Home Current News News Archive Shop/Advertise Ridecamp Classified Events Learn/AERC
Endurance.Net Home Ridecamp Archives
ridecamp@endurance.net
[Archives Index]   [Date Index]   [Thread Index]   [Author Index]   [Subject Index]

Re: [RC] Cold shoulder? - heidi larson

Come ride in the Pacific Northwest!!!  At the Klickitat
ride last year, some aquaintances of mine came to ride the
fun ride with their (gasp!) Icelandics!!  They were so
cute, they had people all gather around them asking tons of
questions and petting them.  The next time I saw the owner
(she was the FedEx lady in our office) she commented on how
she and her friend felt like superstars with their unusual
breed.  I take newbies to rides, they've ridden QH's, a
morgan and a quarab, all seemed to fit right in and all
have commented on what a wonderful group of people the
endurance folks are!  One gal went to an AQHA ride a month
after she completed her first LD (30 miler) and compared
groups.  The endurance crowd won hands down as the AQHA
ride (anyone could ride it) wasn't friendly except for,
wouldn't you know, they parked next to an endurance rider
who talked to them all weekend!  I started this sport about
mid-90's on an arab and only knew about 4 people when I
started.  I make it a personal goal to meet a new person at
every ride. (Eva Yellowhair was my new rider in Idaho last
week and I rode with Victoria White, who I know, but had
never ridden with.) The best way to make "First Contact"
(yes, I'm also a trekkie!) is to compliment someone else's
horse.  It's like having a horse treat in your pocket.

One of my favorite reason I do endurance is that no matter
what you wear, ride or drive or sleep in, the people I've
been around don't care.  Just bring a prepared horse and a
big smile!!!

heidi larson and kalasha





--- Dodie Sable <dodie@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

What Jay, Keith and others are pointing out is we have a
very real problem
in the sport. There is a very definite click in
endurance. Those outside the
click who don't ride the right breed of horse, the right
color, wear the
right cloths, or the right saddle are given the cold
shoulder or have people
talk behind their backs as you have done. I've
experienced it first hand.
I've been told to my face that my horse couldn't "do
endurance".

~~~~~

Now that's interesting to read because I've experienced
exactly the opposite
since I began this sport in 1999.  I ride Appaloosas and
Tennessee Walkers,
and yes, I've had people tell me if I wanted to be
serious in this sport I
needed to get an Arabian and I just smile and keep on
riding my own breed.
Everyone I've encountered has been wonderful, I've never
gotten the cold
shoulder and in my neck of the woods I've been known as
"The App Lady" since
I show up with a trailer full of spots.  I have heard
"talking behind the
back" about me, and about other "non-conformists" but
that is to be expected
no matter where you go in life and I view it as a
success!  See!  Someone
noticed me enough to talk about me.  For the most part,
the people I've met
in AERC and ECTRA have been marvelous, educational,
friendly and by no means
snobbish or mean like those competitors in other equine
sports.  

Dodie





      
____________________________________________________________________________________
Pinpoint customers who are looking for what you sell. 
http://searchmarketing.yahoo.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!!

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=


Replies
[RC] Cold shoulder?, Dodie Sable