Tell us about your horse. When/how did you come to get
him/her? I bred him.
What is your horses breeding?
*Witez II / CMK His dam TOUCH of IMAGE
was by my first Arab (and 2d endurance
horse) GREY IMAGE and his sire was the HCC-bred stallion, KOSZAR,
that we were lucky enough to buy from Ted and Sheila Jeary back in the early
80s.
Sex: Stallion
DOB: June 16,1988
Horse height: 14-2 (on a good day)
Approx. Weight: 875# - racing fit - on the scale at Tevis
Color: bay
Shoe size: 0
Why did you decide to purchase this? Far was bred to be an
endurance horse. His sire, KOSZAR has sired a Tevis Winner, a Tevis
BC and his get have conservatively over 40,000 endurance miles & more
championships than I have fingers and toes to count on. Fars Dam was by
Grey Image (who, in the 70s accumulated 1,300 miles, several Top 10s
& a BC) & out of a Lanigan mare. With that
breeding Far could have done any type of performance work, but I outgrew the
arena stuff a long time ago and don't have the $$ or inclination for flat-track
racing although KOSZAR did set a track record at the mile.
Did you do endurance with any other horses before this horse?
Yes. Mostly with Fars grandsire, and, of course, we had started
with DOC the year after Far was foaled.
How many different horses have you ridden in this sport?
7 (or so) of my own, and on a rare occasion one of Roxanne Greene's.
Do you participate in any other horse sports or activities? We have
been breeding performance Arabians since the mid 70s. Endurance is my
love. I do get a bug every now and then to train Far on barrels
& especially poles (just to show the locals what an athletic Arab can do)
but my endurance inoculations have been able to hold it in check so
far.
How many years have you been involved with horses? In endurance?
Horses since 1955 and endurance since 1976.
What got you interested in endurance riding? What was it that kept you
interested? Burned out
show-horse person got involved with some Pony Express Racing, but after 2 races
decided that the team concept especially when others failed to properly
condition their horses wasn't my cup of tea. When a gentleman by the name
of Torg Wold (I found out later he was a AERC Ride Manager), seeing my Quarter
mares recoveries, told me That horse should be doing Endurance I decided to
check it out. Roxanne Greene and I both had the same mentor, actor Clint
Ritchie! and both of us did, at his suggestion, the MALIBU 50 as our first ride.
Of course. Clint didn't ride it he didn't have a horse that could do it!.
If it hadn't been for Bob Bellamak seeing me thru I'd STILL be out there.
But I was hooked a competition based on just what you and your horse could
accomplish together. And, of course, we RACED I think everyone wants to
when they first start and it was maybe even more that way in those days.
One of the reasons I have stayed with Endurance is that you can compete
on so many different levels. And, of course just riding that far over
every imaginable type of terrain, thru all extremes of weather, presents a new
and different type of challenge every time you leave base camp.
A good horse & good friends to ride him
with. Plodding thru sand & rocks, or zipping thru trees on good
footing at a high trot. Narrow & sometimes scary trails.
Wildflowers & breathtaking views. Rain, thunder, wind and sometimes
hail. The LORD has truly blessed those of us who are able to do
this sport.
How old was your horse when first started? First ride? What
mileage distance did you start with? (25, 50,
etc.) I conned Laurie into taking him on
the Malibu 25 when he was just shy of 5 yrs old. I just do
LDs for fun, as I don't really believe they teach a horse anything, or can take
enough out of a good horse, but Doc was getting the Endurance Horse Registry
Champion Stallion award at the ride! so we were going to be there anyway.
She came into the first vet check saying Where are the mountains I need
MOUNTAINS!! . She rode him the 6 miles back to camp from the finish line,
too, (instead of trailering) and he came in at a dancing trot.
How many rides did you do the first, second, and third ride seasons?
5 weeks after Malibu, Laurie and Far
did the Old Warriors Waterhunt 50. I wanted to be sure he could DO 50
because the week after that, HAPPY BIRTHDAY Little Horse, I was
planning to take him to the Schellbourne XP 250. We did 4 days.
Would have done all 5, but he got a rear-end muscle cramp during hailstorm on
Wednesday, so we took Thursday off. We completed 3 more 50s after Schellbourne.
Laurie started him in another 50 that August, but he sustained a deep cut
negotiating a boulder-strewn switchback, and although he wasn't lame, we pulled
him to avoid any risk. Year 1, Far started 9 50s, finishing 8, plus the
LD at Malibu. The second year he completed 15 50s, a 75, an 80, and
Tevis, finishing 2d behind Doc for the Jim Jones National Stallion Award. The
third year he completed, with Laurie, 6 50s, a 2-day 100 (winning
it), and Tevis.
