Re: reply to Tom Ivers re: re FEI

["Tracey" <tracey@tbt.co.za>]

Dear Teresa,


>Well Tom,  I've got 1000 miles on my horse.  I don't consider myself a bad
horseman just because I'm not choosing to go for victory with him. I just
cant get too worked up that someone who has never actually ridden an
endurance race thinks I'm horrible because I'm not training and riding at
winning speed. >

I know this was not addressed to me, but as I am also guilty of speaking out
without having entered an endurance race, I thought I'd respond.  I don't
think anyone accused you, personally, of being a poor horseperson, Teresa.
I can't speak for Tom - he's more than capable of doing it for himself, but
my point was that simply going slowly during an endurance race does not mean
that you are safeguarding your horse.  If your horse is capable of doing
more, and you are holding him back, for whatever reason, then that seems
fine, but if you are holding him back out of concerns that he should not be
going faster, then I would start questioning whether he should be in the
race at all.


>If you had ever done a ride you might understand that just completing is a
rewarding experience.>

Should this not be qualified by saying that "completing with a fit, healthy,
happy horse" is a rewarding experience?  I may not be qualified to comment,
but from an outsider's point of view, this would seem the better of the two
approaches.


>Grey is a completer and a learning horse for me; and I hope to get more
serious with my next horse, but don't tell me I'm doing badly by Grey>

Wouldn't dream of it.



> it really is not at all difficult to choose your own pace. >


Hah!  Try Toc during the XC phase of an event :-)


Tracey