Re: RC: hold time/ride time

[Lynn Kinsky <lkinsky@silcom.com>]

>    Jim, I don't think Dot meant to change the ride  times, just not count
>the holds in the ride times.    I did >the Big South Fork one year. It was
>hot and  humid, but no more so than usual here in the south. (I am in
>>Central Florida).  The hold time for the 25 miler was 1 hour. Way to
>long. My Daughter and I were  10 >minutes over the 6 hour time limit. We
>got our completions, but no miles.     I know it was hot, but it was >also
>mountainous.  I also think terrain should be taken into account when
>setting up the hold times. >Riders can always take longer breaks at the
>vet  checks if they want to or need to. We needed and wanted to >take some
>extra time  to get over those mountains. (It was soooo beautiful!) Ten
>minutes, that's all.  Even >though we were using that ride as a training
>ride we wanted the mileage to  count. If the hour hold was not >counted in
>our total ride time, we would have  had plenty of time. I always thought
>total ride time was time >in the saddle  until that ride. That was an eye
>opener!    The vets are looking out for the horses, this  I >understand.
>However, I feel that if you need an hour hold in a LD ride, you  weren't
>ready to begin with.    >On the other hand, if you have 24 hours to
>complete  a hundred miler, and then tack on another 4-5 to >include hold
>times, I am not  sure I would want to be a volunteer, RM or vet for that
>ride! Holy crap, it  >would never end!! Lisa Salas, The Odd farm

There already is about three hours worth of holds in a 100 miler (like
Tevis).  What I find inconsistent is that the holds are not in proportion
to mileage/time alloted.  Say a 100 miler has 3 hours' worth of holds in
the 24 hours alloted -- that's about 12 percent of the total time allowed
taken up in mandatory holds.  If the same *percentage* were used in a 25 it
would be 45 minutes worth of holds -- not an hour.

The effect is that the shorter distances require a faster average speed on
the trail to stay within the time limit -- which is inconsistent with the
view often stated on this list that LDs are for training,  or for starting
new horses, and how can we slow LDs down, etc.



Lynn Kinsky (Santa Ynez, CA)
http://www.silcom.com/~lkinsky