Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

We are now into our semiannual LD bashing on ridecamp which includes all 
the ingredients necessary for a soap opera. I won't review the topics 
but there may be something deeper going on here.

The AERC membership has changed a significant amount just in the past 
four years not to mention the last 10 or 15. Since about 4 or 5 years 
ago we have (Mike I think you may have these numbers) a significant 
number of new members. While I don't know for sure I suspect there is a 
shift toward more members that live in populated areas and maybe even a 
slight shift eastward. Given the growth we have seen in the SE over the 
past 5 years or so I don't see how it is otherwise.

Our new members today may not want the same things the members 15 years 
or even 10 years ago wanted. Given the changing social climate and the 
"world has just gotten faster" we may be seeing endurance riding as 
becoming a means to escape the day to day grind, rather than a means to 
"go out and show I am a real rider."  Could not what we are seeing be 
people not wanting a sport to add additional stresses - by for example 
obsessing over training for 100's (yes I've been there and it is a bit 
obsessive) or worrying if they are "a true endurance rider?" They may 
just like to go out, spend as much time as they can with their horse and 
ride 25 miles if that is all they can do or 50 if they can to relieve 
some of the daily stress.

Of course like any changes - the "old timers" don't tend to like it or 
trust it. The new boys (and girls) on the block resent this reaction - 
all the ingredients of a good old fashion fist fight; one we seem to 
have every six months.

The solution is respect. It's works quite well in the SE region. We have 
a good mix of riders at all levels and all distances and they ( with a 
few exceptions ) respect one another's choice. It is something we should 
all try, it really does work and it keeps the ulcers (human version ) 
down from minding the other guys businees instead of our own. Of course 
my sister makes her living as a clinical psychologist and she will surly 
not like me trying to impact her business:-).

As Joe South put it, "...walk a mile in their shoes...."

Truman



=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net.
Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp
Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp

Ride Long and Ride Safe!!

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=