Re: LDers catching up

["Dyane Smith" <sunibey@sisqtel.net>]

It doesn't just happen on endurance rides.  I was hanging out at the 2 mile
mark, waiting for time, on a CTR and 3 riders blasted past us.  The only
reason Sun stayed on the ground long enough for me to tighten my cinch and
get on is that we have been "joined at the hip" for years--but it still
flabbergasts me that anyone needed to be, or could justify, racing in on a
CTR.   Sun and I were hanging out because we were so far ahead of time
(walking) and we had already passed everyone, so they could not possibly
have been late.  Irritating--reminds you of rent string riders sometimes.
Dyane

----- Original Message -----
From: Todd & Toni Jones <tjones@coinet.com>
To: <ridecamp@endurance.net>
Sent: Tuesday, May 02, 2000 10:03 PM
Subject: RC: LDers catching up


> No, Kat wasn't kidding about LDers blasting up on
> slower 50's. This happened to me at the last ride
> I did on my 6 year old stallion. (And the 3 rides
> we did last year also). We started late, about 10
> minutes, on purpose and happily walked out of camp
> on a loose rein and hit a trot once we left camp
> and had a wonderful time for about 3 hours. We
> passed several other mosey type 50 milers and rode
> with others. We never stopped moving, never
> galloped, but kept up a steady pace alternating
> between walking and trotting (medium trot),
> stopped for water, of course at every opportunity
> and for a bit of grass but then kept right on
> going. I was with 2 others at a water tank at
> about 17 miles into the ride when we heard a
> thunder of hooves coming around the corner and we
> got out of the way so they could have water. 3
> Lders with 2 hot on their tails. The first 3
> dashed up to the water trough at speed and the
> horses were just huffing and puffing trying to
> catch their wind and hadn't been there more than
> maybe a minute at most and someone yelled,
> "they're not going to drink, let's go!" and off
> they went in a cloud of dust with the other 2
> right behind. Well, my guy just thought that was
> too much fun and he wanted to join them... I
> managed to keep him at my pace for a ways, but as
> we were on the plains he could see them and their
> dust for quite sometime and he really wanted to
> go. So I finally compromised at a canter and we
> covered some ground ... never caught them or their
> dust and he finally decided the grass was looking
> really good so we were back to doing "our thing"
> for the rest of the ride. 2 of the front runners
> were eventually pulled, one at the vet check for
> metabolics (hung at 80 for a long time, he was
> still there when we came moseying in) and the
> other at the finish, but I'm not sure the reason.
> No other LDers caught us, and I don't know winning
> times.
>
> Starting off with a young horse in this sport
> really has to be taken slowly. I'm trying to do
> that. But it can be scary, too. The one thing I'm
> chicken about is the starts (my friends will
> attest to this)... so I leave late as has been
> suggested. It works great. The other thing I worry
> about is the racing LDers blasting up our tails. I
> don't mind "normal" riders passing of any
> distance. Those are not a problem. A group of
> horses passing at a normal pace (big trot) doesn't
> phase us, he handles that just fine. It's those
> that RUN past at the speed of light (well almost)
> that worry me. I don't need that and it's why I
> leave late... I try to pick rides that have
> SEPARATE loops for the 50's and LDers, or at least
> enough time between the starts that it won't be a
> problem. But SOME LDers ride really fast and catch
> up to me moseying along and there's nothing I can
> do about it but handle it as it comes.
>
> So, before the offended LDers blast me, this isn't
> meant to put you down or anything. I've done more
> LD than endurance. I started a new horse and
> skipped LD this time and went right to 50's. This
> is working for me with this horse. Everyone can
> start where they want which is nice about this
> sport.
>
> This is all my experience and my opinions. Any one
> can have theirs. I just didn't want new people to
> think that Kat was kidding or joking about the
> subject. :)
>
> later
> Toni and Shagya O'Biwon
> Central Oregon
>
>
>
>
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