Ridecamp: Re: Re: [RC] Ride shortages: maybe it's time... V. LONG!

My first reaction to this paragraph is:  It is neither AERC's responsibility
nor policy to offer clinics or entry-level events.  It is up to ride
managers.  AERC is merely the sanctioning, educational and record-keeping
organization; it does not do clinics.  LD rides are supposed to offer
entry-level opportunities; that's one of the reasons they were formed.  Why
is it necessary to have them be "stand-alones"?  Why can't they be an
accompaniment to an endurance ride (which, BTW, is defined in the AERC
by-laws as 50 miles or greater)?  I've done a couple of LD rides as an entry
level ride for a young horse.  They took place alongside of 50 mile rides
and I had no problem at all with this concept.  If trail configurations
don't allow for a 50 mile one loop trail, then it would have to be a "twice
around the same loop" ride.  Granted, this is not ideal, but there have
certainly been a number of them, even here in the west region, which is
generally blessed with plenty of riding trails.  Most people would rather
ride the same loop twice rather than not ride at all.  The system was set up
so that each LD ride is required to be an auxiliary to an endurance ride, 50
miles or greater.  Many people get their start in endurance by riding NATRC
or competitive trail rides; I can see great merit in this plan.  They are
shorter in distance, give the horse and rider an opportunity to mingle with
lots of others so the horse gets used to the idea of long distances, not
races from the starting line.  Discipline before speed.  Not too bad an
idea.  Great learning experience for all.

Barbara McCrary

----- Original Message -----
From: "A. Perez" <walkergirl@xxxxxxxxxx>
To: <RDCARRIE@xxxxxxx>; <jlong@xxxxxxxx>
Cc: <ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Friday, December 13, 2002 7:53 AM
Subject: Re: Re: [RC] Ride shortages: maybe it's time... V. LONG!



>   It seems to me AERC needs to put some effort into making it
> easier for 'wanna-bes' to get intot he sport by providing MORE
> clinics and entry-level events.  If allowing separate LD events
> makes this easier, I can't see any harm in it.
>
>
>
>
>
>


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