re: The Beauty of Endurance

[Sue Brown <sbrown@wamedes.com>]

Kathie Bivin doublekranch@citlink.net wrote:
<snip>
>For me the beauty of endurance is -
>1)  A horse sport that involves riding the trails, for training,
conditioning, and competition.
>2)  A sport that cares more about the welfare of the horse than winning
ribbons and prizes, yet they're there.
>3)  A sport where you can ride to compete and win or ride just for the
pleasure of it.
>4)  A sport that evens the playing field, not according to how much money
you have, but according to how much time you put into your horse.  The well
conditioned $500.00 horse with a good rider can beat hands down the poorly
conditioned $10,000.00 horse with a good rider.  Where a horse can be
rescued from the feed lot, then 2 years late win the Tevis.(I love that!!!)  
>5)  A sport that is highly competative but not cut-throat.  A group of
riders that would do most anything to help the their competitors if and
when they need help, even if it drops them out of the top 10.
>6)  A sport you can enjoy and participate in while you learn.
><snip>

Nice post, Kathie...and welcome to ridecamp and the sport of endurance.
You are coming in with a wonderful attitude.

I can add another point to this list that is pertinent to me.....and that
is -- as a riding instructor who now takes students with me on training
rides (and trying to stay one step ahead of the students <g>), I now get to
ride more!

A few years ago I decided to cut back on working in surgery and put more
time towards teaching riding, which I really enjoyed.  I had come thru the
years (since the early 80s) involved in dressage for myself, and jumping
and 4H (western pleasure and english flat) with my son.  I totally loaded
my life with tons of lessons, clinics, and actual riding.  When I started
teaching, I had to shift my time towards being on the ground in the arena
with students.  I had to train my schooling horses to a certain point, then
I would have intermediate students work with them from there with me on the
ground giving instructions...consequently, I was riding even less.  Since
I'm not a "horse trainer" (taking on other people's horses and training
them for their owners), I would do "tune-ups" on the schooling horses (I
teach beginners and intermediates) and that would be the extent of my
riding.  Not that I didn't want to, I just ran out of time.

When I discovered endurance, a giant light bulb went off in my head.  *I*
could do this...and teach it (given enough time and education)...AND
incorporate dressage basics, horsemanship, and so forth that I was already
teaching.  The only problem (TIC) was that I *HAD* to ride all of the
conditioning/instructional rides with students and work on conditioning and
orienting the schooling horses to the different aspects of the sport.  "Gee
(thought I), that's too bad. ;-) Throw me in the briar patch." <g>

Steve did say (when I started buying all sorts of stuff for yet another
discipline) that this was the *LAST* discipline he was going to allow me to
get involved in ($$)!!  So, shucks, I guess I'm stuck in endurance. <bg>

Sue
-------
Sue Brown
Tyee Farm
ARICP Certified Riding Instructor
Recreational Riding and Dressage
Marysville, Wa. 
sbrown@wamedes.com