Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

Joe Long wrote:
> >     
>
> If the RM sets minimum that is faster than some horses can handle, it
> does at best no good at all for that horse:  it is too fast -- and at
> worst, harms the horse by encouraging the rider to ride that speed.
> The point here is that no one, no vet, no ride manager, can set a
> speed that is a safe and proper speed for an unknown horse, even on a
> given trail on a given day.
>     
When you a set "maximum time allotted" to complete the a given distance (
for a rider who by your assessment has no idea how to pace) the message we
send is "don't be too slow".  That's what we have right now.    When you
have a "minimum time allowed" for the same rider, the message is "but don't
go too fast either."  We give no official message to the new rider to "slow
down, this is a ride, not a race."
> > > > So what
> > > > happens when someone rides at that speed and their horse ends up on
> > > > the jugs, and they say "But I just rode the way you told me to?
> > > >             
> > >             
> >             
>             
I'm very sorry, but I still don't understand we're this is coming from...
            
If we say (as AERC, to a beginner on any distance ride), "You can't ride
your horse any faster than _______ today.  That's the max, people.  Go slow
out there this time 'til you've grad-ji-ated."  How does that make people
ride *faster*?  (Doesn't that make people stupid or unlistening to do the
opposite? ;-)  )That seems to me like going to one of Duck's rides and having
him deliver the message that "this is a ride, not a race, act accordingly.
"
> > They're gonna watch their watches on the loops, like everyone else.
> >                 
>
> You know, I'm pretty good at predicting how long it's going to take me
> to do a loop -- that I've been over before.  Even after 12,000 miles
> I'm not so good at predicting how long it's going to take to do a loop
> I've never seen before.  And you expect rookies to do that?  Are you
> going to reqire ride managers to post a sign every mile telling riders
> how far they have to go, so they can "check their watch" and figure
> out if they are going the legal speed?
>                 
So how do you think Rookies do it now?  What happens in the absence of knowledge
about pacing?
> > > Either they're overconservative
> > > and go too slow ... and maybe end up overtime ... or they come close
> > > to the finish, look at their watch and say "OMIGOD!  I'm too early!!
> > > I'll have to stop and wait a half-hour before going into camp!"  And
> > > their horse sits out on the trail for a half-hour instead of being in
> > > camp with water, feed and TLC.  Some benefit to the horse. 
> > >                       
> >                       
>
> > That's your opinion of people you want to have no limits for?  
> >                         
>
> I'm being realistic.  The fact that judging ones speed down the trail
> is something most folks need to learn, is a reason AGAINST speed
> limits for rookies, not in favor of them.  You want to require our
> newest and least experienced riders to have to do somehing that takes
> most riders a lot of miles to learn.
>                         
                        
Yeah, I do, and that thing I want to require them to do is go slow.  :-)
                        
Lisa
>