Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

> Any rider could succeed > with a good 
> horse and the dedication to condition it well and learn all they 
> could.> People who could not afford the show circuit could afford
endurance, 
> and be > winners as well.> I am personally sad to see the changes.  
I'm kinda torn. On the one hand, I love the fact that "anyone can rise up
and be great with lots of determination"...on the other hand, I'm often
embarassed when I see some of the equitation at even our bigger rides. 
No, don't want to turn this into a show, but is it too much to ask for
the rider to be able to stand in the stirrups without tiptoeing and
holding onto the front of the saddle?  If my kid got a chance to go to a
Young Riders training camp and train under great instructors, you can bet
I'd get her there and if I didn't she'd get herself there!  I had a good
horse, but if he'd been more controllable he could have been a *really*
good horse. I wish I'd had the training to know how to get him that way.
Endurance riders are very often like me...self taught, self motivated
types that never had the intense schooling and training that riders from
other disciplines get. I don't know if this would make much difference in
the medals, but at least our videos would look better. >g<

I think the best thing the US could do to improve its chance of medals is
get some allies, lobby *hard* with other countries to bring back
technical courses and get rid of the speed requirements on these
qualifying rides.  That, combined with good up and coming riders could be
the ticket. 

Angie 

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