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Re: [RC] Endurance Vs. CRT - heidiThe only thing I'd add (and I have LOT of CTR miles) is that endurance CAN be a race. It doesn't have to be. It's called a race because at endurance distances, you are placed accordingt to when y ou cross the finish line, but that doesn't mean you have to race. Many CTR riders have the mistaken idea that you HAVE to race and run your horse to do endurance. The truth is endurance actually gives you more options than CTR. If you want to ride doop de doo down the trail and just get a completion, you can do that. If you want to race you can do that. And most people ride somewhere in between. And to add to that, the CTR time "window" is usually actually about mid-pack or just a bit slower compared to endurance speeds. Although the front runners at endurance rides may well be racing, as Chris says above, the riders who take the maximum time can actually go SLOWER than most CTRs are run. Another comment on the holds--the philosophical difference between the two is that endurance wants to see the pulse drop to point X (usually 60 bpm or thereabouts) before the horse proceeds. To that end, the clock is still running at the vet check until that pulse is reached (may be there or below as soon as the horse comes in, but horse is allowed up to half an hour to meet that criterion). As others have mentioned, the hold time (if there is one) does not start until the pulse criterion is met. The CTR philosophy is to score the horse according to how quickly he drops, and to that end, the pulse is taken at precisely 10 minutes after arrival. The horse loses points based upon how far above an "ideal" pulse he still is at 10 minutes--depending on the rule system, that "ideal" is generally somewhere in the range of 40 to 48 bpm. That said--there is also a "stop-gap" in most CTR rule systems where a horse that does not meet a "safe" parameter (similar to endurance--usually 60-64 bpm) in that time frame, he is penalized and rechecked in another period of time, and if he fails to meet that at some point, he is not allowed to continue, just like in endurance. As for hold times--they are variable in both sports. Others have already stated that the hold time in endurance does not begin until the pulse is down, whereas in CTR, the 10-minute check-back is usually a part of your hold time. But in both cases, there are rides where the hold time may be as much as an hour, or anything in between. (In endurance, stops where the horse can go as soon as the pulse is down are called "stop and go" checks; in CTR, stops where one proceeds as soon as the 10-minute pulse is taken are simply pulse stops.) For a beginner rider, the scoring aspect of CTR is a great learning experience, as is the narrow time window, which teaches you how to estimate your speed accurately and pace your horse accordingly. For many riders, this system remains their preferred method of competition. For others (of which I am admittedly one), once they have mastered the pacing and have learned how to evaluate their horses via aspects of the scoring system, the freedom of endurance is more appealing. You CAN learn the same things starting out in endurance, but it is spelled out for you much better in CTR. So that might influence the original poster's choice as well. Heidi =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 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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