Re: [RC] [RC] 'endurance'/LD/fun rides - Mary Ann Spencer
I agree here. If one is to work one's behind
off and it is not beneficial and/or fun, they won't stay. Everyone needs
to start somewhere. No reason they could not have a T Shirt with Fun Ride
on it. I personally prefer a little plaque to a tshirt but that is
IMHO. I know that when I tried to do Competitive Trail the dang rules
drove me nuts and it appeared to be a place for the 'fancy show types' to prove
there horses could go overland. IHMO. I find horse shows to be a lot
of work for a very short showing. Those hot clothes are miserable... give
me my tank tops and let's go down the trail! mas
Of course it does! But how do you get someone who has
NEVER spoken face to face with a real live endurance rider (I had been
riding and showing horses for 17 years before I did) to BELIEVE that they
DO welcome and respect all riders, whether they are front runners or turtle
contenders? That it is NOT that difficult to follow marked trails?
That it is not an equine beauty pagent or a special clique?
Sure, volunteering for a ride is one way, but folks don't
always want to load up and drive 200+ miles to work and run errands (one of
the first mental images an outsider may have after being told
to volunteer at a ride)-they're considering endurance because they want to
RIDE their horse...they just aren't sure about what's entailed in actually
doing a ride.
Let me tell you a little story, if I may. I had had my
first horse for 2 years...and, typical 11/12 year old country girl living in
the sticks, I rode that horse EVERYWHERE, EVERY day (MAN are ponies
tough...). Someone offered to trailer us to a local show on a Saturday
about a month away if we were interested...I got out the rule book and read
EVERYTHING in it about western pleasure, horsemanship, showmanship...read the
library horse books, and they all talked about how fun it was...I cleaned up a
borrowed saddle (I didn't actually own one at the time), made sure Prince knew
all the stuff I'd been reading, and off we went. I've never had a more
miserable day. My spotted pony and I fit in like Ru Paul in a
convent. And yes, they made sure I knew it, too...This show was the prep
for the "Better-Offs" to practice before they went to the Quarter Horse
shows.
A fun ride is directed at folks who aren't sure they want to
lay out too much money to try an event with folks they don't know, so they can
observe the "real" deal and MAYBE even get a few pointers about whether or not
their horse CAN do it once they find someone who they trust that they have
SEEN doing the sport...Of course it's not Endurance. If memory serves,
LDs aren't endurance, either-they're limited distance. But how do you
get someone to dive into a new sport, with new folks, when they DON'T have the
option of a mentor (remember, I still have friends who DON'T have the
internet)? The AERC mentor program is a good idea, but personally, I
just couldn't bring myself to call a stranger and ask for advice...I wanted to
PICK who I took advice from by judging them in action, and how OTHERS regarded
them...Just me, I guess. No, every ride doesn't need a fun ride, and
personally, I don't think a fun ride should earn you a T-shirt...maybe a key
chain, etc. (but I'm stingy <grin!>). But they ARE a low pressure
way to get a look at ya'll....AND maybe have a fun trail ride, you know?
Lucky and
Romeo
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