Christmas Day Run
Had an entertaining Christmas Day. As always with us it started out
with a drama (Oh for the quiet life but maybe we are our own worst
enemies). We have been training slow (5 - 6mph) on the ATV since
September and although everyone said not to be concerned because the
dogs will be able to increase speed dramatically when we get on the
sled, there was always that niggling doubt at the back of my mind. As a
Christmas treat for the dogs (!??!) I decided to break out the rig
(remember, the one with dodgy brakes that Louise told you about) for
the traditional Christmas morning run. Knowing this could be slightly
foolhardy I ran the dogs for 23 miles and 25 miles using the ATV on the
23rd and 24th in an effort to tire the dogs a bit. Sure enough when we
watered and harnessed on Xmas morn there was not much canine
enthusiasm; Medea in particular was very tired - this proved
significant. I decided that instead of doing the planned 18 miles I
would half the distance and I also came very close to reintroducing
Hektor and running an 8 as opposed to the planned 7 (Hektor has missed
the last few runs as he has a growth in his throat from where he was
caught in the trap and we thought it was restricting his breathing - he
was nonetheless fresh and raring to go) - fortunately as it turned out
we decided another days rest for him would be good.
Anyway having experimented with formations and lead dogs of the last
few runs I decided to return to my most trusted formation with Poppy
and Medea at lead and Fya and Keelut at wheel and the other three
interspersed in between. Got to the start, all was going well, dogs
quiet, not too keen to get out of the van. Hooked them up and they
exploded into life (drawing as it turned out heated comments from a
local who didn't appreciate listening to our dogs sing carols at 0800
on Christmas morning). We all blasted away from the start except for
Medea at lead, the one who I had based all my assumptions on that the
dogs were tired, she was tired and letting her tugline sag, the other 6
most certainly weren't tired. Cal at Point passed Paris at Swing (have
I got that the right way round?) who was slowing because he was tucked
in behind the dawdling Medea. Medea sensing Cal's presence immediately
picked up pace, the tightening gangline flipped Cal who was
subsequently dragged for a bit but did manage to get to his feet -
facing the wrong way with his harness up over his head but held firmly
in place, i.e. being strangled by, the gangline. By this time we had
gone about 1/8 mile, the remaining dogs were going mental, the brakes
had failed completely, there was nothing to snub to (nor in fact would
I have been able to snub) so I did all that was left to do, I shrieked
for Louise and threw myself into the bushes flipping the rig on its
side and proceeded to use my body as a brake, or at least a means of
slowing the dogs slightly.
Eventually Louise caught up and managed to free Cal then struggled with
the dogs long enough for me to untangle myself from the bushes etc. You
can imagine what the dogs were like by now so the only thing to do was
proceed, eyes shut tight, heart in mouth, life flashing before my eyes.
After 4 miles I was still struggling to get Medea to keep her lines
tight so, and here comes mistake number 1000, I decided to snub up and
swap Fya and Medea round. Snubbed up, did the exchange no problem, was
walking back up the lines to get on the rig and the dogs took this as
the signal to start going mental again. Just managed to undo the snub
as we careered off into oblivion with me trying to gather up the
snubline only to look down and see it partly wrapped around the right
rear axel. So here I am, middle of nowhere, about 5 miles of wilderness
and wildlife between us and the van, most powerful dogs we have ever
had the misfortune of running, no brakes, no usable snub line, the
possibility of the snub actually jamming up the wheels, Oh yes and
fresh horse tracks in the trail - meeting that would be something to
look forward to. The rest of the run was actually uneventful although
the dogs did run for more or less the entire 9 miles and we never did
see the horse just a squirrel that came very close to being chased up a
tree cartoon fashion. We had hoped to drop in a couple of pups for the
last 1/4 mile for their first run (the same pups who had earlier coated
the van in diarrhoea on the way to the trails) unfortunately lack of
ability to stop the team meant that I just flew past Louise and the
pups, screaming my way back to the van. Moral of the story is threefold:
a) We have created a monster (and I include breeders of our dogs in that too:))
b) When experienced people tell me that speed
will come, our training methodology is sound and that the lightweight
rig is not the tool for 7+ dogs - believe them
c) When Louise tells me something is a really
stupid and dangerous idea she might just be right. My Christmas gift to
her - admitting that for once I was wrong :)
Oh how we laughed afterwards - well Louise did anyway, apparently the
sight of me on my side, holding onto the rig and being dragged through
the undergrowth was highly amusing. For my part I am nursing a very
sore ankle, bruised shin and damaged pride.
Rob