Re: RC: Mandatory hold times

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

My preference would be to use vet check & finishing criteria to allow vets 
to get unfit horses out of the ride. (Rather than using longer holds to keep 
them in camp.) Let riders use their alotted to time to pace their horses as 
they see fit. It's not necessarily unfit horses that are at the back of the 
pack. If your goal is accumulating mileage year after year you just have to 
go slow.
I realize the emphasis is on protecting the horses running up front. If 
endurance is going to continue to be accepting of other goals the ride can't 
be slanted entirely toward everybody finishing as fast as the first few 
horses possibly can.
It can also be hard to adjust times differently for rides depending on 
"difficulty", because anything a horse isn't used to is going to be more 
difficult for it.
As a side note, I think I remember hearing that the present system was set 
up to prevent someone from organizing wacko rides. Like, ride 25 miles, have 
a 12 hour "hold" then riding the other 25 miles & calling it a 50 mile ride.

Nancy Mitts


>From: "Dot Wiggins" <dotwgns@ruralnetwork.net>
>To: "Ed & Wendy Hauser" <sisufarm@mmmpcc.org>
>CC: "ride camp" <ridecamp@endurance.net>
>Subject: RC:  Mandatory hold times
>Date: Sun, 2 Dec 2001 13:54:59 -0700
>
>Thanks to all who responded to my question about subtracting vet check hold
>times from total allowed time to complete an endurance ride.
>I agree it is tricky to fit this concept into a realistic frame, 
>considering
>it could keep vets and staff tied up longer sometimes.
>I believe this idea needs some more discussion.
>Ed's thoughts about considering  a minimum speed may be good starting 
>point.
>It is going to be hard to figure the difference between the challenges of  
>a
>difficult ride that may need more hold time for safety,  and those of an
>unfit horse that might have trouble completing on time.
>In the case of the LD rides,  I have seen riders arrive before the cutoff
>finish time, but the horse's allowed 30 min recovery time would have been
>past the 6 hour limit.   Don't recall this ever being an issue, but guess 
>it
>could be.
>More study.
>
>
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Ed & Wendy Hauser" <sisufarm@mmmpcc.org>
>To: "Heidi Smith" <heidi@sagehillcmk.com>; <ridecamp@endurance.net>;
><kninformation@yahoo.com>
>Sent: Sunday, December 02, 2001 6:40 AM
>Subject: RC: Re: Re: Re: Hold Times In Endurance Rides
>
>
> >
> > On the other hand it could be logically argued that the time to complete
> > should be computed by considering a minimum speed for an endurance ride
>and
> > then adding the holds onto that speed.  For example if 5.5 mph was
> > considered the minimum trail speed (I just picked UMECRA CTR minimum 
>speed
> > on a hard course on a hard day) a 100 mile ride with 3 hours of holds: 3 
>+
> > 18.18 hours=  21 hours 11 minutes.
> >
> > It would change endurance riding, but would be a manageable system.
> >
>
>
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