How long till you top tenned or 'raced'? (if you
did) We asked Far to race Sept of his
1st year at an IAHA Regional Championship 50. He ran 13th
overall and fulfilled our goal of finishing in the Top 5 in the Arab division,
but we went only as fast as was necessary for the Arab Top 5. We continued
to ask him to race in the IAHA events each year, and every now and
then mostly when Laurie rode him, wed get the racing bug, averaging
several Top 10s a year, plus a win and a BC. Far has Top 10d at all distances!
(except LD).
How much time off do you give between ride seasons?
With the multitude of rides available now, there really isn't any end to the
season unless you need or want to take a break. If I am campaigning a
horse, there is just the end of the year points/mileage-wise, and the start of
the next year and the only break would be the time between rides.
If you have done 100's, how much time off do you give after doing one?
What is your schedule in the month leading up to the ride?
No special schedule except to be sure wed done at least one 50 within the
previous month. If the horse comes back from the ride OK, I wouldn't
necessarily give any time off other that just the time between the
next-scheduled ride, keeping in mind that as long as I'm doing at least one
Endurance ride a month, I seldom ride between rides and then only slow
(walk/jog) pleasure rides, with some good hills. With Doc we did back to
back 100s on occasion with no adverse effects, but I wouldn't make a practice
out of it. Never had the need to with Far.
If you have done multidays, how much time off do you give after doing one?
What is your schedule in the month leading up to the ride?
Same as with 100s.
What kind of tack do you use? Used a WWI German Calvary Saddle until 1997 when Far won us a Boz
for the Jim Jones Award. Liked the Boz so well I bought one for me as
Laurie had commandeered the one Far won. Boz says you can do without but
I use a double-thick woolback pad. Doc took a fleece-covered girth, but
Far needs a neoprene-covered. He is one of the thinnest-skinned horses I
have ever dealt with. I put all my horses in Macpherson #94
Hackamore bits as soon as I can. Tons of WHOA, but they're free to
eat along the way. I also have over 1,500 miles on Bozs new bareback rig
and LOVE it.
What kind of shoes do you use on your horse? Pads? Easyboots?
Far has never been padded. We use St Croix plains. Occasionally I
will use Easyboots over the fronts on some Multi-days like the Grand Canyon
where there are a lot of small sharp rocks and a good amount of hard-panned
roads.
What kind of problems have you encountered? Far has had few
lameness problems nothing specific diagnosed just off so we rested him.
He has had a re-occurring problem (3 times) with quarter crack left
front, but we just put a Equilox patch on it & kept going.
What was the worst or most severe injury your horse has had?
The quarter cracks.
How did you work thru it? Patched them and kept going.
Describe the best ride you ever had on your horse? Had to
be the Point to Point XP Cold springs to Schellbourne in 1997. I rode
with Laurie and Doc for a lot of it, through wind, hail, and snow. That
trail is my favorite of all time anyway, and the weather that year made it
quite an experience. Rainbows one minute and snow the next.
Describe the worst day you ever had with your horse?
This is a hard question. The LORD has really blessed us so much
- I haven't really had any bad rides or days with Far. I guess the
worst time we had was at an old Gamblers Special ride the one that used to be
in Jean. I was sick of the trail, and Far didn't seem to be traveling
square down the gravel wash coming in to lunch. He trotted out fine for
the vet (in retrospect, I think the gravel wash was burning his heels) but all
I could think of was having to do 13 more miles on a trail Id been doing
several times a year since what seemed like the beginning of time, so I pulled
him. I think that is the only time I've pulled a horse because I didn't
want to ride any further.
What was your most humbling experience? Every time I do a
ride it is a humbling experience. That the LORD has given us charge over
such magnificent animals is an awesome responsibility even more so with a horse
like Far because he tries SO hard, and stays so cheerful even when I'm hot,
tired and grumpy.
What lessons have you learned along the way that you feel are the most
important? Speed kills. Horses are either
born to do Endurance or they're not - and the ones that can do it, do it easily
right from the start. Most importantly..GOD is in CHARGE and what
might seem really important today can be really insignificant tomorrow.
Where does your horse live? At home in a large paddock that he
has room to (and frequently does) really run around in. He has a nice
3-sided shed that he never uses in bad weather, rather preferring to stand tail
tucked to the wind and sleet, hunched up, standing guard for the mares in the nearby
pasture. Every spring we attach portable sections to allow him to graze
beyond his pen..
