Re: LD and BC

[Sue Brown <sbrown@wamedes.com>]

>In a message dated 7/4/00 11:11:46 PM Pacific Daylight Time, 
>DESERTRYDR1@aol.com writes:
>
><< that LD should not be a race.  Newbies need 
>to learn how to take pace their horse and take care of it. >>
>the frightening part is that many who are just not satisfied unless it is 
>called a race go into 50s well before they are ready, even skipping the 25 
>milers - the "training" stage - altogether. I think of some of the real
dolts 
>who whiz past us at the start - or any OTEHR spot - in a 25-35 miler, 
>slamming into me, my daughter, my precious old mare - and I imagine these 
>incompetents going into a 50 soon. I cringe - for the horses they ride 
>especially. Training ride? Yes indeed - and if we CALL it that, EVERYONE 
>should start at that point. You have to walk before you can run - or race. 
>
>
I've often wondered it some of these problems would be stemmed a bit if
AERC adopted a concept from CTR of a *minimum* time as well as a maximum
time for their LDs...and not 15 minutes, but something a bit more
reasonable to the faster horses who may be getting ready to move up.  There
are probably some reasons why this hasn't been done yet, but I see it as a
way to teach people to pace the horses better and remove the interest in
riding the course as fast as possible.  We already have a difference
between LDs and the 50 mile and up distances in the pulse criteria at the
end (set up to teach people not to race) so adding another difference under
the same concept wouldn't be totally out of line.

Also, if riders (not the horses) were required to ride X number of LDs
(miles) before they could do 50s, there might be more of a chance that they
would develop a better concept of pacing and it would give them a chance to
learn more about the sport before they leap into the longer distances.  I
understand the premise that some horses do better at starting with 50s...so
this idea would work here since the *rider* of the new equine competitor,
starting out in a 50, would have already finished the qualifying LD rides
in order to ride *any* horse at a 50 mile or greater distance.

Any thoughts?

Sue

sbrown@wamedes.com
Tyee Farm
Marysville, Wa.