mileage debat

["guest@endurance.net" <guest@endurance.net>]

Teresa Van Hove tvanhove@uswest.net
Oh boy,

Here I go again, jumping into a hottt!!!! topic.   Background - I started
distance riding with CTR a couple years, then LD and 50's mixed; backed

Oh boy,

Here I go again, jumping into a hottt!!!! topic.   Background - I started
distance riding with CTR a couple years, then LD and 50's mixed; backed
off to LD's because of some problems with my mare at longer rides.  
My gelding did one 25 (pulled) with another rider and then was only trail
ridden till 8 yrs and started at 50's, has since done some 25's.  I've
done around 350 miles of LD and 1200 of 50's.  So I've done both, I love
it when I'm riding an LD, getting to sleep in and still finish much earlier
than I would have riding a 50 is FUN!

I do not think that "real endurance" is going to crumble away if AERC
swithces to tracking all lifetime mileage together.  BUT I think that
it would be dangerous to make this switch w/o excluding 4 year old
horses from all annual competition and lifetime mileage accumulations. I'd
hate to have folks doing 20 LD's on a 4yr old to get a jump on lifetime
miles. And I also think that if we have a total lifetime mileage that
includes everything we should also have separate mileage accumulations
for 50-75? and 80-100 miles.  I certainly do not equate finishing 21
50 mile rides with Grey Moun as being in the same class as someone who
has completed 10 100 mile rides on their horse.  2 50's does not equal
one 100 and neither do 2 25's equal one 50 in my opinion.  I think
it would be great if AERC did give special recognition to horses for
finishing 100's in 500 or 1000 mile increments.

Teresa