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Re: [RC] Weight - Joe LongOn Sat, 29 Jul 2006 17:19:37 -0700, Bruce Weary <bweary@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote: So why is everyone wearing tights instead of chaps? Tennis shoes instead of boots? Twelve pound saddles instead of roping saddles? Nylon saddle bags instead of leather saddle bags? One of the first riders of the Tevis carried farrier tools with him and was told he'd have to leave them behind due to the weight. Why 16 oz water bottles instead of a metal gallon canteen? One more time, although probably not the last time, no one is saying weight is not a factor. The question is, is having weight divisions -- and especially so many of them -- the best way to deal with that ONE factor among many? When it is the horse/rider TEAM that really matters? I weigh about the median of endurance riders, but I am as happy to compete with the featherweights as I am with the heavyweights (some of whom have cleaned my clock). I'm going to do what I can to make my team the best we can be, and that of course includes minimizing the weight my horse has to carry. It also includes a lot of other things, that we do not have divisions for. Hmmm, should I be riding in the "rider in the middle rider weight range and 50 - 65 years old on a horse weighing between 800 and 900 pounds with a stride length of between X and Y feet and with recoveries averaging between 2 and 3 minutes and age between 11 and 15 Division?" Why single out weight carried as the ONE thing we make divisions for? -- Joe Long jlong@xxxxxxxxxxxxx http://www.chiprider.com =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 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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