<% appTitle="Ridecamp Archives" %> Ridecamp: Re: [RC] Re: [RC] Ride shortages: maybe it's time... V. LONG!
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    Re: [RC] Re: [RC] Ride shortages: maybe it's time... V. LONG! - Nancy Mitts


    A,
    I think you are seriously over-estimating the number of people who would be interested in pursuing endurance riding. Endurance by definition is not a quick, easy and convenient pastime. It requires a great committment of time and effort, much of it solitary.
    The greatest rewards are the self satisfaction of setting goals that AREN'T easy and meeting them. Are kids not being encouraged to set these types of goals? Possibly not. Making endurance "easier" won't solve that.
    Endurance as a competitve sport is NOT the same as a bunch of kids bombing around on horse back.
    I always thought "hacking" somewhere was riding there, on the horse. Has it taken on some new, modern, definition? You think competitors should be able to ride their horses to the rides? Do horse show participants ride to their shows?
    As I said in my private post, AERC neither organizes or funds rides or clinics. If you are so sure a clinic would be successful, organize one.
    IMO re-packaging the sport so it will fit neatly into an urban environment & time schedule would change it into something else entirely, not something AERC should encourage.
    Didn't this thread started with yout lamenting the lack of multi-day rides in the SE? Or do I have you mixed up with someone else?
    To reach those wide open spaces where the multi-days are held, riders regularly travel 8 hours, and those are the "locals"!


    Nancy Mitts


    From: "A. Perez" <walkergirl@xxxxxxxxxx>
    Reply-To: <walkergirl@xxxxxxxxxx>
    To: "RDCARRIE@xxxxxxx" <RDCARRIE@xxxxxxx>, jlong@xxxxxxxx
    CC: ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
    Subject: Re: Re: [RC]   Ride shortages: maybe it's time... V. LONG!
    Date: Fri, 13 Dec 2002 10:53:52 -0500

      In my immediate area, the Doncaster and the rides in
    Fort Valley (No Frills/Old Dominion) are pretty much it.
    Unfortunately my schedule has never permitted me to make the
    O.Ds. rides.
    I was toying with the idea of trying to organize a ride at the
    Manassas Battlefield Park (conveniently located almost in my
    back yard).  It is a large park with horse-friendly management
    (has a Volunteers in Parks(VIP) program where volunteers help
    patrol the park on USPS police horses,
    host the battlefield equestrienne society which does
    reenactments and goves mounted historical tours (etc). Great
    Falls National Park and the C&0 canal parks are also nearby.
    I do not know, however, if there is enough mileage of trails
    to do anything more then an LD, (repeated circuits over one set
    of trails could trash them pretty badly, not to mention the
    boredom factor).  Here on the densely populated East Coast,
    there simply not as many wide-open-space areas available for
    events.
      My immediate neighborhood is 1. very 'horsey', 2. has an
    extensive and gorgeous system of trails, and a very active and
    effective trails committee
    (http://www.geocities.com/greatfallstrails/) 3. a very wealthy
    populace (we are proud to be the blight on the neighborhgood).
    If ever there was a community primed for endurance, it is here
    (check out the new county equestrienne park, the second of it's
    kind in Fairfax County:
    http://www.co.fairfax.va.us/parks/cdpturnerframe.htm)
    A REALLY tragic thing is that there are kids in the area who
    own show-ponies who have never ridden outside a ring.  In many
    cases Mom and Dad have entrusted their kids equine education to
    the nearest 'authority': ritzy riding stable, pony club, hot-
    shot trainer.  These kids have never had the opportunity to
    just bomb around on horse-back unless it's under some sort
    of 'authoritative' auspice,  Sad, but true.  So unless some
    sort of 'official', supervised, stamped-of-approvaled
    AND conveniently located venue is provided, these kids (and
    adults as well) are unlikely to 'discover' endurance.
    Another sad fact is the importance of competition for so many
    young riders: if there is no competetive objective,
    forgaddaboutit.  Then there are folks like me who can hack to
    several possible LD/clinic sites in the area but can't hack to
    Fort Valley or Doncaster.
      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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