Remember how they always say not to try anything new at rides? Well, I was riding a horse I'd never ridden before, riding in Dennis' reactor panel saddle (which I'd never ridden in before), and wearing in the obligatory red / white / blue clothing (some of which I'd not tried at a ride before). 

• Problem #1: Dennis and I are not the same shape. 

• Problem #2: I haven't ridden in a treed saddle in about five years. 

• Problem #3: For some unknown reason I decided to try and ride with no lower leg protection (what was I thinking?? Not very much, apparently). <sigh> 

By six miles in, things were starting to rub, and by the time we hit the second water stop at about 15 miles, my calves were whimpering from rubs from the bottom flap of the saddle and my thighs were starting to whine about the upper saddle flaps. I filched a roll of vet wrap from Dorothy and wrapped the entire roll around my lower right leg to stop anything more rubbing. That helped that a little, but everything else started to rub more instead.