Re: RC: RC: Posted today on a mostly Dressage Riders' BB . . .

[Rides 2 Far <rides2far@juno.com>]

> So here you have this guy on an extremely overweight, 
> out-of-condition> Arab telling people about his experience with
endurance. Was he > telling> the truth? I suspected not (no sponge on the
saddle made me > suspicious),> but how would a person outside the sport
know? Comments?

I think we all deal with one of those sooner or later.  We have one lady
locally who gives riding lessons and group trail rides.  She came to
*one* LD ride several years ago and has been an "endurance rider" ever
since.  I ran into her on the trail last week and she was wearing that
T-shirt and she must hand wash the thing because mine died of old age
long ago.  

This lady is O.K. just fantasizing.  If you get one of the obnoxious
types, it's nice to be able to call their bluff.  If they're riding with
others who they have bragged to, stop and mention a few rides you've been
to lately, and say, "Have you done that one?... remember that part of the
trail where...OH YOU DIDN'T DO THE 50? then you wouldn't know about that
part of the trail..., well what about the "so and so" ride? " Doesn't
take long to show the others that this person's been pulling their leg. 
Would't do that to just anybody, but to the right people it could be
enjoyable. >eg< No, I'm not putting down LD.  But, if you have to go up a
notch to manage to look down on somebody you can play that card.

As far as the training thing.  That's a toughy.  I think every other day
with one long ride per week is good.  Trouble is, we all have our "best
week schedule" in our mind and we seldom do that exact schedule.  I used
to ride with a girl who was nice, but lived in a dream world.  She was a
mail carrier and in the winter didn't get off until almost dark, and in
the summer, was so exhausted from driving in an unairconditioned car all
day that she'd come in and pass out.  All winter she'd talk about how she
was going to train come spring.  In the summer she'd talk about how she
was going to train once it cooled off.  She could never remember that the
days ALWAYS got short again.  She did well to get on her horse once a
week.  Then, we'd meet someone on the trail and they'd ask us about
endurance riding and she'd go into explaining how she rides every other
day, and one long ride, etc. etc. and I remember just looking at her and
thinking, "you are totally insane, I don't believe you've ever done that
once in your life".  

The best thing you could do for the sport is go ahead and start
competing.  Sounds like you have a good idea what it's all about, and the
sooner you're out there on a horse that looks really healthy (with a
sponge on your saddle of course!) and somebody asks you what those
numbers on your horse's rump are for, you can start being a GOOD
representative for us.  Most people aren't stupid.  Some will fall for
the blowhard's story, but not for long.  The more good riders we have out
there, the better it is for the sport, and the less the bad ones will get
attention.

Angie