 |
RE: [RC] Education for distance riders - Linda CowlesWow, I may be about to open a can of worms. Y'all have danced right into a problem I'm wrestling with at the moment. QUESTION # 1: Is anyone taping or otherwise preserving AERC technical presentations? QUESTION # 2: Can I lure a few of you seasoned endurance riders up to Mendocino County to play in the redwoods for a few weekends this spring? I need you to help me welcome a bunch of great folks to the endurance community and help them acquire endurance riding skills. I can promise a few rides in some AWESOME areas! As most of you know, I own a (fairly new) tack store in Mendocino County, California. On top of that, I was recently asked to be the president of a great local riding club, Redwood Riders. It's a family club focused on horse shows, gymkhana, parades and 4H. We have a good arena and a wonderful mix of people, and some of the best trail riding territory imaginable. Most of us are trail riders who enjoy camping, so I've proposed that we form a group to learn about endurance with the objective of riding the Chamberlain Creek Limited Distance ride hosted by Marianne Gerssing. Marianne and local endurance vet, Mike Witt, offered to talk to our group, but turning barrel racers into endurance racers takes a lot more than two great guest speakers! The Bay Area has Quicksilver to foster new endurance riders, and I REALLY appreciate what an awesome resource that is for the endurance community. I'm envious! Maryben and Stevie, please move to Mendocino!! We have a few excellent riders in this area, but no formal organization to support the sport. Education needs to be grass roots based, but effective education has to be consistently delivered, and right now that isn't happening. I'm not pointing any fingers, just stating a fact. We endurance riders spend a lot of time discussing and re discussing the essentials of endurance amongst ourselves, but the education doesn't extend outside our community. Educating new groups of people always seems to land on the shoulders of people who are already was too busy - ride managers and ride vets. Other people in the community, people like me, are willing to help, but AERC support is essential for our success. I suggest that the AERC creates a program and repository of educational tools to help us educate new groups effectively. Our primary need is for a simple training program structured to deliver appropriate information methodically, in a logical order. I need a graduated training plan to help me develop any newcomers I manage to inspire into successful endurance riders. That basic training program can be augmented over time by capturing lectures, seminars and presentations in the form of slide presentations and videos. A set of Endurance Basics videos would help explain essentials (i.e., what is endurance, common endurance terminology, getting started etc.), and that would have to be a special effort, but comprehensive presentations on feeding, electrolytes, endurance logistics, conditioning programs etc are given at various AERC functions each year. Our vets, ride managers and senior riders prepare and present a *lot* of invaluable information! An incentive program could reward capturing, preserving and sharing those materials as an educational resource. I'm a club manager and small business owner, I want to promote endurance riding for many reasons, and I would purchase or rent videos on endurance to share with my club and clients in the form of low-fee seminars. My business and club both flourish when riders find new ways to enjoy their horses, so helping develop an endurance community is good business. I'd like to introduce endurance riding to other in my community, but I need the AERC to help me be successful. Comments? Linda Cowles Horse 'N Hound New, Consigned & Used Tack 9155 North State St. #13, Redwood Valley, CA 95470 EASY access with Hwy 101 frontage! Shop: 707-485-0347 Fax: 707-485-0453 kadence@xxxxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:kadence@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
|