Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

well now,  if ld rides are for conditioning and learning how to rate your horse in order to move up to 50+ mile rides, then what if the rider aspires to top ten finishes in the longer rides?  you have to learn how to run somewhere, somehow.  cant you do it in a 25 miler? and why have top ten and bc in a 25?  lets face it, people like to make a contest out of anything and everything. heck, why have top ten and bc in any ride?  to finish is to win, right? as for 25 milers having times as fast as 50 milers in the same loop, well, that makes sense.  if you only have to do 25 miles, and you have a horse that can run, (and remember, you are preparing for the longer distances one day, right?)  then why not let your horse learn what it is like? how many experienced riders out there had to learn how to run longer distances on horseback?  and how many of us had to learn some things the hard way about endurance riding?  we didnt all get started in t his sport with an infinite wisdom about all the "right" things to do. when i got ready for my first 25, my horse was in such good condition, he probably could have done a 50 with no problem, but i was the one who had a lot to learn. one of things that i learned that is most important to me, is to be able to ride MY ride.  not get caught in a pocket with other riders (unless thats what i want), not to let someone else push me or set my pace, but above all else, to take care of my horse.  but if my horse is capable of safely running long distances, and i enjoy doing that, then why cant i?  and if one day i just decide, well heck, i think i will do the 25 mile ride, run like hell and try to come in first, then why cant i? at liberty run this past weekend, someone came up to me after i had finished the second loop in the 50 mile ride, and said, "well, do you know what position you are in?  you are really moving up.  i saw that you started out near the back of the pack, and now you are near the fr ont runners."  i told her,  "i have no idea about my placement.  i am riding this ride, at a pace that feels good to me.  my horse is strong, he feels great, and we are just gonna keep doing what we are doing."  so, i said all that to say this.  i will ride my ride.  i will not try to dictate to someone else how to ride theirs.  now there are a lot of people out there who only want to do 25 miles, for many different reasons, i.e. their health/condition, likes and dislikes, and their horse's condition too.  besides,  i dont gripe about 25 milers, especially with my mouth full, because there are a lot of them (sometimes twice as many as 50 milers) out there and they are putting lots of money into the association with ride fees, which, by the way, are not half price for half the mileage!  so,  i love the 25 milers!  hope they keep coming into the sport in big numbers.  i hope they get out there, do well, and get excited about it!   and if they want to run,  they have as much right to run as i do.  ed kilpatrick  m30722