MAY 12: Making the most of ‘down time’ whilst spelling Wrangler.
Since last Friday I have been nursing Wrangler who is sporting an inflamed and bruised wither (that’s the boney bit at the top of a horses shoulders). During this time I’ve been treating him for bruising and inflammation and he’s responding. I’ve been making the most of the time and on the weekend went ‘scouting’ ahead over 500 kms checking out the route, waterholes, campsites, towns etc.(My eldest sister Yoni from Armidale came across and picked me up. It was also good to have a distraction over mother’s day weekend). The wonderful Thompson family, which I’m staying with here at ‘West Mookie’ have very generously looked after my horses for me while I did that. I’ve also been doing lots of forward planning with schools, phone calls, repacking and sorting gear, cleaning stuff etc.
It seems with this horse trek, no matter how well I plan things I am constantly changing them. This brings to my mind a beautiful saying that Hannah loved, “Blessed are the flexible as they will never be bent out of shape!” Well I’m definitely getting plenty of experience with that one; I’m so flexible I feel like a rubber ring! I am ‘trying’ to stay with what’s happening right now and not thinking too far ahead, (outside of a general plan) but focusing on what needs to happen each day.
Some good things that have happened include meeting up with Jason and Naomi Simmons from Overseer Saddlery.
Overseer Saddlery Armidale: Jason Simmons
Jason has very generously loaned me his pack saddle while I get more work done on mine. I have now had two issues with bruising and I don’t want to risk that happening again. Having said that Wrangler (the big chestnut horse) got a bruised wither outside of Werris Creek when the whole pack saddle slipped and I had to push it back up his near side and over his wither and back onto his back. The weight of the saddle and all my gear is about 90kgs so it was a fair weight to ‘shove’ across his back. The alternative was terrifying….to let it slip under his belly….that would’ve been ugly. When the packsaddle slipped I jumped off Meg and got underneath the ‘near side’ pack and held it (I was struggling a little I must say!) I’m standing there thinking of what to do, holding all that weight, knees buckling, there was a bloke sitting in a car 50 meters from me and I called out to him to give me a hand but he must’ve had his radio on and simply stared at me blankly! I obviously didn’t look distressed enough for that bloke to think I was in trouble and needed a hand. Will have to start working on my ‘distressed damsel’ look! After about five minutes a young fella about 20 came by and even though he knew nothing about horses came to help me. If I’d let the pack saddle and bags slip under his belly, I’m fairly sure Wrangler would’ve found the energy to take off with all my gear getting trashed to bits dragging on the ground including computer, solar gear etc, etc… down the main street of Werris Creek! Not a good look and a sure end to this horse trekkers dreams!
But the consequence of that decision is now very real….but I couldn’t have reacted any differently. My choices were very limited. BUT – Prevention is the best thing. Only seconds before the load shifted I’d thought, ‘gee that girth looks loose better get off and tighten it up’, and I said to myself ‘okay I’ll just ride to the corner and do that’. Two seconds later the whole things goes to ‘hell in a hand basket’. The lesson is to listen to the inner voice giving me guidance and DON’T IGNORE IT! Okay I get it……This is what I call a sledgehammer experience.
My new mantra is ‘listen-respond’ NOW….not in a minute.
This afternoon to get back on schedule with schools etc I have had to change my route and am now riding down through Gulgong, Wellington and Yeoval to Parkes, this route cuts of over 100kms for me. This means I’m not going to Dunnedoo or Dubbo with the horses. I am putting my horses in the Thompson’s gooseneck and getting them trucked to Gulgong where I’ll be setting out from. I have to do this for the horses’ welfare and to keep up my commitments with the schools and community events already booked.
Injury is a reality of this kind of venture, I knew that when I signed up for this, however I didn’t quite envisage what form those injuries would take, and certainly nothing like Wrangler is sporting. I’m thinking he’ going to need at least another week off without any saddle, so will be relying on generous people to help me with supplies and gear. And I have to say I have had no shortage of them. I am constantly humbled by the goodness of people and their willingness to help. Not having my second horse to pack gear on means I am very limited in what I can carry. Also means I have to leave gear behind and then get it caught up to me down the track when my horse is right again. I have quite a few nights coming up where I’ll be camping out as the distances between towns are increasing. Great news right as the night temperatures are dropping and a cold change is coming through!
I think all the time about the bike ride last year in Oct/Nov and now think compared to this horse trek feels like a walk in the park. The bike ride was 90% predictable, the horse trek is the reverse and 90% unpredictable….but the good news is guys I’m up for it. Me and my Horse Crew have already walked/ridden over a quarter of the way to Melbourne, had many difficult moments but got through them. The presentation in the schools of “Mela-What?” has been fantastic, fundraising has been awesome. My job is to keep in mind Mark Twain’s saying, “Courage isn’t the absence of fear, it’s the mastery of it”. Little old Mauz from Moparrabah is getting plenty of experience with that one.
