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Re: [RC] It's not the distance... - Joe LongOn Sat, 18 Oct 2003 14:02:17 -0600, "E.L. Ashbach" <samaia@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote: <snip> Nobody would telling you how to ride any distance, once you demonstrate that what you *think* your new horse can do, it really can do. Like I told Heidi, if you've got to ride your new horse in a 4 hour 50 because it'll ruin that horse to go slower, take a 1 1/2 hour vet check or something. It's ludicrous to be holding up "optimal ride pacing" like it's *the most important thing in any endurance ride* for a discussion of new horses and riders. Smell the roses the first time or two, you'll have years to race, as you well know. And just how would one "demonstrate" that? Especially on speed-limit rides? You demonstrate that by *completing* the Rookie rides, goofy, how else? :-P But all that would demonstrate is that you completed some slow trail rides under pace controls, it would demonstrate nothing about one's ability or temperament to ride real LD or endurance rides. Maybe we should do like we do for Juniors, and require that all rookie riders ride with an experienced sponsor? ; ^ > <snip> And I'm not willing to impose unnecessary and counterproductive rules on people just because they're newcomers to the sport. Newcomers are so discriminated against in this sport, it's a travesty. ;-) I realize to impose *one more thing - go slow* on the Rookie, may be too much to bear, or remember. Well, we make them pay extra. Remember that I agree that providing guidelines and advice to new riders is a good thing to do ... it's mandatory controls I object to. Not everyone starts with 25's. What would you do, require new riders (or horses) to do X number of (speed-restricted) 25's before being allowed to enter a 50? Would you restrict their speed in 50's until they somehow "demonstrate" that they can be allowed to do more? No, personally, I was thinking if you sensibly complete slow 100s as your first rides, more power to you, baby. You done grad-ji-ated. Under the system you're proposing, you would not be allowed to start with 100's or even 50's, you have to do your speed-limited-rides first. Or, new riders who don't want to be speed-limited will just jump right into the 50's where they won't have to put up with that. Is that what you want? <snip>One of the wonderful things about endurance is that it is a sport that has NOT been ruined by "control freaks" who want to force everyone to ride in some "approved" fashion. We provide vet controls that demand that a horse be fit to continue, but we wisely do not try to dictate how the rider achieves that standard. This is the other thing, I'd like to hear from the Vets on this issue. Wouldn't a Rookie Rule be of assistance to you with the new folks and new horses out there? What if you don't know it's a *ride*, not a *race*? It sure looks like a race... -- Joe Long jlong@xxxxxxxx http://www.rnbw.com =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 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!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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