sore
My first real track rides (in the dark, with all the track traffic) began with no warning on monday. I was suddenly told to get on a horse and take him round once. Then straight onto the next one and round twice. I managed through those 2, then another 2, but boy was I wobbly and muscleless afterwards!. Then tuesday rolled round, and I could scarcely walk, so sore was I in every single (or so it felt) muscle in my body. I guess it's worst up the back of my calves, my lower back, and my shoulders.
Still, I managed to loosen up a little biking my half hour to work in the cold rainy morning, and again had 4 horses to work, 10 circuits in all (I think I've figured out the track is about 16-1800m round). The last circuit was the third time round for that horse, and I was so glad it was a nice quiet horse (or appears to be). I was hurting all over, sweat dripping into my eyes, gasping for breath like a fish out of water, muscles burning, and basically hanging on for dear life. If Woody had decided to do anything other than his nice slow gallop (such as half a sideway step) or taken it into his head to go faster, I would have been on the ground flapping like a dead snail. I was so knackered!!!!
Still, even during the pain, I did think to myself, would I rather be nice, warm and dry in an office? And the answer was no.....
I managed to struggle through the rest of the day, head out after work to the hunting horses and hose them down in preparation for wednesdays hunt.
Wednesday, I was still sore (and still am!) but managed 5 horses in the morning, before heading straight from work to Turakina for a hunt with Rangitikei. It turned out to be an awesome day, after an hour or so of false starts, begins of runs, and hounds searching fruilessly (despite us seeing tons of hares breaking cover) we were off for about 2 hours of good runs, up the overgrown dunes, picking through marshes, over 8 wire fences, dodging gorse and brambles, jumping the odd hole in the ground, and over more fences. After a really good long run, the hounds scored their kill, and we were rewarded a paw from the hare (us being visitors from manawatu and all). The horses had loads of fun, and gosh, if you didn't trust your horse to keep its feet over rough ground, dealing with all sorts of jumps, lumps, various grip and angles - you'd have no hope!!! luckily they love it too!!!
I remembered all my aching bones as soon as I hit the ground though, and was absolutely ready for bed as soon as we made it home!!
Today I think I sense a slight easing up of the sore muscles, or here's hoping anyway!!!!
Still, I managed to loosen up a little biking my half hour to work in the cold rainy morning, and again had 4 horses to work, 10 circuits in all (I think I've figured out the track is about 16-1800m round). The last circuit was the third time round for that horse, and I was so glad it was a nice quiet horse (or appears to be). I was hurting all over, sweat dripping into my eyes, gasping for breath like a fish out of water, muscles burning, and basically hanging on for dear life. If Woody had decided to do anything other than his nice slow gallop (such as half a sideway step) or taken it into his head to go faster, I would have been on the ground flapping like a dead snail. I was so knackered!!!!
Still, even during the pain, I did think to myself, would I rather be nice, warm and dry in an office? And the answer was no.....
I managed to struggle through the rest of the day, head out after work to the hunting horses and hose them down in preparation for wednesdays hunt.
Wednesday, I was still sore (and still am!) but managed 5 horses in the morning, before heading straight from work to Turakina for a hunt with Rangitikei. It turned out to be an awesome day, after an hour or so of false starts, begins of runs, and hounds searching fruilessly (despite us seeing tons of hares breaking cover) we were off for about 2 hours of good runs, up the overgrown dunes, picking through marshes, over 8 wire fences, dodging gorse and brambles, jumping the odd hole in the ground, and over more fences. After a really good long run, the hounds scored their kill, and we were rewarded a paw from the hare (us being visitors from manawatu and all). The horses had loads of fun, and gosh, if you didn't trust your horse to keep its feet over rough ground, dealing with all sorts of jumps, lumps, various grip and angles - you'd have no hope!!! luckily they love it too!!!
I remembered all my aching bones as soon as I hit the ground though, and was absolutely ready for bed as soon as we made it home!!
Today I think I sense a slight easing up of the sore muscles, or here's hoping anyway!!!!