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[RC] Racing vs Riding or Racing vs Racing - Pvan19

Hi Kim,
 
thanks for your post - very interesting!

On what you wrote about economics:
" Economics is always a consideration.  What I find interesting is that some of
the programs that are not into "longevity" are either run by very wealthy
barns and stables (example the Sheiks of the UAE) or have government funding (The
French endurance team).  When you think about this, there is really not a
dire economic reason to push young horses.  In fact, it seems to me that most of
us in AERC, have more economic reasons (like many of us are not wealthy that
participate in endurance) to push young horses into competition or run through
a string of potentials."
 
Don't forget that whomever puts money into the sport expects... results! So pressure to perform is increasing... and in this scenario people cannot afford to take to much time over a given horse to see if it's up to international competition.
 
Typically here in France an endurance stable will get in 10 youngish horses with potential, train them for 10 - 12 weeks and do a 60 miler to see how they do. Of those ten, a couple will be sold off fairly quickly, a couple might get a second chance after injury for example, and maybe 1 or 2 will make it thru this program in good shape, with luck 1 of them will be doing a 80 or 100 miler at the end of that first year of training at a lowish speed, and will then start racing the year after.. if good results it will be sold off for good money to some international rider, or leased for a couple of rides, often disappearing within a couple of years from the endurance scene as racing takes it toll.
 
Some of the really good horses we have here are ridden below their potential to avoid attracting attention before major championships - to stop them being sold off abroad before the national team has had a chance to use them to earn a title! The French gouverment will help fund a rider who hangs on to his/her horse specifically for this reason - to avoid 'horse drain' . Typical example: Georgat ridden by Barbara L. in Dubai and by one of the Maktoum sons in Compiègne last summer... the owners resisted selling the horse earlier in 2005 but after Dubai the money just got soo huge they couldn't refuse.
 
If you're not wealthy and have bought a horse ( meaning you'll eat cheap pasta for the rest of your life) you want it ... to LAST as long as possible, and incidentally perform as best as it can without doing long term harm.. the whole point being that if you 'break' it you won't be able to afford another one and therefore will not be riding...at all.
 
From personal experience - see what I mean? I think the economics actually have quite the adverse effect from what you could expect!
 
brgds,
 
Pauline
 
ps for Laney: in France, 18200 endurance ride starts in 2005, of which 81% were local rides of 40 miles or less. This percentage was 83% in 2004. We'll need 2006 data to call this a trend... but it sure looks like one.