 |
Re: [RC] It's not the distance... - Joe LongOn Sat, 18 Oct 2003 16:02:18 -0600, "E.L. Ashbach" <samaia@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote: 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. Boo hoo for new riders, again, their labors are large. I see it's too much to bear, a sacrifice too large for endurance riders to bear...let's definitely protect their freedom to immediately over ride their horses. It's so easy to use sarcasm to cloud an issue, and so easy for promoters of "nannyism" to rationalize their rules and controls. No speed limit is going to prevent overriding of horses. There is NO -- NONE -- NADA -- arbitrary speed that is right for all of the horses on a given trail on a given day. There is no human being or collection of human beings that has the wisdom to decide that X miles per hour is the "safe" speed of the day. Hell, after 12,000 miles I still adjust what I consider a safe speed on the trail, as the ride progresses. ... 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? Joe, again, please read my posts. I know it's been a while since this whole discussion started but the idea is this. I'll lay it out like how it might read with lots of options for additions and deletions, how's that? :-) " for a Rookie Rider at the inception of their endurance career: AERC doesn't not recommend that the rider start with any particular distance. AERC will consider you a Rookie Rider until you have completed 200 miles of competition, and during the Rookie Rider period you must ride within the following minimum and maximum time limits. 25 miles - min ride time 4 hours ride time. 50 miles - min ride time 8 hours ride time 100 miles min ride time 18 hours ride time Egad, this is even worse -- totally arbitrary, no consideration of trail difficulty or weather conditions. And by implying that that riding time is "safe," it could increase overstressing of horses, not reduce it. I'm thinking back to my first 200 miles of rides. Started out green as grass. One 25, ridden well below 4 hours. Four 50's, all ridden below 8 hours. Yeah, I sure ruined that horse. This rule is created as an aknowledgement that endurance riding is a physically demanding and challenging equine event, and it is imperative that riders properly learn the direct correlation between speed and horse health. AERC does not in any way suggest that the minimum times outlined will guarantee a horse will be introduced to this fun and exciting sport in a safe and responsible way, but that is our stated goal. " That's pretty much what I thought you were advocating, and that is what I am vehemently opposed to. IMO it is exactly the WRONG way to deal with the problem, sends some wrong messages, and is likely to have unintended consequences. The defninition of an endurance ride in our Bylaws includes the provision "There shall be no minum time limit." I'm glad this proposal could not be done without a Bylaws change, because I think that is quite unlikely to pass. -- 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!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
|