Ridecamp: Re: [RC] What do I do?

You probably can't dissuade these hotshots from going.  The best you can do 
is come up with a really good reason not to ride with them, so they don't get 
you and your horses hurt.  Tell them you intend to go very slow, and just 
complete.  If necessary, separate yourselves from them before the ride even 
begins.  

Hopefully the guys will get pulled before they really hurt their horses, 
especially if their horses are in such poor condition.  In addition to the 
tights(Thanks Angie), you might tell them that new horses have to wear a red 
ribbon in their tail.  This may keep some people from getting too close and 
getting hurt by out of control horses (although my mare wears one because she 
has kicked, and it doesn't seem to stop the stupid ones). 

If all else fails, here are my suggestions for making their first endurance 
ride one they won't forget:

"Help" their truck have a bad day, then have your friend ride with you to the 
ride--sorry guys, no more room.  Only works if you have a two horse trailer.  

Start dropping comments like "25 miles that's from here to ___!  Isn't that 
about 3 times as far as you've ever rode before?"  

Tell them Ride Meetings are for sissies, and "forget" to wake them up.  

Hide a particularly important piece of tack (must have forgot to pack it), 
and make sure no one around you will provide a substitute.  (Unfortunately, 
most endurance riders will help each other even when they shouldn't).  

There's always the chocolate Ex-Lax bar, or the really annoying piece of tape 
inside the horses' groin to make them move funny (this one works on cats, 
I've never actually tried it on a horse although in theory it should 
work--have you ever seen a horse the first time you put shipping boots on 
them?)

Above all, keep your sense of humor.  Ride your own ride, and hope the boys 
live through it.  Maybe they will see other people taking care of their 
horses, and it'll rub off.  jeri

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