regarding mentors - please see my other post under the rule change topic. Remember "experienced" doesn't mean safe or someone who practices good horsemanship.
Good idea about the mentor, just would like to make sure the mentor is "qualified", however that could be determined.
Another example - I once asked an experienced endurance person how to teach my horse to pace or slow down, because she always wanted to race on the trails. I was told to "..just let her go" and she'll figure it out.
