Ridecamp: Re: [RC] new topic re green horses

> I was curious how many endurance riders cross-over and do both endurance
as
> well as CTR?  I know at least a few of y'all do from previous
conversations?
> Any thoughts/comments/experiences with using CTR/MO to give experience to
> green (not total babies, just green)horses prior to the rodeo of an AERC
> start?  Or do you think it's better to just throw 'em into the deep end of
> the pool?<g>
>
> Any thoughts or stories?

Used to do CTR, when we had the Rocky Mountain Conference up and running in
this neck of the woods.  But have never found another CTR format that I like
quite as well.  I do think the CTR concept is a good one for greenies.
OTOH, if one goes NATRC speed, one can sour a really good prospect by going
TOO darn slow, too.  And I don't think it's as black-and-white as CTR vs
"deep end of the pool"--one CAN ride an AERC ride without the rodeo.  We
took two greenies through the LD at Purple Passion a few weeks ago--camped
back out of the "mainstream", waited til everyone had left, and then got on
and went for a 25-mile schooling ride in about 5 hours, which indeed
included a lot of "Intro to Running Streams 101", "Intro to Stock Water
Tanks 101", and various and sundry other little opportunities along the way.
(By the time we finished, our guys had learned that the above were Delicious
Water Sources, rather than Alien Happenings, as well as many other useful
life skills....)  We passed only a handful of riders, never saw anyone
dashing anywhere very fast, and had an altogether peaceful day.  Just goes
to show that one CAN ease horses into endurance in a CTR-like manner, even
on an AERC ride...

Heidi


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