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Re: [RC] LD/Endurance - Joe Long

On Fri, 14 May 2004 17:38:39 EDT, DVeritas@xxxxxxx wrote:


In a message dated 5/14/2004 11:58:37 AM Mountain Daylight Time, Bruce Weary 
writes:        

You mention that "we have all seen" 50 and 100 mile riders at rides who are 
not really endurance riders. What does that mean? That they don't fit some 
personal criteria you hold dear that the rest of us aren't privy to?

   Yeah, Bruce, that's what I said.  
   There are "endurance riders" out there who believe that if they just ride 
mile after mile, chasing points, that they personify the tenets of what 
"endurance riders" truly are.  
    IF it is only about the miles and awards, then why bother even using a 
horse.   Let's just hop in our big ol' trucks and drive the distance and call 
ourselves "endurance riders"....heck, we went a long way and we were riding, 
right?


Uh, because *by definition* and endurance ride is ONE HORSE, ONE RIDER, 50 miles
or more per day?  A definition that many of us (including myself) consider to be
a bit short, but which has proven over time to be a realistic, practical,
meaningful and widely-accepted definition?

Defining an endurance ride as 25 miles or more per day would be neither
realistic nor meaningful, and I doubt it would be widely-accepted.


    BUT, when the symbiosis is right between horse and rider and the miles 
are covered with compassion and in consideration of what this sport SHOULD be 
about (i.e., riding the miles with minimal degradation to the horse and the 
trails), then MY PERSONAL CRITERIA of what an endurance rider really is has 
been 
met.....there, now you're "privy" to it.
     ~Frank 


Well, Frank, you can personally call anyone an endurance rider that you wish to.
But the AERC has standards, meaningful standards, and the most fundamental of
them is that an endurance ride is at least 50 miles per day.

-- 

Joe Long
jlong@xxxxxxxx
http://www.rnbw.com

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Replies
Re: [RC] LD/Endurance, DVeritas