What kind of environment did your horse spend the first few years of its life
in? Our place sits just above 4000 altitude. Until he was
about 9 months old, and becoming too interested in the mares, Far ran with
other mares and foals in about 5 acres. I felt really bad when it became
necessary to put him in a pen even though it was about 72 x 48.
What are your horse's strengths? Weaknesses?
Far has a naturally low resting pulse 26 bpm. He is very forward and easy
to ride. He is mentally very tough and his pain threshold (like most of
the Koszars) has to be off the chart. The first time he had a quarter crack,
Camp Pendleton 50 in 97, I noticed some blood at the coronet band at a hold but
decided to slowly continue the 9 miles into lunch provided he moved OK which he
did. He took longer to recover at lunch than he normally does, and I had
already made up my mind to pull him, but took him to the vet for a trot-out. I
didn't mention the crack to her I had never seen her before and I think I just
wanted to see if shed notice it. He trotted out pretty much OK. She
mentioned that he might have taken one or two bad steps on the turn
but that he looked OK. I told her I was pulling him and she said Why?
. I pointed down to his foot and she said Oooh!. He never showed
any unsoundness, but I cant imagine that not hurting.
His only weakness is trying too hard. We never hit the wall with Doc no
matter how hard we pushed, but it only took one time with Far (luckily just a
very mild case of gas colic) to learn that if he says he's tired he MEANS it.
What advice do you have for new riders? LSD
(long slow distance) and LOTS of it! Speed kills. . I
recommend having at least 500 slow miles of 50's or longer on your horse before
you even think about a Top 10 - and then ride that day as it unfolds with no
set priorities- your first goal must always be to finish with a happy, healthy
horse. Think about the next ride you want to do, and the next years, as
you ride the one you're on. TEACH YOUR HORSE TO TAIL. You have to
be safe somewhere, and on the grounds as good a place as any. My horses
have all known how to go in front of me and obey voice commands before I ever
got on their backs.
Ride a lot by yourself, not only to avoid 'training rides'
that all too often become little races, but to really get to know your
horse. Depend upon each other. Books are good, but too many
want to teach you just how to win. I think there's way too much emphasis
on supplements and electrolytes, and mechanical gadgets. Heart monitors
are a good tool when conditioning (and necessary if you're going to race at an
'elite level') but a lot can be said for just 'listening to your horse'.
Looking back, what would you do differently?
Not much really. Far was always sort of a back-up horse when we were
campaigning Doc. Laurie and I would swap horses, depending on who was
doing what that year.
What do you! feel you did right?
Its probably not so much what we did right as it is that the
LORD blessed us with a very sound and forgiving horse.
What was your highest goal for your horse? Did you achieve it? We wanted to get the Jim Jones Stallion award,
but that was very difficult as we were also riding Doc. In 1997, Doc was
laid off for a couple of months. So we went for it and won. The AHA
Legion of Excellence was also a goal which he achieved in 2003. Right now
we are aiming at 7,000 AERC miles and are just 100 shy. As Far will be 17
next month, we haven't set any goals beyond that he's pretty much done all we
wanted and its time, I think, to kick back and just ride for the fun of
it.
Describe your horses personality? How is it like or unlike yours?
At home Far is a worrywart typical stallion attitude if horse is moved or seems
upset he paces and hollers. In a way its good because you don't need to
worry about conditioning him, plus he's a good alarm system to let you know if
anything/anyone isn't in its place, but I try to relax when things go
awry. Relax is not in his vocabulary except when he's on the trail then
he's all business. He's gotten a bit better with age but his at-home
antics can still bring out the worst in me.
What kinds of rides do you enjoy the most? Multidays by far. 50's that go
somewhere besides just around in little circles back to camp are OK. Like
75's and 80's. 100's are just TOO darn long; I will only do a 100 if I'm
campaigning a horse.
Describe your electrolyte protocol. It's not much
anymore. If' it's going to be really hot, or I'm riding fast where the
horse will be sweating buckets, then I would use 1/2 dose of Kerry Ridgeway's
formula (2pts lite salt, 2 pts regular salt, 1 part dolomite) offered free
choice in a mash, the nite before, the morning of, midway thru, and at the end
of the ride. I tend to agree with the Duck when I asked him what he
thought about electrolytes and he said 'not much'. Again, I know they
have benefit and are necessary racing on the 'elite level', but I have
absolutely no interest in going there.
