schively, approached her. Sure enough Emma Jane wanted no part of that! She backed up and circled around me trying to stay away from the Peg. Peg backed off and went to do something else. At the same time the lay judge, Coleen Hoyt, came right up to Emma Jane and started to stroke her face and quietly talk to her. Emma Jane was just fine with her and Coleen did the hands on with no problem. Peg came back then and once again Emma Jane wanted nothing to do with her. I just quietly but firmly kept telling Emma Jane to “whoa” and “stand”. After only about a minute she finally settled down and let Peg approach her and stood very nicely for her vetting. After Peg was done we did our trot out and that went very well. I mentioned to the vet that I had some concerns about her left front being completely sound and she said she would really watch for any problems. PHEW! Vetting done! One big obstacle conquered! And it went much better then I had anticipated!
Barbara got Marie vetted with no problems. After all, Marie is an old pro at this. And it was a help to Emma Jane to see Marie being so calm and quiet about everything. We took the girls back to the trailer and saddled up. Emma Jane was just a tiny bit fidgety but not bad. Barbara and I took them down to the indoor arena to mount up and warm them up. Emma Jane had to circle me a few times before she would stand still and let me mount. But, once again, no big deal. It wasn’t long before it was time for us to head up to the starting line and get ready to head out on the trail. Everett with his Jenny was riding with Barbara and I. We were depending on Marie to set the pace and get the two rookie mules through the ride!
The trail consisted of two 15 mile loops. All public road. A good part of it dirt with a section of paved road in the middle. It was quite hilly. Marie set her favorite pace. A slightly slow but very steady trot. Barbara had to really push her to pick up the pace. Everett and Jenny would occasionally get out in the lead. Finally Marie spotted a white butt up in front of us. She always hopes it might be the love of her life, Cody, when she sees a white horse. Suddenly, she was off like a rocket putting on the big trot. Luckily, the white horse was setting a good pace and kept Marie inspired all the way to the hold. Marie and Jenny drank good at the first water stop. Emma Jane didn’t drink.
Emma Jane was doing great and still going strong when we reached the hold. Emma Jane fussed just a bit when Janet Brunjes came to take her P&R.. ECTRA now allows hand held heart rate monitors to be used at the holds rather then stethoscopes. When Janet got the initial reading it was 68. As Emma Jane realized that Janet was not doing anything to hurt her, her pulse went right down to 43 in less then a minute. Her respiration was 8. Emma Jane was in great shape. She fussed just a little bit again when Peg, the vet, did the metabolic check but settled fairly quickly. Her trot out went fine. No signs of lameness at all! YEAH. Marie and Jenny both did fine with their vetting and we were all cleared to finish the ride. Emma Jane didn’t drink at the hold. She was sure happy to chow down some oats with cut up carrots though! I had a hard time getting her face out of that so I could put her bridle back on to head back out on the trail.
Cindy Ross with Emma Jane at the hold
Since the second half of the ride was a repeat of the first, we knew exactly what we needed to do to finish on time. Once again Barbara had to really push Marie along until she saw some horses up ahead to inspire her. Ev and Jenny actually got out and lead quite a bit on the first half of the second loop. As Marie really picked up the pace she eventually fell behind for a while. A little more then half way through the second loop we lost sight of Ev and Jenny. They did eventually catch up with us though. Emma Jane kept going real strong until about the last 5 miles. Then she finally started falling behind at the trot and would have to canter to catch up to Marie. She was great though and never quit on me. And she was just wonderful the whole time I was on her. You could tell that Jenny (and Everett) were getting a bit tired also at the end. But we all finished on time!!!!! Now all we had to do was pass the final vetting!
