Dukeries 120K FEI2* Ride Report

Dukeries was a bit of a disapointment for us, no bridles broken this time though. I rode the first loop in a snaffle and he was fine, resented it but behaved other then one atempt to buck at the begining. Completed the first loop of 32k at just over 16kph and vetted in under 3 minutes with a B for action which was unlike him. On the second loop not long after the first crewing point we were chased by a dog with its owners shouting at it for about 5-600 yds. Dylan was great did not really react other then one quick look round to check he was outpacing it and then just carried on with out speeding up or panicing. Vetted in one and a half minutes on 64/60 and a B for action again and a 1.5 for jugular refill, about 16pkh again. Having checked the heart rate readings for the dog chased section they were not elevated above his normal rate for that pace.

40 minutes latter we were off again, I was a little concerned that he felt a bit crabby behind like he needed a pee. He had not gone as yet. I allowed him to set the pace and thought that he was probably finding it a bit tough mentally as we had completed the last loop of 30k all by ourselves having not met any other horses and he had winnied as we went by the coralling field. Not long after the first crew point were he drank really well and had a bite or two to eat we were caught up by Roz Clapp (nee Jackson) in the 160k class and he picked up back to 16kph from 14.4kph. Unfortunately I made a real dummies error worrying about the way he was going I took a wrong turn and ended up doing an extra 4k before turning round and getting back on track. So we took 2hours to do the 20k loop having turned it into a 28k loop, doh. We vetted in 3.5 minutes 56/54 but were out lame behind on both limbs. Fortunatley the vet Jo, was sensible enough to ask me if I was happy to accept he was lame and forgoe the three card trick which I was. So out at 82K having done 90k.

He had eaten and drunk at least as well as he did last month at Haywood Oaks. I had him looked at by the treatment vet 2.5 hours latter and his muscle tone was fine, no signs at all of dehydration etc, he had still not had a pee, I had a blood taken. We were allowed to take him home as we only live about an hour and a half away. When I walked him out to the field he had a really good long pee of normal colour. He did not pee till we got home from Haywood Oaks last month. I managed to contact his physio and she said she would come out Sunday. She could not find anything wrong musculaly however his hips were not level, so she gave me the number of a good horse osteopath Gerard. Gerard came out on Wednesday and yes there was some rotation in his hip and his L1 verterbra was out of alignment.

Below are my heart rate monitor and GPS readings from this ride.

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