[Fwd: RC: History/Future/dead Horses]

[Jim Holland <lanconn@tds.net>]

Annie, this is very insightful.  They key to being able to "go
fast" safely is knowing your horse in intimate detail....know more about
him that you do yourself.  (Not THINK you know, but KNOW FOR SURE)
Be able to run your hands over his body and detect the slighest change. 
Know when  his attitude/demeanor  is telling you he is not normal.
Tell in three steps if his gait(s) is off. (You just found the rock with
your name on it).  You must know how to feed and electrolyte (a forever
changing evironment) based on weather, temperature, humidity, the trail
conditions, and the distance being ridden. (Not to mention that particular
horse's eccentricities) How long would you say it would take, given there
was an "apprenticeship" program to "certify" a rider to "race"?  Hmmm...seems
this is similar to auto racing....Consider what would happen if a rookie
driver raced at the Indianapolis 500 with nothing but a drivers license
and and whatever car he happened to own?

I was lucky to have such a mentor.  I rode scared all the time, afraid I would do something wrong, terrified that I would injure the horse. She mercilessly criticized me for the slightest mistake, predicting dire consequences for my horse, pointed out little things I couldn't see that were obvious to her from 30 feet.  Taught me to put my horse first always.  She could walk into the vet check with her fingers under her horse's chin and know what his pulse was without a stethoscope.  Somtimes never bothered to check...just went straight to the vet.  A fierce competitor when riding with her peers,  she emphasized trail etiquette, and would always stop and give up her pace to help another rider, never left a water stop with another horse drinking, passed appropriately for the conditions, and taught by example. However, if you were on the last loop and in the Top Ten, whether it be 50 or 100, you better be looking over your shoulder.  She would run you down and blow your doors off at the finish.   Her horses got STRONGER at the end.. (how did she DO that?)...and to the best of my knowledge, all her horses were "projects". She never had a really good horse or the time and $$$ to really compete. What little success I have had, I attribute to her teaching. (and Susan Garlinghouse) <grin>

However, not evryone is this lucky.  This is a wonderful sport, with few hard and fast rules.  We ASSUME that everyone has the skill to ride intelligently and can evaluate their horse's condition well enough to prevent disasters.  It's just not true....it's a long, hard road, punctuated by mistakes, that you hope won't be serious.   If you want to run "up front", you must seek out those who are successful in this sport and LEARN from them. ( I may go back to doing 25's if I can ride with Julie!)  I have never met a "successful" Endurance Rider that would not drop what they were doing and offer advice, help you with your questions, and share their  feed and training techniques.  They are proud of their skill, and chomping at the bit to pass it on.  Remember, it's "us against the trail", not each other.  Don't consider what place you're in at any given time.  Ride your own ride against the trail at a speed that is safe and comfortable for you and your horse, always seeking to improve.  One day, "suprise", you just did a Top Ten and didn't even know it!  I am not sure we can "legislate" training, but I strongly agree that we need to "progress" in our sport.  Evolution is needed, however, not revolution.

Matthew Mckay-Smith addressed this problem in the recent article in EN.  (It was also posted to Ridecamp by Bobbi Lieberman) I don't think anyone would question Matthew's judgement, insite, or knowlege.  He has proven that many times over. The AERC should seriously consider the proposals he makes in "There's a Big Black Train A'Comin'!".

Great Post, Maggie.....we need more thoughtful information and opinions on this subject, evalutations of "failures" such as this and why they occurred, maybe seminars for new riders, and certainly we need to "police our own". IMHO, a post-mortem should be required in all cases where serious injury,  to a horse or rider occurs (especially death) to analyze why it occurred, and how to prevent it in the future.  EN should publish the post-morten for the benefit of all of us.  For this to happen just once is unacceptable.  Many horses (Sunny for one) not only will give their all, but everything....till there is nothing left but heart...and then that dies.......    Somwhere the system and rules broke down.  We need to know why and address this appropriately based on the facts..

Respectfully, Jim and Sun of Dimanche
  >I was NOT there, But I wonder, how many VC's there were, and >why was the caution given at the last one and not the first?  I >certainly do not envy the vets difficult job. Way back when .........  >Endurance  riders usually came from horse backgrounds, ranch kids, >or rodeo/show people,  Now I see allot of brand new to horses >people burning up the trails, These people are not horsemen. They >are not only new to endurance, they are new to horses.  They cant >possibly "get it" yet.  And how realistic is it of us to actually expect >them to. They see our top front runners rolling into the finish, with a >wound up sweaty horse, and they can't possibly know that the rider >has 20K miles, and knows every body cell in that horse, and knows >exactly what they are doing (usually) exactly where the horse is at, >and is in complete control of it. All they  just see is go fast and win.  I >wonder if it may be time for some kind of introductory requirements. >A first time rider MUST be sponsored by someone, like juniors are, >maybe even for the first few rides, whether LD or Endurance it >wouldn't matter where they started just so it is with a sponsor. An >apprenticeship if you will.  Then they would at least have the >opportunity to  begin to "get it".  prior to the first ride.  I think  a >very important point is that as our sport grows, we will increasingly >come under the scrutiny of the animal rights activists, and these >unnecessary and completely avoidable incidents of death and injury >will bring us allot of grief.   Awhile back it was suggested that oldies >volunteer to mentor newbies at rides.  We are not exactly rushing to >the forefront on that one.  I certainly do not know the solution, just >offering suggestions.  However, it is obviously a problem that needs >to be addressed in a way that is productive. Not just hashing it on RC. >If we do not clean up our own messes, sooner or later somebody else >will step in and do it for us, and I guarantee we ain't gona like it!  I >have always been against getting more and more rules, but in this >case I really feel that an adult first time rider sponsor requirement >should be promoted.  The 19 year old who rode that horse has >suffered a devastating lesson, she may never return to endurance. >If she had a sponsor it would not have happened, and the "coach" >whoever that was, would not have been in control.  And what was >obviously a "great heart" would not be dead.  Annie G.>Anne George Saddlery  www.vtc.net/~ageorge

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