Re: RC: distance riding

[Jim Holland <lanconn@tds.net>]

Jeanie.....

A great description of what it's all about.  I was a deep water (North
Carolina Coast Wreck Diver) SCUBA diver for 20 years....ALL the dives
are 100 feet+ cuz the gulf stream is 50 miles offshore.  I was also a
skydiver (very short career..only 8 jumps).  The way you survive is that
you "dive" scared all the time....especially amongst the sharks.  Same
is true of Endurance....if you're not getting an ulcer worrying, you
ain't doing it right! <grin> I WORRY  the week before, can't sleep
WORRYING the nite before, and WORRY the whole ride...but I LOVE flying
down the trail, confident in my horse and how I have trained him.  When
you have a GOOD horse, fit in all ways, and you get the opportunity at
the end of a ride to just drop the reins and let him do his thing and
run for the finish, with his mane in your face and your heart
pounding.....you know why you are here.  On the other hand, it's such a
RELIEF to finish....especially if we have "done good"....and I'm so
PROUD of my little guy and what WE have done that after the ride I just
want to sit there on the ground in his corral with a cool one and rub
him in his favorite spots and just "be with him". It will make you
humble.....I will give this up when they pry my cold dead fingers from
the reins...

Jim, Sun of Dimanche, and Mahada Magic

jcmiller wrote:
> 
> Been in this sport for 30 years.  Do I sleep any better before a ride?  NO!
> Do I worry about over stressing the horse especially when the weahter is
> hot, humid, yucky?  YES!  Do I love trail riding?  YES!  Do I love the
> family of friends that I have made?  YES!  Am I ever able to do a ride worry
> free?  NO!  Would I quit doing this sport?  NO!  Does worry make one ride
> more safely?  YES!
> One just learns about giving electrolytes, watching the trails for the
> stumblies, not overdoing the horse's capabilities, making sure that the
> horse has the proper food to eat during the competition, learning to ignore
> the devil that sits on one's shoulder saying 'go faster'.  But most of all,
> I cannot think of any other thing that puts a big grin on my face than to be
> booking down trail on a fit horse that I trained yelling
> "whooooooo-eeeeeeee!"  Jeanie  PS  love those trotting races too
>