Is there anything special about your nutrition program you attribute to
your success? Personally I feel about supplements,
the way I do about electrolytes and so far its worked for every horse I've
ridden. I feed the best quality grain mix - prefer about 10-20% alfalfa
to barley- hay I can find. And all they will eat. Free choice range
salt block and that's it. I do grain while a horse is at a ride, but it's
a small amount - about 1 1/2# rolled barley, soaked so it measures to twice
that much, with a couple of handfuls of bran. And carrots lots of
them! Its not unusual for my horses to go thru a 25# bag at a 50
miler. And soak them carrots take in water like little sponges. A
WARNING do not feed carrots if your horse is dehydrated or is having difficulty
swallowing.
Are there any major changes you've made to your nutrition program (i.e.,
changed from one hay to another, added something special) that you feel made a
noticeable improvement or solved a problem? I have
found that I need to be a little careful with alfalfa. I think the
protein waste can concentrate in the urine, causing some irritation, making
them think they 'have to go' and they urinate more frequently in very small
amounts. I'm no vet, but it has not been a problem since I cut way back
on the alfalfa.
What kind of supplements (if any) do you use?
Basically I don't use any unless they're indicated. If I felt my
horse wasn't right, Id have some blood work done and supplement to the specific
problem. I think supplements given without need give you expensive urine
and that's about it. Arabian's, especially don't need a lot of extras -
there's ! even the potential for harm
Do you give any kind of joint products? The brand I use (when I use it) is Super
Flex and it contains only glucosamine & chrondroitin. I have seen
some really adverse metabolic situations with friend's horses using msm &
some of the other stuff out there. Far has also had a couple doses
of Adequan later in his career, and I am not opposed to giving Adequan a
couple of days before a ride but have not made a habit of it. Didn't use
any of it until the mid to late 90's and then it was with Doc and he already
had over 10,000 miles by then.
How far do you usually travel to rides? I'm
spoiled. I can do a lot of miles without driving 250 miles in any
direction. Generally, unless I was really going for mileage, I won't
drive more than 6 hours for a 50, or 14 hours for a 100, and maybe 2 days for a
multi-day.
Do you go to many rides outside of your region? So far it's
just been for an XP or a special 100. PS covers a lot of territory, and
it was even bigger before it split from the SW.
Name three people involved in the sport of endurance that you look up to,
and why? Actually there are 4 --In no order of
significance: Courtney Hart because I think he's forgotten more than most
people in Endurance will ever know. He's a fierce competitor, but a fair
one. Julie Suhr - always was and always will be the
FIRST LADY of Endurance. Suzie Kelley a racer's
racer but NEVER at the expense of! her horse. Does her 'homework' better
than anyone I have ever seen. She is simply the best I know of. AND
she is still feeding, other than the ones who have died of old age, every horse
that she ever raced. Dave Nicholson he's another
one that I think has forgot more than most of us will ever know, and his
approach to endurance riding is like a breath of fresh wind (take that however
you want to).
Did you have a mentor or first trail partner? Tell us about him/her/them.
I would have to say Bob Bellamak saved my behind on my first ride, as
previously mentioned, but other than Roxanne and Ernie Greene who got started
in endurance the same time I did, I mostly learned by doing. By then I
had my first Arab, and I (over)trained by myself most of the time. The vets
didn't know as much in those days, and we thought a 17-18 pulse was safe
criteria to run with. Basically we ran till the vet slowed us down. I
think my horses must all have had angels on their shoulders.
But then I sort of lost the racing bug and slowed down that's when I think
I started learning.
In choosing your next horse, what would you look for?
ANOTHER DOC (not likely). Actually I think I have something as close as I
can get - a coming 4 year old Doc son out of Faramir's full sister. We'll
see late this summer. That's one of the nice parts about riding a
stud. But if I had to shop, I'd look for balance. Straight
legs with a lot of bone and big feet are a must. A heavier-built horse,
rather than a lean one- substance is good, especially for longer distances and
multi-days . Not too big 14-2 to 15-1. I think a good little
horse will beat a good big one more often than not - Look at Rio. Equal
to conformation is a good temperament, and I actually prefer one that's a
little lazy - one that will take care of himself. And
smart. Breeding counts, I think. All the outward pieces can
be there & you still don't have a horse that can/ or will do it. I
think bloodline is your only clue to that intangible something that makes a
good endurance horse.
Add any additional comments or stories that you can think of: Just
that we have been so blessed with the horses we've had in our lives.
The LORD has given them so much character and ability that its been much more
the case of not doing something wrong than it was us doing anything
right. We will praise HIM and be forever thankful for HIS allowing us to BE
ALONG FOR THE RIDE!
