Ridecamp: Re: [RC] LD, tough trails, etc.

>>LD rides in my opinion should be educational experiences for those who hope to move up to endurance or those who have a young horse not ready for endurance and/or a fun, relaxing ride for those unable to ride 50s due to physical challenges or a horse that is not suited to longer distances.>>

OK, I'll jump in again.  Me and Scott seem to have the same problem - we make a statement and the entire thing gets taken out of proportion.

For the sake of this discussion I'll define certain concepts :
LD = Limited Distance, shorter than 80 kms (50 miles)
Endurance = 80 kms or longer

I didn't mean to imply that there shouldn't be LD, on the contrary.  The reason it is there is as stated by Cindy above and a few others.  I also didn't mean to frown upon those who race LD.  What my problem IS (and I think for a great many others), is that a "few" people use LD as their personal ego trip so that they can brag about how fast they can ride an LD ride WITH TOTAL DISREGARD FOR THE FITNESS AND WELL-BEING OF THE HORSE.  If I wasn't such a woosy, I too would push my horse to go a bit faster than we have - I certainly know he can do it and will if I asked, as I tend to hold back rather than push.  I tend to put the well-being of my horse before any other goal I have, and yes, I do have goals that I want to achieve in this sport, but not at the cost of my horse.  I still want to ride him and have a willing, sound partner when he's 25 or 30.  If it wasn't for Cindy B. who shamed me into doing a 60 km at one of our toughest courses, I wouldn't have done it of my own volition.  It was a new course and very, very difficult, especially the second loop.  Had I known how tough it would be, I would have needed smelling salts!  The lady who won the 90 km came in about 30 or 45 minutes after me!  Did she race?  Of course, BUT that course was her training ground and she conditioned on those hills AND she has an amazing horse who has been doing endurance for many seasons.  Do I begrudge her the win?  NO - I give her a standing ovation!  BTW, my time for 60km was 7h02 at a speed of 9.26 km/h - hers 4h16 at a speed of 21.06 km/h (she was riding the gate system, I was on the set 40 minute hold time, that is why she came in after me).

So, having said that, I still don't like to see fast times on the LDs BECAUSE of those handful of people.  Next year when I feel Ibn is ready for proper endurance, I would certainly start pushing him to do faster times, but only towards the end of the season.  I plan on completing each ride in preference to racing and risking an injury.

If it hadn't been for the LD, I would not know how Ibn would react to camping, the start of the ride, the first leg - AAACCCCKKK - and most importantly, I would not have found his "comfort zone" gait.  This all can't be figured out at home.  I would start off my baby exactly the same, but I may not take as much time as with Ibn as all the camping stuff would have been dealt with already and we would have known each other for longer, thereby cutting down on all the "wait and see" kinda stuff.

Also, on the leaving early.  Our last ride I left at about 6pm on the Saturday as home was only half an hour away.  I hated doing it, but it was cold, I had family and other animals at home and Ibn was fine to travel.  Did I wave an accusing finger at anybody else for leaving early?  I'm sorry if it was interpreted that way, but the point, once again, was that I hated seeing tired horses being shoved in a box half an hour after finishing an 80 km ride to travel 3 hours home.  The comment was not directed at horses needing a clinic, or people who lived around the corner, or people who had other obligations.  Stuff happens, but sadly it tends to be the same people expecting miracles from their horses that we see racing for first place and then expecting their horses to travel in the heat of the day shortly after finishing a ride.  THAT is my problem.

So, hissy fit over, back to lurkdom.

Smiles
Kristene


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