Re: RC: Re: Re: Uh-Oh! The LD thing again

[diane knapper <knaptyme@uswest.net>]

Hey superpat, I agree.   25 miles is a novice distance.  It
is a stepping
stone into the longer distances of really endurance riding.
I think that a
first place horse on 25 milers should be the one with the
highest vet scores
out of say the top 20 horses.  Not the first one over the
line.  The newbies
get that top ten fever and figure that because their horse
is still hustling
on down the trail that it is fine.  A lot can be said for
adrenalin.    I
find it amazing how newbies can know so much more than an
experience ride
vet.   Most long time riders will do 25 mile workouts at
home to prepare for
, say, a 100 miler.  You newbies out there lurking.   Go to
a few rides and
offer your services as ride help.
Observe and ask questions.  Try to see what the vet is
seeing.  When you do
your first rides,  dont just be a rider on a horse,  be your
horses partner.
gesa n clovis   (flame away!!!!)
-----Original Message-----

Sylvia;

This is what I was replying to.  No one has the right to say
that a 25 miler or newbie isn't taking care of their horse
properly or that we have top ten fever.

Personally, I take very good care of my horse and worry more
about him than I do me.  I know I can feel my aches and
pains...what about my horse, I can't feel his.  I worry, I
wonder, is he sore, does he have enough to eat, is he warm
enough....hell, I do that at night in the barn at home.  So
don't tell me because I'm a newbie that I've got top 10
fever.  She makes it sound like a disease that we all have
and a very contagious disease at that.

It takes a good bit of arrogance to say what she said and
not expect to get flamed.

I've only been riding endurance (not horses) for the last 2
years.  When I meet people on the trail that ask me what me
what I'm doing.  I explain that I'm conditioning for
endurance...they want to know more.  I refer them to
endurance.net and ridecamp.  Tell them they can learn alot
on this site about endurance riding.  Unfortunately, with
attitudes out there like that, they aren't going to learn
anything, they are going to turn away...disgusted.  Some of
you people make me wonder why I refer them.  OK, I always
add a disclaimer, if you don't like the post, you can delete
it...but should it be that way?  I thought this forum was
here to help everyone.

Maybe it all goes back to labels...newbies, ld...etc.
People that are experienced should be willing to share their
experiences instead of critizing and lumping into one group
people that are just starting out in the sport.

I've never done a LD, only CTR.  But in that realm, it
doens't matter if you are first over the line or not...it is
all based on your score.  I've won some and I've lost some,
but I never failed to learn from any of them.

By the way, is she talking about the horses adreniline or
the persons?  Two weeks ago, I fell off and broke a couple
of ribs...rode for 1 1/2 hrs more and didn't feel a thing
because of the adrenaline...does that make me an endurance
rider????  Remember, I've only done CTR's.

Diane


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