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Re: RC: DVE/LSD (Long)



Kathy...

I am also not interested in pursuing this any more.  However, I would
like to comment on this statement and training in general.

You can't NECESSARILY determine an individual's qualifications by the
miles they have done on a horse in Endurance.  That not only applies to
me, but to many others, including the individual under discussion. IMHO,
the fact that you have a zillion miles in the record books in Endurance
does not automatically qualify you as an expert on all things horse and
Endurance. I was commenting on the information you posted, AS WRITTEN.
Whether it is accurate or not is moot. Again, I don't know this person. 
How he trains and competes is entirely up to him, and if it works for
him, that's OK, I guess.   IMHO, this "training method" is not
appropriate, sets a bad example, and 5 yrs is too young....but that's
just MY opinion. Everyone is entitled to one, even me :) How you train
is a personal decision.

I would like to point out that you did exactly the same thing you
accused me of...."bashing" (which I don't think I did) But's that's
OK....I have a thick skin....all this is called freedom of speech...the
right to express your opinion, right, wrong, or indifferent and comment
on the opinions of others, right, wrong, or indifferent.  If we all did
things exactly the same, it would be a pretty boring world.  

Note that my AERC number is 4074....pretty low number for only about
1300 miles. Crewing for a knowledgeable rider, listening, learning, in
order to know NOT to do as well as what to do is extremely important in
Endurance. I learned how to train, feed, pace, and how to evaluate a
horses's condition, and the multitude of other things you need to know
in order to compete successfully in Endurance from an individual who I
crewed for and hauled to rides all over the place for years. I did not
own an appropriate horse. That individual has on RECORD over 4000 miles
of ALL types between 1987 (where the online archives start) and 1999. 
Over 80 rides, with one pull, consistently in the Top Ten.  Many more in
the early days of Endurance prior to that not on the record. In
addition, prior to Endurance, there were many championships of all types
in Competititive Trail and the show ring. There would have been even
more, but this individual graciously allowed me to compete on their
horse at times under STRICT supervision to "learn" in the saddle as
well.

Starting at the same time (1997), I have done 20 rides, with 18
completions, consistently in the Top Ten. The two incompletes were both
on Sunny due to ripping off a shoe and tearing up his hoof, not to
injury or metabolic  problems....and many of these were hard rides. (OD
50 and Leatherwood 50, for example)  I have not done multi-days or 100's
because IMO, Sunny is not yet old enough or experienced enough for me to
push him there, especially since he missed much of last year because of
the hoof problem. I think I learned my lessons pretty well. (I can
guarantee you I was chastised and verbally abused for mistakes so much
during those "lessons" as a crewperson that any verbal abuse on Ridecamp
pales in comparison) <grin>  My horse is safe, happy, healthy, and God
willing will complete many more miles in the same condition.  Since I
met Susan Garlinghouse, I have an even better chance of that happening.
Thanks, Susan! You may have even given me a handle on this hoof problem. 

My new guy Magic just turned 5, but it will be at LEAST two years before
you see him out there....when I think he has the conditioning, ground
manners, and proper mind set to compete successfully and safely in
Endurance. 

The latter two are extremely important for the rider's safety as well as
that of the horse, during training and rides. Look back at some of the
posts by Heidi and others concerning training the horse's mind as well
as his body.  For example, this past weekend, Flinn Anderson and I were
riding a FS road up in the mountains. She was riding Sunny and I was
riding Magic.  We had to go around one of those FS gates that's a long
metal pole over two posts.  This one sticks out past the end of the post
where it's easy to hang a stirrup or leg on it...it also has a little
"mushroom" on the end. I got off Magic and led him around it...I don't
trust his judgement right now. Since there was plenty of room, Flinn
rode Sunny around it behind me. She forgot to "leg" his butt around and
the end of the pole caught the cinch just below the buckle, yanking him
to a stop. This is a potential disaster, with the possibility of an
injured rider and a torn up horse if he panics....I had visions of
punctured ribs.  However, because I had thousands of repetitions with
Sunny using ropes in the ring and rides in rough terrain teaching that
when something "grabs" you, freeze and I will get you out of it, his
trust is absolute. He stopped instantly and waited quietly for me to
loosen the girth on the other side and free him, then calmly strolled on
around the gate as tho nothing had happened...with Flinn still in the
saddle and the cinch completely loose. Did that training save his life?
Maybe, maybe not.....but it gave me a warm fuzzy!  Flinn was just amazed
how he handled that.  

Sorry for the long post....kinda boring day and my verbosity got the
upper hand! <grin>

My apologies to you or anyone else who felt bashed by my one
liner....again I was commenting on the action, not the individual.


Jim, Sun of Dimanche, and Mahada Magic (currently snowed in...)

guest@endurance.net wrote:
> 
> Kathy Mayeda kathy.mayeda@att.net
> Posting as "Guest" because my home e-addy bounced.....
> 
 
> 
> THIS PERSON HAS TWICE THE AMOUNT OF MILEAGE AS YOU DO, AND HAS SEVERAL
> MULTI-DAY RIDES BEHIND HIM OF WHICH YOU HAVE LITTLE EXPERIENCE, IF ANY (I
> CHECKED).



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