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[RC] Posting, LD's, etc... - WRSINOSKYDawn and I have a few of the same problems. I've got a bad knee, hip, and back. Of course, the knee and hip are on different sides, just to make my life interesting. Is it age??? Ahhhhhh!Now, I realize this may sound crazy, but before I went to my first LD/Endurance ride in Wickenburg, I printed out all the rules (wasn't an AERC member yet) and actually read them. Since I ride every day for 2 to 5 hours, I'm used to standing in the stirrups alot. With Sebastian it's the only way to save my kidneys. He can be very rough at times. I don't shoe my horses and travel over granite and volcanic rock with no problems. When I became an AERC member I read the handbook cover to cover (yeah, it was the same stuff I'd printed out). I guess what I'm trying to point out is the fact that I wanted to KNOW what the h*** I was doing out there. It helped tremendously. I can't help it if other people don't read or follow directions. That's just the way alot of people are in this world. Doimas the beastie was insane on the first ride. I waited til last to go out, then ended up dismounting and walking his screaming, whirling butt the first mile. He was covered in foam and this horse doesn't get sweaty on a five hour ride. When I got back on, he had settled down and we went at a fast trot to a mile before the vet check. I took him back to a slow walk and he was relaxed until he saw the trailers and all those horses, then went to dancing again. His PR was a little high, but that could have been from excitement, as well as, allowing him to start eating right away. I confess, I didn't know any better at the time, but from reading ridecamp, I've certainly learned alot. In closing I just have one thing to say to everyone with ruffled feathers. A favorite saying in AA is, "A person with 24 years of sobriety can learn from a person with 24 hours." So, I'm not real impressed with credentials, just intelligent insight. And I've learned invaluable lessons from old timers and newbies alike in everything I've done so far in my life. Keep smiling, folks. Go out and ride your horses. Cindy Edwards Buckeye, AZ
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