RE: Multi-day LD's

[Teresa Van Hove <tvanhove@uswest.net>]

Well, I don't think doing 50 slow/moderate miles in 2 days is as hard
on a 4 year old as doing one fast 25 would be.  The vast majority
of "multi-day LD's" are 2 and 3 day rides in conjunction with 2-3 day
50's.  You'all out west do not realize that for a lot of the USA
a RM needs to have both 25 and 50 mile riders each day of a
ride to pay the bills; to make it worth folk's while to
drive to a ride it also helps to have 2-3 days of rides.  I love
having an LD each day of a 2-3 day ride, it gives me the option of
taking along a young'un or semi-retired horse to ride an LD one of the
days if my endurance horse is not ready for consecutive 50's.  As far as
limiting the # of days in a week a horse under 5 can do LD's I think
it'd be a wasted rule.  If we (AERC) have a need to provide more
controls for young horses doing LD's together with older horses whose
riders simply prefer LD over the longer rides than we should do it 
right and have speed restrictions as well as mileage restrictions
for these young horses. NOTE- I don't personally see a great need for
a lot of extra regulation.  I know there are riders out there who
push too fast too young but I don't know if we as an organization
should try to take extra responsibility for these horses' well being;
I think I'd prefer AERC continue to expect each rider to be responsible
for their own horse.   
 
Teresa Van Hove


Karen Chaton wrote >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>.

I don't think any were under 5 at DVE last year.  It was a 
25/25/35/30.  Can't tell by the online database (horse ages), but looks
to me like any horse I looked up (that I didn't already know was older)
had done rides for a year or two before that one, so obviously were at
least 5.

It does seem like more and more multidays are also starting to sanction
LD rides.  I think AERC's position should be that 4 year old horses not
do more than one day of any particular multiday.  I don't know of any 5
day rides (in the western US) that have sanctioned LD's all 5 days. 
You're right though, I don't think many people would even consider
taking a 4 year old horse on a multiday LD ride.  I think this is
probably something that should have been resolved before they (AERC)
ever allowed sanctioning.  Probably trivial for most, but we have had
people riding 4 year olds in 50's (and 3 year olds in LD's).  I don't
have a problem with a rule that only serves to protect young horses.

k
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