Unsanctioned 25 mile ride/12 mile race (from Barb Peck)

[guest@endurance.net]

Barb Peck bpeck@together.net
Last weekend, close to where I live there was a 25 mile benefit pleasure
ride and a 12 mile benefit race.
I only know about it because I was asked to donate $$ for each
mile ridden  an acquaintance of mine at work and his wife were
riding in the 25.
  Of course I asked all the usuall questions, like is there going to be
any vets there?, and YES I KNOW it's only a 12 mile race.. but are there
going to be any vets there?.. the reply was that a vet was riding the 25.
Lunch was the end of the 12 mile race, so the vet would be there & after
lunch the 25 mile group rode back.
 This was organized by one of the local Gymkana (sp) groups, who game
their horses every weekend, some horses have at least some sort of
fittness level ( he said his horse was in pretty good shape).
 AT the start everyone left in a big group.. galloping out, with lunch at
12 miles out, and that 12 mi. point  was the end for the racers.  The next
group
after a hr or so lunch, rode back along the same trail.
  My friend did not know anything about how the horses fared on the 12
mile race, but told me that on the the 25 mile ride (about 40 horses) they
had several accidents ,mostly due to the trail going over numerous ground
bee nests at different locations (horses bucking, people getting off and
stung, horses trying to roll etc.).
 He said there were a few were thattrailered back at lunch opting not to
do the other 13 miles.
( Some horses were pulled out of the pasture for this ride, and I'm sure
they were sore the next day)
 My friend was shocked
at the amount of water his horse drank the next day and was chewing his
solat block .
 The horse was "a little tired" but was at a Gymkana the next day
competing.
And the rider was shocked at how many muscles in his own body ached.

I asked what my friends ride time for the 25, and
he said " 6 hrs... but with all the stopping "about 8 hrs."

  So, there you have it...
  This is why, without a sponsor, I think LD & CTR are good things ..
mainly for the education the riders get..

Barb