Re: getting started

[guest@endurance.net]

Deanna German finishis2win@columbus.rr.com
Dorothy,

Based on my recent experience (Newbie News), riding 5 times a week for an
hour at a time might be too much!  ;-))

The really experienced riders can tell you better, but I don't ride
anymore than 3 or 4 times per week, but I tend to ride for hours at a
time. I tend to ride 20 - 40 miles per week (and sometimes zero miles if
the footing is crappy), and my just starting out mare did 25 miles over
hilly terrain in about 5 hours just fine. <g> I've read here that you
should be conditioning in a week the number of miles you intend to ride at
the ride.

Try to get yourself a mentor in your area; someone who can really show you
the ropes. Consider doing Competitive Trail before doing an LD (25 miles)
so you can familiarize yourself with the ins and outs of managing your
horse over a distance while under a controlled pace. Or at least plan to
do a slow LD.

If you do the LD, consider leaving camp 10 or 15 minutes after the start.

Oh, and consider helping out at a ride (or two or three) before you
actually ride in one. It's unbelieveable how much you can learn and it's a
really good way to make some friends.

Repeat to yourself these phrases: "sponge early and often," "let the horse
eat and drink its way down trail," and "make haste slowly" and  "to finish
is to win" and you'll be on your way!

Deanna (Ohio)
(Was that a good Reader's Digest Condensed version?)