I've had the same problem. I work full time &
have to trailer to ride anywhere. I can only train 1X a week! I ride
15 - 25 miles on Saturday & that's it. My solution has been to go
really slowly with my gelding. We did a year of AERC LD, then we have been
progressing through years of 50s, adding more each year & eventually doing 2
multiday rides this year. I am planning on doing my first 100 in June
2005, but I've been riding him for 4 years! I don't ride fast & I
don't enter tons of rides, so he's stayed very sound. He's also a big
strong Arab, so I'm confident we'll be able to do our first 100. I'm also
riding with someone who has lots of experience/miles & she will ride at a
slow pace that will enable us to finish!
Don't give up, take it slowly, & you too can do a 100!
Interesting to watch the discussion on gettting
more people to do the 100's. DANG, it takes onehellofan effort to do a
fifty and if there are lots who don't have the time to condition for a 50 so
ride the 25, could that be part of the reason??????????????
Most riders are women. Women have
multiduties-work, home, kids, horses!!! Gee, wonder why they don't have
the time to sacrifice for riding longer distances. I must admit, I am
having problems getting a horse ready for some of those reasons, but the fact
that I can keep the conditioning after I get it is very discouraging to
me. Will HAVE to find a way to get a horse when I return to Iraq as
getting back into riding was pretty rough. Mary
Ann
