In a message dated 12/1/2005 5:09:45 PM Pacific Standard Time,
ridecamp-digest@xxxxxxxxxxxxx writes:
Well,
let's see now. How about walking their horses around from time to
time to make sure they don't stiffen up. That is something we
generally don't worry about before the ride starts. Cooling
off slowly during the hour hold - again so they don't stiffen
up. Don't have to worry about that before a ride. Make
sure they are eating and drinking well. Putting a little more
attention to that detail after the ride than before is usually the
norm. Icing the legs is another one I see regularly. Sure
don't do that before the vet check before the ride. I'm sure
their are more. Anymore smarta$$
questions?
Yea, I have one more smart A** comment. All these
things you are talking about have not one iota to do with showing for BC!
This is what everyone should be doing for their horses after the
ride! OMG! If this is what you think people need should learn
in LD and that having a BC award will teach them this, then you are
entirely correct. (I agree also anyway.) I don't feel having a BC
award encourages racing, but rather encourages people who have that competitive
spirit to keep their hormones in check and think about their horse more.
That is why I love and miss CTR here in the PNW. I
do have that competitive spirit a little bit, and I enjoy trying to finish a
ride with a horse that looks "better than all the rest!" But,
unfortunately, we have no CTR here and so I must get my kicks out of riding
endurance (which I really don't mind, honest) But really my heart aches to
ride a good CTR again. Well, I'm hoping to make some of the Canadian
CTR's next year and maybe a trip or 2 to a CA NATRC CTR. So maybe
next year, I won't have this emptiness inside so much.
and since I'm jumping in here, I do want to say
that I really enjoyed the CTR article in endurance News a couple months back
regarding FEI competitors. It was really cool! Later,
