RC: An Essay

[Howard4567@aol.com]

In a message dated 5/15/01 9:55:26 PM Eastern Daylight Time, Tivers@aol.com 
writes:

> As a winner, what can you do for a dedicated loser? Nothing. From 
experience 
>  I can tell you that you cannot change a tiger's spots. But you can do a 
lot 
>  to help other winners who aren't winning yet. Why would you do that? 
Because 
>  it's an elite club and tough competition

I find this whole concept of "winners" and "losers," with respect to 
endurance, revolting and disgusting.  It just makes me want to puke.  And 
it's the wrong attitude to have in our sport.

Endurance competition is not baseball, football, or hockey.  We're not out 
there to bash the opponents head in so we can claim victory.  Competition 
takes on a whole different kind of meaning, at least to me, when it involves 
the life of your horse and the sport of endurance.

I did not learn this right away.  It took me 15 months of competing to 
discover, that, yes, you really can kill your horse by trying to "win" in 
this sport.  This sport really shouldn't even be called a sport, as defined 
by most Americans.  It's an experience; a life learning experience.  Take 
from it what it gives you, but learn from it. And be willing to make 
adjustments.

"To finish is to win," in endurance.  I'd even take it one step further.  If 
you pull a horse at a ride, even if it passes the vet check successfully, but 
you do so anyway because something just doesn't seem right with your horse, 
to me, you're more than just a winner.  You're my hero. 

The only "loser" is someone who would classify a person, in our sport, in 
that category.

cya,
Howard (let's get rid of this "winner", "loser" mentality; it does no one, 
especially your horse, any good)