Various thoughts/recent posts

["Nancy Mitts" <mitts_n@hotmail.com>]

The posts over the last couple days have left me with these impressions:
Why do some people just insist on wearing the terms "Newbie" &/ "LD Rider" 
like hair shirts?
Why is telling someone they need to slow down until they've learned more 
considered arrogant? (Oh yeah, we're just trying to keep Newbie's from 
beating our friends)
Why is not giving "advice" to people who don't really want it considered 
arrogant? (Oh yeah,we're just trying to keep you from learning our secrets)
The one thing I've learned from being around this sport for 10 years is, you 
can't please everybody. I've seen many a "Newbie" show up for their 1st 25. 
They get caught up in the race with experienced riders on fit horses. If 
they have a good horse, they may actually "win". But have they learned 
anything about taking care of a distance horse for the long term? Not 
really. And I've actually heard accused "Oldbie's" of just trying to slow 
them down so their friend won't get beat. Maybe the new horse lasts a season 
or 2. Then comes the crash, metabolic or lameness. A good horse gone. A 
rider disillusioned. Never saw it coming. "Why didn't somebody tell me?" 
Somebody tried, believe me.
Is it the fault of the 25 mile racer? The "oldbie's" who didn't "force" more 
education? The vet who didn't have a reason to pull the horse? The "Newbie" 
for getting caught up in winning? Of course, none of the above.
The fact is, distance riding is a serious sport, with VERY serious 
consequences when we screw up. Sometimes even if you don't screw up, %#!* 
happens. It's easy to forget that.
Don't get so hung up on designated names, it's all a constant learning 
process for everybody. Riding the longer distances just changes your 
perspective of the shorter ones, whatever those distances are.
Nancy Mitts

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