ridecamp@endurance.net: Re: [endurance] RE: endurance-digest V1 #350

Re: [endurance] RE: endurance-digest V1 #350

Diane E. Nelson (nelsonde@ttown.apci.com)
Tue, 19 Mar 1996 14:20:17 -0500 (EST)

>
> I just have to ask... was she wearing a helmet or not? ;-)
> *Not* trying to re-open the helmet wars here ... just curious since she was
> knocked unconcious. 2 possible responses and likely resulting theories:
> 1 Yes. People who don't wear helmets will think to themselves "see...
> doesn't matter anyways so why bother?"
> 2 No. People who *do* wear helmets will think to themselves "see... it
> can't happen to me." (not true)
> Personally, I have been running my helmet into large tree limbs with my
> head in it with frightening regularity lately. Gotta be more careful.
> Any other helmet buffs have this problem? Or as Maryben would say "You
> know, that horse has a steering wheel... "

I had just bought one of the first of the new generation helmuts and was
riding my 15.2H Arab, Remington Steele (yah, I watch too much TV), when
we decided to take a short-cut through the fence row which was your usual
maples/brush/grapevine/raspberry combo. We saw a nice space, had to
duck, and went for it. Well, there was this V-shaped branch, and Diane
not being the most flexible person, didn't quite get low enough. I
wedged the helmut in the V, screamed a Whoa but Rem kept on going....I
didn't. I was suspended by my helmut from the V, dangling with my feet
several good inches off the ground. Finally my weight bent the branch
down & I was able to untangle myself. I had visions of hanging there
indefinitely....but the helmut was undamaged and this happened mercifully
out of sight of the usual audience that witnesses one's stupidity on
horseback.

>
> Re: TB's in endurance. Hmm... I seem to have lost the origianl post from
> overseas regarding why there aren't more TB's in endurance here. Since I
> have one, I'm in your court. Why not? Theories: 1. Their feet don't hold
> up. [question: How many Arab owners have feet problems?] 2. They eat too
> much. 3. People actually read Deb Bennett and believe her when she says
> they aren't built strong enough to actually be riding horses. 4. They're
> too tall and boney to hop on bareback in the pasture. 5. It's too easy
> to find a saddle that fits them. ;-)

Amen about the saddle. TB's don't have good feet...some do, but way too
many don't. But the metabolics are good and look at the steeplechasers
and eventers who need to condition not unlike endurance riders....why not
a TB?? Personally I'd look for a small, racy model, with good bone--a
Connemara/TB cross sounds like heaven to me! Three of my bestest horses
ever were TB's or TB crosses, one off-the-track & one a grandson of
Native Dancer--wonderful, brave, kind souls each of them.

>
> Thanks to Diane for doing a great saddle search consolidation. Did anyone
> catch Stacy's point regarding false advertising and the Boz saddle? If that
> tree in their ad was special made and not really used in the saddles...

I made special note of that in the database. There are very few Boz
saddles out there...and there's always a reason for that.

>
> :) - kat
> kmyers@collagen.com
> and Magnum the TB with his Stubben Survival saddle... is that the same
> or different than a "Stubben Surviver" ???

Same saddle...wonderful isn't it?
>