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Maybe I'm reading more into the original post than was there, but I  
didn't think that the proposal was to get "incremental" miles.  I  
thought it was to get credit for some recognized "chunk" of mileage.   
For example - horse comes in at 50 miles, and passes the vet check,  
goes on, but is pulled at 75 miles.  I thought (or assumed) the  
proposal was more along the lines that credit would be given for the  
50 miles, as the horse was "fit to continue" at that point.

That would get around most of the problems you listed.   Mind you - if  
this were seriously considered, it could impact all recognized  
distances, except for LD.  In addition, this would impact ride  
management, who would have to keep track of the "partial credit".

The basic issue, though, is the concept of "partial credit".  We don't  
have that in this sport, even in the elevator rides.  Once you sign up  
for a given distance, you must complete the distance, or receive a  
DNF.  I can see the attraction of the proposal, but from what I've  
seen, opinion is running about 98% against it.  :)


On Oct 7, 2008, at 1:22 PM, Bruce Weary DC wrote:

> I really hate to be a killjoy about this idea, but it is fraught  
> with problems. I'm sure folks will come up with more, but consider  
> these:
> 1) If a rider tries a 100 miler, but he only goes, say 82 miles, how  
> much time does he get to complete his ride? AERC completion  
> allowance times are based on 4.167 mph. Does he get the whole 24  
> hours to finish the 82 miles? What if he pulls somewhere out on the  
> trail, with no timer to determine if he is within the time allowance  
> for his mileage?
> 2)  A rider could  conceivably garner enough  mileage without  
> actually completing the total distance, and do so on several  
> occasions, and thereby possibly  outperform other riders whose  
> mileage was all obtained by  fully completing the rides. Imagine a  
> regional or national mileage champion who didn't always get to the  
> finish line. This could affect many awards, including Husband and  
> Wife, Family, Pioneer, and  mileage chevrons, to name a few.
> 3)  Does the rider only get the miles if he pulls before the vet  
> tells him to? Can the vet say, "If you pull now, you can have your  
> miles, but you can't go on." ?
> 4)  How is the rider's completion percentage to be figured in AERC  
> statistics if he doesn't get to the finish line, but is deemed to have
> "successfully" completed some miles? Would it be counted as a  
> completion?
>
> The long and short of it is that this is a sport, like many others,  
> where only so much can be done to make it inviting to the  
> participants. It's part of the game. I can't go to Vegas and ask  
> that the casinos  change the odds in my favor, because though I  
> enjoy gambling, and I'm happy to take home any winnings, I would  
> really rather not lose any money, when it comes right down to it.   
> We can't go to unreasonable lengths to assure "success" or eliminate  
> "losses" (ride fees, gas money, completions rates) for the  
> participants. In addition, rider's ought not, IMO, "take a wild  
> swing" at a 100 mile ride. The horse and rider should be adequately  
> prepared to take on a 100 miler, and have confidence that the horse  
> is old enough, experienced enough, and conditioned enough to attempt  
> one, and that the rider knows how to pace and care for the horse  
> over 100 miles properly, so that a positive outcome is more likely.  
> Then, still, there are those few riders who just might figure, "I'll  
> go for the front and  run him until he can't go any more, and take  
> whatever miles I can get."
> Julie Suhr tells me that you can often tell what your horse thinks  
> of you when you look in his eyes. I shudder to think what his  
> opinion would be of me if running him until he can barely get a  
> completion for fractional miles were my strategy.    Bruce Weary
>
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