Re: Slower LD's

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

Donna Dochterman dokadaarabians@earthlink.net
I agree with Kathy.  When Stroika and I did our first 50, he was a total
idiot for the first 12 miles.  Then he calmed down and was a fantastic ride
the rest of the trip--since we were so far behind the pack by then he had no
idea if there were still others out there.  He is a fun ride most of the
time.  I had just finished a 250 mile pleasure trail ride two weeks earlier
where he had been an angel.  There were over 100 riders on that ride.  He
had been on the same trails the endurance ride was on.  He had seen other
horses leave before us, other horses passing us, he had passed other horses.
Apparently, one of the other horses told him he was in an endurance RACE
that day.  They had a controlled start.  I left camp about 10 minutes behind
everyone else.  I couldn't leave much later than that as the 25 milers were
leaving a short time later.  Stroika jigged and jogged and bounced and
fought me for the whole way to the first vet check.  Made me go way slower
than I planned just to keep him under control.  Just about the time I
started to get control and let him out to a trot, the LD'ers started to pass
us and we started the war over.  (Note:  This was NOT the fault of the ones
passing me.)  When I left the first check, we had the trail to ourselves and
he was back to his normal angelic self.  The LD'ers had a different route
back and the first finishers on the 50 were probably back to camp by then.
LOL

Perhaps our problem was initiated by my own excitement about being in my
first endurance competition.  Maybe one of the other horses told him it was
a race.  We had been walking quietly around camp until the others were
released for the start.  They did not bolt out of camp.  Like I said, it was
a controlled start.  For whatever reason, Stroika believed it was a race and
from the time they said "go" until we got into the first vet check, he was
determined to win.  LOL  We have camped at that first vet check many times.
By the time we left there, all the others were gone.  Most of the last ones
went the other way for the LD.  I think Stroika was confused about going
back out.  He knows that when we ride, when you get to the next camp you are
done!

Since then, I have ridden him many times both alone and in groups large and
small.  No problems.  If I enter him in another endurance ride, I expect to
have some of the same problems.  I think he is very in tune not only to me
and my attitude but also to the "feel" of the horses and riders around us.
Perhaps with enough miles in competition he will learn that WE are not
racing.  He will not learn that riding with others who are also not racing.
That part he already knows.

Donna Dochterman
Dokada Arabians
http://members.tripod.com/~DokadaArabians/index.html