Re: apprenticeship

[Ramey Peticolas-Stroud <ramey@wvi.com>]

Hi Ann,  your apprenticeship concept is the basis of our training
program here at the Cascade Training Center in Oregon.  Although most of
us have been-there-and-done-that, a first-time 100 miler on a novice
horse is sometimes kinda rough.

So we meet folks at races around the country and take them through their
first 50, 100 or multiday on one of our seasoned endurance horses.  We
also provide a riding coach to go with them and a crew, living quarters,
food, etc. 

Our primary training goal is to give riders hands-on experience that can
be transferred to their horse back-home.

Ramey Peticolas-Stroud
Cascade Endurance Center
Lyons, Oregon



Blankenship, Ann wrote:
> 
> <The truth of the matter is, those individual riders who like to blow it
> out will not have a horse left to become a 50 or 100-miler.  The horse's
> legs simply won't last (not to mention threat of death in metabolic
> breakdown).  I believe that's why less hot-dogging is seen in the upper
> levels.  These people have learned to take care of their horses, not
> just
> live for the glory of the moment.>
> 
> Or they just get a new horse.    Many of the wise and virtuous 50/100
> mile people have learned the hard way by burning up a few horses.
> Unfortunately for the poor horses, there seems to be quite a learning
> curve in this sport.  I have long thought there should be some type of
> "apprentice-membership" in AERC to transfer hard-won knowledge to
> novices without the horses having to be sacrificed.  I don't know, maybe
> you'd have to do 3 rides with a member  and pass the written test or
> something.  Just an idea.....