Getting started in endurance ...

[Leva Mevis <leva@primenet.com>]

Hi -- I posted her a while ago but thought I'd delurk for a moment ...

I am getting a horse -- the nice sane 19 yo I mentioned weeks ago who
turned out to only be 12. (It NEVER works this way. Her owner thought
she was nineteen; her state license says she's 12. I've known her owner
for years -- which makes me tend to believe the license from, umm,
experience -- but I'll let the vet coming tomorrow cast a deciding vote.
She's sort've an informal rescue since her owner hasn't been taking care
of her, and I'll take her either way, but ... well, I hope the papers
are right. :))

BTW, I have some pics up at http://firefox.org/horse/ if anyone's
curious or wants to give me an opinion. :) (Besides the fact that she's
skinny and the halter's too big.)

Anyway, what kinds of reccomendations would you have for someone getting
into endurance? Stupid things NOT to do? Stupid things you've seen
beginners do that I can avoid? *shrug* I'm not gonna push this horse to
anything she can't do ... well, I'd love to turn her into a cinderella
story, too. 

And tack reccomendations for a small horse with big (huge!) withers and
a short back? :)

~Leva