Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

Thanks kristen. i coach newbies into the sport of
distance riding.I can tell you that NO. MOST Riders
and horses out there cannot do a 25, or at least
cannot do it safely and well. 

We who have been doing this for awhile easily can
think of 25 miles as a snap to do. We know how to
nurse a less-than-conditioned horse through a ride.
But not everyone knows these things.

I used to manage a 25 mile CTR. It was set at a slow
25 mph pace. most of the experienced riders had a
great time and it was a breeze for them. But
inevitably, I'd get a newbie or two who were
completely unready and their horses unready for 25
miles.

You or i could probably take many back yard horses and
coax them through a 25. 

Remember, even at our baby distance of 25 miles, we
are riding farther and harder than 95 percent of all
the equestrians out there. most people are clueless
how far they really are riding. i took a student out
yesterday and she was sure we rode halfway to
Colorado. We rode 5.5 miles. I sure wouldn't advise
her to go out and do a 25 mile ride tomorrow. i think
her horse could finish one, but would it be a good
idea? nope.

I let a friend borrow one of my horses to ride a truly
baby distance... a 15 mile novice CTR. Again, a 5 mph
pace. She was flabbergasted at how FAST the riders
were going, LOL...and she said even at that distance,
every muscle and bone in her body hurt. She never came
back and wanted to do any more distance rides. This is
an experienced horsewoman.

chris


--- Kristen A Fisher <kskf@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> I continue to be amazed and shocked at the
> irresponsibility of this statement. Stating this as
> fact is as good as endorsing the practice. Is that
> the message that should be sent -- by people who
> profess to have the best interest of the horse at
> heart?
>
> Don't do an LD BC. Don't change the name or try and
> call it endurance. Call it a draw on all sides of
> the LD argument, but please people, do not give the
> uneducated and inexperienced the idea that any
> person on any horse can do 25 miles. It's just plain
> all-around bad advice.
>
> Kristen
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Barbara McCrary" <bigcreekranch@xxxxxxxxxx>
> To: "Kristen A Fisher" <kskf@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>;
> "Ridecamp" <ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Sent: Sunday, May 16, 2004 11:23 PM
> Subject: Re: [RC] LD/Endurance
>
>
> > But it's true.
> >
> > Barbara
> >
> > ----- Original Message ----- 
> > From: "Kristen A Fisher" <kskf@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> > To: "Ridecamp" <ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> > Sent: Sunday, May 16, 2004 7:26 PM
> > Subject: Re: [RC] LD/Endurance
> >
> > > To me the biggest put-down about riding 25 miles
> is that over and over, at
> > > rides and on Ridecamp, people keep saying any
> person on any horse can do
> > it.
> > > THAT belittles it.

=====
"A good horse makes short miles," George Eliot

Chris and Star

BayRab Acres
http://pages.prodigy.net/paus
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