Cut off times

["Nancy Mitts" <mitts_n@hotmail.com>]

As several other posts have mentioned, Cut-off times are sometimes a 
necessary evil on point to point rides where it takes the vets/management a 
long time to drive from check to check.
In all other instances I am adamantly opposed to their use, even if they 
allow a time of 5 mph to cover the distance. I know many riders blast off at 
a high rate of speed, then slow down if their horse's performance on that 
day warrants it. That's their strategy, & if it works for them, fine. Other 
people prefer to start out slow, then speed up as the day wears on. Granted, 
slow rarely means less than 5mph at the beginning of the ride, but many 
things can happen. How many times have people started rides & had problems 
with tack, a shoe, etc. that caused them extra time at the beginning of the 
ride? This time could easily be made up over the course of 12 or 24 hours. 
But what if you had to make up that 30 minutes within the first 20 miles??? 
What if a rider stops to help someone else in trouble??? You can be forced 
to give up the ride by the first check, or be tempted to over ride your 
horse trying to beat it, even if you weren't the one in trouble to begin 
with.  For instance, my husband has waited up to an hour or more for me when 
my horse had a problem early in the ride, and would go on to finish the 
ride. I personally know of other instances where cut-off times (supposedly 
set at a point where "you can't possibly finish if you leave later than 
this...") were waived due to exceptional circumstances, and the riders went 
on to finish in time. This can also leave managers open to charges of 
unfairness as to who they let slide & who they stop.
So, if it's the only way you can possibly put on the ride, so be it. Make 
sure it's published in your flyer. But please don't just throw them in 
strictly for "convenience," or try to set the riders pace for them. The 
horse has enough to carry without the weight of ride management also.
Nancy & Monte Mitts
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