The weather had cooperated quite well actually. The sleet stopped sometime before we got to the half way hold. On the second half of the ride we had a few very light brief showers. Not enough to even really get us wet. It had stopped altogether by the time we finished the ride. But it was getting a bit chilly. We got the saddles off Emma Jane and Marie and covered their hindquarters up with fleece blanket to keep their large muscles from getting cold and cramping. We did sponge some of the sweat off their necks and chests. Usually the P&R people come to your trailers or stalls at the end of a ride. Due to a shortage of help, we had to take our animals down to the indoor arena for P&R’s. Once again, Emma Jane fussed just a bit when the P&R person approached her but once again settled fairly quickly and then stood quietly. Her pulse was 46 and respiration was 12. The maximum pulse for a perfect score is 44 so we would lose some points there. But 46 is fine. Colleen Hoyt once again did the hands on. Emma Jane fussed a bit with her this time. Same routine though of a bit of backing and head tossing then settling down. Same for Peg the vet again also. Every time Emma Jane would fuss, she would then stand very quietly and nicely after she had gotten her opinion across! Then it was time to do the final trot out. I figured this would be a disaster. I’ve been doing practice trot out’s at home after each ride. Emma Jane thinks it is a totally stupid thing to do and lets it be known! She will refuse to trot, then when I do get her going she will pin those enormous ears back and scrunch up her lips and glare at me. It’s quite a sight! And this is what I was expecting for my final trot out at the ride. WRONG! She took off like a rocket on the straight. Then she got flying around in the circle and I couldn’t get her to stop. Even very firm “whoa’s” and strong yanks on the lead rope had no effect. I finally had to reel her in like a fish! She got herself together for the second circle and did much better. Well, at least she didn’t look too tired! Hahahahaha. She trotted out 100% sound! YEAH. Ev’s mule Jenny looked fine at the end of the ride but she refused to let the vet and judge examine her hindquarters and back legs. Because they couldn’t complete the exam, maximum points were deducted in that category which was 13 points. Jenny trotted out fine so didn’t seem to be at all lame. The vet thought that it was just muscle soreness and nothing to really worry about. But, he got a completion anyway. Heather had ordered pizza and Italian sandwiches for our meal. She had use of a nice screened in porch for us to use. Barbara and I blanketed the girls and left them tied to the trailer with plenty of hay to munch. After grabbing a slice of Pizza, Barbara and I hung out in the indoor arena where it was warmer and there was a place to sit. We hung out there and watched the rest of the vetting. That is also where they held the award ceremony. Ev won the award for oldest horse/mule to complete the ride. And Emma Jane being the only other mule on the ride won the high point mule award! Hahahahah. Emma Jane ended up with a score of 95 and was 15th place. Very good showing for her first ride! Marie had a score of 95.25 and was 14th place.
It was all in all a great ride! Look out CTR world, you haven’t seen the last of this mule yet!!! Hahahahaha.
Everett and Emily Grant at final vetting with Jenny
Words from Everette Grant:
As the pain in my back starts to ease a bit the positives are starting to sneak into my recollections. Meeting Cindy and seeing first hand the skill and mule sense she has and that we all knew she had from her stories was indeed a pleasure. It is an attitude and approach essentially necessary with mules that some folks never achieve after years of mule and horse ownership. I think she had it before she had the mule. Patient, calm, consistent and firm.
I am thrilled with Jenny and a touch perplexed as well. She tried hard all day and responded willingly to every request. She amazed me by drinking very well on the trail and at the hold. She trotted out in hand with ease, both before and after the ride. She was the oldest animal there and a rookie too, she looks this morning like she would be happy to go again today. The puzzlement comes from her post ride vetting. She refused to let the vet examine her hind legs, we therefor took a huge point deduction and finished dead last in points. The vet seemed to think she was just muscle sore, a theory that seems to be accurate as time has passed. Within minutes of the vet check Cyndi was able to rub her hands up and down both of Jenny's hind legs without incident. The final trot out was held roughly a half an hour after the vetting and Jenny trotted out a little stiff, but sound all around. So, I guess before I try this again I need to do a little more conditioning with a focus on adding muscle to the rear.
Definitely a learning experience. I am sure I would not have made time without Cindy and EJ and Barbara and Marie to push me along. Thanks again.
Ev
Hidden Brook 30 Drive 4/23/06 ME 2/S-F
Judges: Dr. M Shively - Colleen Hoyt
1. Day, Sondra / Ager's Lucky Magic
2. Buckley, Stephanie / Cliffe's Copper Peny
Hidden Brook 30 Ride 4/23/06 ME 19/S-F
1. Jewell, Char / Enshalia Fakama
2. Konecki, Ruth / Izusu
3. Lobb, Amy / Shyloh
3. Walker, Connie / Hermoine Granger
5. Stygles, Amanda / Thunder
6. Akerstrom, Sharon / Tonkakola Gold
7. Walker, Courtney / Picabo STreet
8. McKittrick, Janice / Apollo
8. Navoy, Cory / My Heaven Sent
10. Claar, Mitch / Nikademous
11. Libby, Karen / JB Roman Tarbajk
12. Levasseur, Sharon / Zephyr's Elegant Gift
12. Sweet, Eliza / Mainlee tuart
14. McGovern, Barbara / Marie (score 95.25)
15. Ross, Cindy / Emma Jane (score 92.00)
16. Tenggren, Traci / Travelin Man Maverick
17. Burgess, Carolyn / Rouk
18. Burgess, Robert / S/B Mighty Country
Completion Grant, EVerett / Jenny
