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] re: televising endurance and new endurance concept - Paul

Hi Linda,
re: "It is always the most important question to answer, "What is it you are
trying to do?"
 
Actually I am not trying to "solve" a problem. I am just proposing to try a new type of ride. Actually it is not even that. I am proposing to do a standard AERC ride, over a more confined course, with more repeat trail, than we normally use. That is all I am trying to do.
 
 This new type of ride might have some benefits to our sport.  It might offer us the opportunity  to showcase our sport through electronic media. It might attract some spectators to our sport. It might help riders develop a better and more accurate sense of pace. It might help riders who want to develop team work for National and International competitions. It might help riders develop different training methods for their horse. The added exposure from print and electronic media might attract more awareness and interest in our sportThere are other potential benefits that we haven't thought of that might be discovered from trying it.
 
It also might have riders throwing themselves off their horses to the ground in total boredom. It might have horses stopping and refusing to go forward. It might have vets pulling half the horses (like that never happens). It might go just fine but with every rider involved swearing once was enough and that they would never do it again. There are lots of things a ride of this type might do. We will never know unless we try it. Given the placement of adequate safeguards for the safety of the equines involved, what is the harm in trying? 
 
It sometimes seems that Endurance Riding is more often like a secret society than a sport. Many of our events are staged in remote areas with little or no public or even other equestrian peoples awareness that any Endurance Riding is taking place there. While there are a few events that draw a little interest outside the endurance community, the majority of rides take place only in our little world. We don't know what might happen if the public, including other equestrians, were actually able to watch Endurance Riding. Don't worry, it is very unlikely that this would forever destroy the sport as we know it:)
 
I was just talking to a veteran AERC person who told me about the massive controversy back in the 70;s when the Duck first proposed doing multi day rides. Apparently that was like a war getting that concept through.
 
Right now I am leaning towards trying to get 8-10 riders together early this spring to do a glorified training ride/practice ride for 25 miles on a one mile oval track. We would pretend it was a real ride and do pulses and holds as if it were a real AERC ride. Then we can evaluate and go forward from there if it looks worth doing..
 
Paul N. Sidio
(Not trying to cause trouble, just likes riding his horses about anyplace at about anytime)
Spokane Mo
 
"Insanity is when you do the same thing over and over again expecting a different result. Sanity is when you expect consistent results from consistent actions. Sometimes it is a fine line between the two"

Replies
[RC] re: televising endurance and new endurance concept, Cindy Stafford
Re: [RC] re: televising endurance and new endurance concept, Linda Marins