I do like David's thinking here and agree largely
with what he says. Even Heidi's reply does not change what he had said. There
have been changes made which now make the "LD's" actually safer for the horse
then longer distances(my understanding from this forum). Those first shorter
distance rides in which horses were hurt were at that time probably considered
"endurance" rides(correct me if I'm wrong old timers) but only after seeing the
problems of "all out racing" without measures to protect the horses did these
rides become "non-endurance" limited distance rides.
My work brings me into contact with a lot of people
and I often become engaged in conversation about my "endurance riding". I do
call it endurance riding even though I mostly do LD(in 5 years I have 300
"endurance" miles) because of limited training time. To delve into the
difference between LD and endurance with "outsiders" is meaningless(although
when I say I'm going to an endurance ride and I'm entered in the LD I hear the
voices of the hard line, dye in the wool if it ain't >50 it ain't endurance
ridecampers whispering in my ear..."heresy, heresy).
So, as David said, it is all long distance trail
racing(on your mark, set, go...first across the line wins even if the line is a
pulse of 60bpm after 25 miles) so therefore I see it all as "endurance riding"
and the distinction between "true" endurance and LD is blurred to all except
those within the sport. Am I an endurance rider if I mostly ride LD but
occasionally make a 50(including 3d heavyweight Natl Ch. 2002) or am I an
LD'er?
I think it was Joe Long who brought up the analogy
of marathoners. He was saying should people who run distances less than 26 miles
be called marathoners? I say no, but people who run 1/2 marathons, 10k's and the
like are none the less "distance runners" as opposed to sprinters, long jumpers,
hurdlers and other track and field participants. I see the comparison of horse
people to track and field participants, flat track racers to sprinters, hurdlers
to hunter jumpers and distance runners to endurance riders and I include the
LD'ers here!
I am not suggesting changing rules which may
encourage increasing injury to horses. Just to be able to say this is all
endurance riding but distances under 50 have special rules to protect our horses
because they are what it is all about. That's my story and I'm sticking to
it.
Ed Roley and Sawyer(my only horse and I'm going to
be very careful with him whether it be 25 or 50 yet we will push to do better
every time)
