Sharon - thanks for sharing your story.  It was fun to read!  Keep your chin up.  Not everyone completes on their first try.  I know first hand!

 

I also have a horse that can be hard to motivate when riding alone.  I'm taking a different strategy with him.  I ride alone about 95% of the time. I like to keep my own pace and do my own thing.  I don't want to be dependent on someone, especially in a 100 where there is a big possibility of riding alone.  So we ride alone a lot.  In fact, we did two 55's at Derby Dash in Kentucky last month and I purposely segregated us, which we were successful at for all but about 2 miles.  This strategy really helped us.  My horse was very buddy-dependent when I first got him, so it took a while to get this behavior toned down.  It was hard at first, but now he trucks along steadily by himself with little to no help from me.  Now if I could only get him to be better at the start!

 

BTW - I picked a Florida ride for my first 100 attempt - flat, flat, flat!!!!  I thought it would easier physically, but it was a supreme mental challenge.  The terrain was beautiful but it was the same ALL day long.   It got old.  My next attempt will be at Big South Fork in Tennessee.  The terrain there is mixed.  You do get hills, but there are also long flat stretches.   I'm hoping it has the right balance of terrain - not too hard, not too boring! 

 

I have 45 more days until my big event!