How many people will this ____ off? :+D

[DreamWeaver <nvrider@charter.net>]

At 05:06 PM 2/12/2002 -0800, you wrote:
>I have been bothered with the comments that "Newbies are not experienced
>enough to ride in a NC".

People are concerned about the horses.  I guess the more experience I get 
the more I realize how little I know and how much more I have to learn.  I 
have had experiences at rides with newer riders and horses getting into 
trouble, having their careers ending, and yes, I've even seen horses die at 
rides.  There have been cases where I have felt bad later because I didn't 
say anything even though I felt at the time that somebody was riding too 
hard. If I have a certain opinion it is probably because of my 
experiences.  I don't agree that the best horse and rider team will always 
win.  Most of the time they do, but I have been at rides where sometimes 
those horses are on IV's the next morning, or in a vet clinic. (or, those 
horses were running up in the front, didn't finish and ended up in the vet 
clinic)  Based on the fact that new people have run horses to death (within 
the last year), I don't care if it inconveniences a few people to have to 
wait a little longer to accomplish something, if it benefits the 
horses.  When I say that I'd rather compete against a seasoned competitor, 
it is because I have seen first hand that the more experienced riders know 
their horses and, I have seen a lot of bad situations arise from riders 
that don't. Maybe it's just strange odds that those people are usually 
newbies.....I dunno.   I doubt that many people out there who have had some 
of these experiences would feel a lot different.  Maybe I'll ride another 
9,000 miles and feel differently.  The only thing I really know is that 
everything is going to be different tomorrow (well, that and I know the 
vets can't protect my horses from me). I'd like to think that I know my 
horses, and I do know their personalities pretty well -- but when we are 
out on the trail from ride to ride they are constantly evolving and 
changing.   Anybody who thinks that endurance riders are opinionated should 
ride one of my horses sometime :+P.  I also know from bringing along these 
two horses how much they have changed as they got more experience.  One was 
always sensible, the other one was basically an idiot who I was sure would 
kill himself if I ever let him (or, if I didn't do it first).  Now I would 
be willing to bet money that he wouldn't let anybody over ride him.  I have 
a friend with a similar horse (same breeding) who let him go fast early on 
-- the horse is retired now -- great horse -- but he never learned to take 
care of himself.   I was lucky to get to see that and learn from her before 
I started my horse.  Lucky me.

I have seen some more experienced riders go from region to region, and get 
their horses treated from ride to ride.  The vets don't ever know that the 
particular person has had their horse treated at X ride two weeks 
before.  I doubt that the AERC keeps track of such things 
either.  Obviously, this bothers me too and there isn't much that we can do 
about it.  In the end, the rider will realize if they have hurt their horse 
or not, and sometimes they care and sometimes they don't.  It doesn't 
really matter how much experience they have or not.   Some people never get 
it.

I'd like to see the NC ride be more attractive to riders who want to 
complete it as a goal, like the Tevis or ROC, and whether or not everybody 
agrees, raising the requirements to get there will make it more appealing.

Karen