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[RC] Mentoring - Dbeverly4

I was very lucky when I first started riding endurance, I had a great mentor and friend in Helen Logan.  I happily followed her for many a mile and listened carefully to her advice.  However, I just don't see how we could make mentoring mandatory.  Would that mean if a new rider couldn't find a mentor (or all the mentors were booked for a particular ride) that they would be unable to ride?  It'd be easier to mandate dressage lessons or basic horsemanship classes, or better yet a year of NATRC (had to get that one in there <g>).  Plus, as we all know, its not all that easy to find horses who pace well together....fast walk, same speed at whatever their working trot is, etc. 

I think that the Horse Welfare Committee report shows, that horse deaths occur (sadly) for newbies and experienced riders alike, LD or Endurance distances.  I am grateful for the committee's hard work and effort to put this information together for all of us, but I don't think that the information loudly says "WE NEED A NEW RULE....ALL NEWBIES MUST BE MENTORED".  Seems to me it says "STUFF HAPPENS, BE VERY CAREFUL WITH YOUR HORSE OUT THERE" (and even that won't give you any guarantees).

Thanks again to the the Jims and Laura and the rest of the Committee.  Laura, I think most of us haven't gotten our EN yet, so that's why no response.  Thanks for pointing out that it is online.

Sylvia