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[RC] Tevis Trail/First Rides - Ridecamp Guest

Please Reply to: Jeanne Pepper pepperja@xxxxxxxxx or ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
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These 2 threads are actually related in my mind.If you've ever read my posts by 
now you know that the Tevis WAS my first endurance ride.If ridecamp had been 
available to me 24 hours after I finished I might have posted a message FAR 
more negative than Carrie's!!!"The vets were mean & unhelpful,no one would let 
me ride with them even though I was CRYING(maybe because I was 
crying!yuck!!)the trail was scarey & dangerous & temps were 120 in the 
canyons."Oh yeh,did I mention I had never seen the trail(and still haven't 
since I rode most of it in the dark & haven't been back!did we even have a 
map???I couldn't have read it in the dark or thru my tears anyway!)and I was 
riding alone & knew NO ONE who was riding and had met only 1 person who had 
actually ever ridden the Tevis!
However,much like childbirth,by day 2 after the ride I was bursting with 
pride,thrilled with myself & my wonderful horse & couldn't WAIT to find out 
more about this sport called Endurance !
What links these threads is that before heading off to do this ride I 
researched everything I could find about it.I spent a whole year training 
myself (ran a mile every morning,aerobics 3 days a week)and rode & rode.My 
horse was an x-NATRC Champion who had carried a 190 lb.man and had amazing 
recoveries.I also think he was part goat cause he'd go up ANYTHING I put in his 
way without a backward glance.And up we went,for a year we climbed the steepest 
skid trails I could find and let me tell you,at this point in my life I 
wouldn't even attempt some of those trails today.
My point,I trusted this horse's abilities 100% and I tested them and myself 
over and over before I went.AND one other thing,I do not hesitate to GET OFF my 
horse and take control of the situation if I feel it's needed for saftey's 
sake.There are very dangerous sections on several trails we all ride and we 
need to be aware of them and act accordingly.If someone is having a 
problem...stop..help them,hold your horse back ,offer to lead,give them 
space,time whatever it takes to keep everyone safe.I love the challanges of the 
sport and actually like a more difficult trail but we've got to keep in mind 
that these awful accidents do happen(even during training rides) and use our 
heads to try to prevent them as much as possible.My heart goes out to Tanya for 
her loss but don't blame the trail.Let's just learn what we can to try to 
prevent this from happening again.


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