Re: Looking Down on LD?

["Tamara Jane Habberley" <tamarahabberley@lineone.net>]

at risk of being impertinent I thought the webmaster for ride camp was Steph
Teter, so is that your emial name?

I only ask 'cos I guess it could cause confusion - or maybe Im just easily
confused !

Tamara
----- Original Message -----
From: Webmaster <webmaster@endurancehorses.com>
To: <guest@endurance.net>; <ridecamp@endurance.net>
Sent: Tuesday, April 11, 2000 10:01 PM
Subject: RC: Looking Down on LD?


> In response to post by L.D. Rider,
>
> I think what is at issue here is not so much the requirement for LD riders
> to present a horse when it has met the HR criteria, but, that the LD rider
> in question felt that their accomplishment(s) were somewhat undervalued by
> endurance riders as a group.  I don't understand this mindset because I
have
> always been under the impression that we participate in this sport for
> personal fulfillment and a sense of accomplishment for ourselves and our
> horse.  When I complete an endurance ride with a sound horse I realize
that
> all of the conditioning work that I have done between rides has paid off.
>
> The LD rider expressed concerns that they felt they were being singled out
> as a group, whereas, the endurance riders were not.  That somehow it was
> unfair that they had to present a horse that met the 60 HR criteria or
face
> a time penalty.  The structure of a LD is technically different than an
> endurance ride; you don't finish until your horse meets the HR criteria.
Of
> course you were being singled out, you were riding under a different set
of
> rules.
>
> I was also surprised that any offense could be taken regarding the
comments
> about moving up to endurance rides.  Nothing was said at the ride meeting
> regarding moving up to endurance that isn't already the common sentiment
of
> the AERC and the bulk of its members.  As an organization we have chosen
to
> recognize the value of sanctioning, even embracing, LD because it is a
> value-added component of our sport.  The inclusion of LD in our sport
serves
> many useful purposes and that is why it exists today.  However, our sport
is
> endurance riding and that has to be the focus of our organization as a
> whole.
>
> The complaints regarding pulling tack at a 30 minute hold and being left
> with only 10 minutes for the horse to rest and eat completely contradict
the
> statements made in the second to last paragraph.  This LD rider views
> themselves as, "...foremost a horsemen and will always strive to do what
is
> in the best interest of any horse that is under my care."  This horsemen,
> who was at the time striving to do what was best for the horse, complains
> that, "... my horse only had a ten minute break with me not bothering her
> before we had to be out!"  The best interests of the horse were not
foremost
> to this horsemen.  If the horse needed more time at the vet hold the LD
> rider had every right to stay longer.  My guess is that finishing the LD
was
> what was foremost to this horsemen.
>
> Hope you can appreciate the feedback.
>
> Salim
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: guest@endurance.net [mailto:guest@endurance.net]
> Sent: Monday, April 10, 2000 4:03 PM
> To: ridecamp@endurance.net
> Subject: RC:  "Deadman" Endurance Ride
>
> L.D. Rider LDRNotTrailTrash@aol.com
> I wanted to get some feedback from the LD riders that participated in the
> ride this past weekend.  The general feeling in basecamp after the ride
> meeting was not good.  The Ride Managers attitude towards the LD riders I
> felt was condescending at best.  The E mail he sent out prior to the race
> had me concerned enough that I called and spoke to Kathleen at A.E.R.C.
who
> then had me call Veneta (Spelling?) Bowers and discuss things with her.
The
> ride managers paragraph in the E mail he sent out prior to the race
inferred
> that if the LD riders did not know how to take a pulse that they needed to
> buy a stethoscope or a heart monitor and that anyone who didn't was going
to
> be penalized in some form. Those of us who read E mail know that sentences
> in all caps are a form of yelling.  The Ride manager then made his
feelings
> more then known at the ride meeting with his comments about how "LD riders
> moving up to 50's".  What is this attitude? Aren't all our goals the
> same......do our bes!
> t and most importantly do the best thing for our horses? All riders are
not
> 50 mile riders, all horses are not 50 mile horses, this elitist attitude
is
> ridiculous!  I only paid $10.00 less then the 50 mile riders, does this
make
> it ok for management to have made us feel like second class citizens?
What
> was this with the 30 mile riders being made to pull tack on our 30 minute
> break?  I have NEVER heard of anything like this. By having us do that my
> horse only had a ten minute break with me not bothering her before we had
to
> be out!  If the Ride Manager did not want us there, why did he even offer
a
> 30 mile ride? This was the first time I was made to feel like trail trash
by
> the management of a ride.
>
> The ride itself was wonderful, the scenery spectacular, the trail
absolutely
> wonderfully marked, but sadly to say it was spoiled by Managements
demeaning
> attitude toward the LD riders.  Many riders came up to me and voiced their
> shock, dismay, outrage, and hurt feelings over this.
>
> We need to unify and let A.E.R.C. know our feelings LD riders pay the same
> dues, it would be nice to feel like they want us.  Management needs to
know
> our feelings.  Most importantly, fellow horsemen need to appreciate every
> rider who is out there and who takes the time and effort to condition and
> compete with their horse!
>
> I appreciate your feedback.  I consider myself first and foremost a
horsemen
> and will always strive to do what is in the best interest of any horse
that
> is under my care.
>
> I love this sport and would love to see a change of attitude towards the
LD
> riders!
>
>
>
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