Re: RC: Re: Looking for a horse

["Glenda R. Snodgrass" <grs@TheNetEffect.com>]

> Why is "being judged" such a big problem? I fail to understand why most
> endurance riders have a fetish against "being judged". CTR, particularly
> NATRC, teaches you how to best care for your horse.

I do not believe that is true, and that condescending comment is precisely
why so many endurance folks don't like NATRC folks.

While I agree that many of the principles of CTR do encourage good
horsemanship, many of the current NATRC rules (like the "equal stabling"
rule that requires I tie my horse to the trailer overnight rather than
setting up a comfortable 12'x18' portable corral where he can move about
much more and comfortably lie down and roll in several different spots)
and many of the "tricks" used in judging (like asking a rider to shake
hands while mounted to see what she will do with the reins) are just plain
aggravating to someone who simply wants to get down the trail and enjoy
nature from the back of her horse.  The *last* thing I want to see out on
the trail is people who will stop me and talk to me and demand that I do
something for them!!  I do that all week long, and get paid for it. <g>

As for "learning better care," I don't know of any NATRC horse that is
better cared for than mine, in spite of never having done a NATRC ride
myself (though I do help out as a volunteer), and I resent the implication
from many NATRC riders that this is not so, and that I could take so much
better care of Lakota if I rode NATRC rather than endurance.

In addition, I find the prescribed window of time for arriving back at
camp to be unduly burdensome.  I have to watch the clock all day long, all
week long, since I bill by the hour, and I don't want to have to be that
precise on my timing when I'm riding!  That simply doesn't interest me at
all.

So, as I've said many times before, different strokes for different folks,
and don't tell me I need to ride NATRC. :)

Glenda & Lakota
Mobile, AL
AERC # M18819 & H27310
SE Region


=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net.    
Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/RideCamp   
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=