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Re: [RC] Endurance rider.actually... - Chrystal Woodhouse** Sorry this somehow turned out to be really long- only read if it is raining and miserable out , otherwise go ride!** :-) Having only read 4 or 5 of the LD posts I may not be up to speed on the whole conversation ( but am pretty sure I only missed a lot of rhetorical, circular arguments, kinda reminds me of our endurance club meetings. > :-) ) however found to my HORROR that I am thinking " well 25 isn't endurance, that's just crazy...." Here is the problem.............. I PROMISED myself when I started long distance riding 6 years ago ( I learned in the first two months that I was a "long distance rider" and couldn't call myself an endurance rider until I had done 50 miles ;-)) that I would never become one of "those" endurance riders who fought to keep 12 mile rides out of our club, who went on and on and on.................about endurance and the importance of protecting our sport and the integrity of it ( i.e. 12 or 25 miles ISN"T endurance!) anyway- you get the idea- I was always going to remember what is was like to start out and how hard 25 miles is to do when you haven't been doing it for years hmmmmmmmmm..........well, I do remember how hard it was and how cool I thought I was that I could ride 25 miles in one day ( anyone who wants to impress people should just tell their vet, dressage coach, local feed store employee etc... trust me they will be suitably impressed > :-) ) And you know what???? I was cool, and tough and 25 miles IS something to be really proud of- however when my mare and I jumped into 50's there was a - BIG difference I was sooooo excited after our first 50 that I could FINALLY call myself an endurance rider- our training rides are often 25 miles at home now- they used to be 10- we can canter for 5 and a half hours and feel GOOD at the end of it, there really is a difference. That doesn't mean everyone has to do 50 or a 100 but LD's are LD's -CTR's are CTR's and endurance is endurance- if I wanted to call myself a jumper I would actually have to go jump something (any jump taken to date has been with my eyes closed and more of an accident than a planned thing :-) I guess I could call myself an accidental jumper!!!:-)) Figure out what you want to be and go do it!:-) And have FUN with your horse because that really is what it is all > about.
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