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[RC] Newbie Questions - rides2farHi Dana, You sound like a great addition to the sport. Yes, you may proceed on foot. You are even allowed to jog...and if you're fast enough you can pass the rest of us *while* on foot...it's been done :-)) As to walking you through a ride day. Here's what I tell my recruits. Friday. Show up by noon. Set up horse's picket line, corral, or whatever (you choice...ain't this fun?) Get him water & hay, then set up camp. By 2:00 or so go enter and find out where the vet in will be and what time it will start. I like to go set up my vet check next. Get a decent space before they're all gone. (most of our checks are in camp here). Rather than rush up at 3:00 to stand in a long line to vet in, I prefer to wait around and let him get over the trip, then saddle up and go out for a little loosening up ride (I always have to adjust stirrups shorter at this time to allow for turbo "I'm at a ride" trot) 5:00 or so when the line is down I'll go vet in. Horse is less dehydrated than if I'd rushed right up at 3:00 and there's seldom any line at all. Rather than get fed at 5 PM like he does at home, I dip out his allotted amount of feed and just toss him a handfull or two every time I go by to spread it out through the evening. SATURDAY: The longest distance starts first, so if there's a 50 it'll probably start at the first round "number" after daylight. If that's 7 AM the 25's probably start at 7:30 or 8:00. I make a point of feeding him 2 hrs. before I begin to warm him up (30 min. before start) You have 6 hrs from the start time to finish. Hold times do not have an effect on the cut off time, it's 6 hrs from the start time. Now...I'd say my biggest concern would be your 10 year old daughter. Been there done that. I'd stay well away from the mass starts if your horses have never seen such. Since horses tend to hit a big trot *immediately* at our rides, you might want to spend more time warming up. I spend a full 30 min. warming up...15 at a walk and 15 mixed walk/trot. The "racers" tend to take off first. The "middies" (middle of the pack, steady eddies" are next...but often at the far back are people with beginner horses or problem horses and they're trying to avoid turmoil. I try to avoid getting back there with them so I like to drop in just behind the steady eddies when my daughter's with me. The NATRC riders I know are used to having to use their maps. Most endurance rides are marked plenty well enough to never take your map out unless you just want to figure out where on the loop you are. I think you'll like the atmosphere in endurance. Most of us aren't exactly competing against each other...just against the trail so everybody's very eager to help each other out. Most of the people I have thought of as rude usually just turned out to not *know* what they did was wrong and were perfectly willing to wait for you at water or whatever if you asked (most experience riders would do so without being asked). Since a 25 is our entry level you may run into some people with less experience than you have in group competitions so don't assume it's an "endurance thing" if they slip up. It may be that they simply haven't been in the sport long and didn't know better. I think the main thing that the NATRC people who did P&R's at our ride were shocked at was that we were bringing the horses to the P&R at 64 bpm. They were so used to trying to bring a horse in at 40 or so that they didn't understand that pulsing in at 64 was OK. (LD must be 60 at the finish) You really don't have to bring a horse in from the trail at 40. The NATRC people also weren't used to having crews during the ride with sponges, they stood around with little cardboard fans. Enjoy that bit of freedom. Drag the husband out, give him a roadmap and and 100 gallons of water and if it's a hot day he can become your hero by meeting you at road crossing with water...it's great for a marriage. (and a great way to become popular other competitors if you're generous) If you need something at the vet check. Yell. Somebody will have it and offer it, whether it's duct tape, vasoline, or a broken stirrup. We're all just trying to make it through. Finally, when you finish and your horse pulses down and gets his completion...you'll already *know* where you placed. No judges opinions to worry about. :-) Go turn him loose in his pen to roll or sunbathe or anything else he chooses. If he'd rather roll in sand and be dirty than have a complete bath on a cold day you can leave him that way. Nobody to count off points. :-) End of day, there's often a dinner, then awards. All completers must get some award whether it's a t-shirt or a hoof pick. There are almost always plenty of junior awards. After it's over, wander up to the campfire that has the most laughter coming from it. Stay late. We're glad you're here. :-) Angie McGhee Wildwood, GA =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 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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