***I agree with everything up to here, but how can I word that so
that a total novice can understand it & still have it spark that competitive
challenge that exists within all human beings? Also, regarding your last
sentence & not meaning to flame, but merely to understand your thinking,
does that mean that the sport of horse racing should really be called "horse
riding to go as fast as
possible"? ***
OK. 1) It does
not have to spark some competitive challenge other than what we can challenge
ourselves with. As for Horse Races. It is absolutely not the same thing.
Horse Racing is a big money business. Money is the total motivating
factor. We do not have money prizes because when money enters in, human nature
becomes focused on that rather than the focus being on the safety of the horse.
In TB racing the horse is nothing more than an expendable moneymaking
object. The care, training, treatment of the TB race horse is very different,
from the Endurance horse. The "Race" horse has whatever rider is up, and there
is not that team bond that we have with out horses. They are incomparable
sports. This is an issue that is going on now to some extent within
our sport, international money/vs. home grown grass roots riders. I wont get
into that because I am not as up on the details as I should
be. **** okay, then why does anyone bother to trot or
canter? There must be some element that I can articulate that separates
Endurance from pleasure trail riding besides just a T-shirt.
***** 2) Hey!
Don't diss the T-shirt. Some of us have paid thousands of dollars for some of
them! >>Trot/canter. Because it is the personal challenge. Simple
dawdle around trail riding is not much of a challenge or goal. I can
only use myself as an example. I compete with myself, the
trail, condition of me and horse, Speed does enter into it, but only so far as
that level of personal factors are concerned. ie condition, experience, the
trail, etc. Going fast is fun! No doubt about it, But Not hurting anybody
while doing it is the focus. The difference between a horseman, a rider, as
opposed to somebody who just can stay on top and go fast. Most of our front
runners are really true horsemen. They can do the win and take care of the
horse. This years Tevis winner comes to mind. She smoked em'! But you can be
absolutely certain that while she really wanted the win, and
she knew how to get it, still, her absolute focus was first and
foremost on her horse. I am pretty sure that if she had gotten down to 10 miles
to go, and she was way ahead of everybody else, if she had come to a point when
she thought something was not rite with her horse, she would have quit rite
then! This makes her a rider, a horseman. Not a
racer.
**** Please
clarify what qualifies one to call themselves "an Endurance Rider". This
could be something informative that I can use in my
article.****
3) The only way you will ever get the
answer to these questions is for you to get out there and do it. Get
yourself on the trail. do the 50's and 100's and after you have accumulated some
miles, you will know all these things. And if you do not, you don't need to be
writing articles about it for new people. But you will get it. And
you will know the answers. We need those articles to introduce ourselves to the
public, but we need it to be presented in a way that speaks to the spirit of
horsemanship, and dispels any negative image that may be around.
And What qualifies one as an Endurance Rider? It is different things for
different people. I wish you could have been at the XP 2001 base camp the night
before the last days ride. I am still overwhelmed by the spirit that was in that
camp. I walked around camp for quite awhile, looking at the horses and
talking to the riders. There is something very deep about spending days and days
with a horse, till your hearts and souls are so entwined that you don't know
where the horse stops and the person starts. I would like to see some of those
folks comment to you. You will not find that on a race track. I think that
you have the kind of curiosity about the sport that most people just starting
out have. And I really encourage you to put your article on the back burner, get
involved in the sport, and then go back to it. You will be able to answer all
you own questions.
****Excellent advice and I
do look forward to others' comments, but please, let's not get into any
arguments over this. I expect opinions to differ and I did expect the word
"race" to get some sort of reaction. I did not use that word to incite
anyone, but as an avid Endurance groupie for several years, it has remained
unclear to me - which word is correct, ride or
race? *** You wont get any flaming arguments
from me. Endurance riders by their very nature are opinionated, hard headed,
stubborn,committed, and very strong personalities. So sometimes it can be a
pretty rough neighborhood. Thin skins don't usually last to long. But I am
absolutely dedicated to helping people all I can. And I really hope you will get
involved in the sport. And if I can help you in any way please ask.
***Thanks, Annie, and
please don't give up on me. My husband will attest to the fact that I
am trainable! :-) *** Ahh! But the important question is... Is he
trainable? To carry water buckets, mix up beet pulp. move corrals, and rigs, and
work his tail off in the vet checks, have supper fixed, and horse feed at 4am?
All with a cheerful smile, and a good back rub??? Come join us! Annie
G.
Antoinette
**