Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

I completely agree with Sylvia. I have been doing NATRC for
about 12 years and have done a few endurance rides as well. There are
myths concerning both sports. For years I heard about how rude endurance
riders were and it took me a long time to try one because of that. When I
finally did I found people to be nice and helpful for the most part. I
have made some great friends in the endurance community and plan on doing
more. 
The main complaint I hear about NATRC from the endurance camp is about
horsemanship judging, obstacles  and tying to the trailer. I have to
say that the horsemanship judging has helped me to pay attention to the
details it takes to get a horse through a tough distance ride
safely.  I feel that if more beginning endurance riders would try it
they would be much more ahead of the game as far as learning how to pace
and take care of their horse. The obstacles are meant to simulate
situations that you may run into while trail riding (even though some
might stretch the imagination). The skills that my horse and I have
learned through training for obstacles have gotten me out of many tight
situations on the trail. I ride in remote mountainous terrain and have
had to back, sidepass and pivot my way out of dangerous situations over
the years. Had my horse not been so well trained for obstacles an
accident may have occurred. As far as the tying to the trailer I have
never seen so many loose horses in camp than at an endurance ride. In the
12 years I have been camping with my horses they have never gotten hurt
or loose (except once when clever Blue fiddled with the snap enough to
release it, he just came over to the ride briefing to see what we were up
to!). Anyway, I'm not saying that one sport is better than the other but
that they are really sister sports that have a lot in common with each
other. Like Sylvia said, NATRC is a cool sport.  I enjoy aspects of
both. 
Nancy Sluys


          Sylvia Beverly
wrote:
>Under NATRC rules pads are allowed. Easyboots are allowed (and any
boot that doesn't cover above the coronet >band). You can't use splint
boots or any kind of leg wrap. 
>You CAN syringe e-lytes. You can NOT move forward on the trail off
your horse (that doesn't mean that you can't get off >and stretch your
legs, you just can't mosey down the trail toward "home" unless
you're on your horse. You can use ice >to cool your horse's legs (or
whatever). You can sponge or throw water bottles on your horse at
P&Rs. Hi Ties or high >lining your horse are ok. 
>Sometimes its amazing to me the "urban legends" that get
going with respect to NATRC....its a COOL sport! It is NOT >a rule
crazy sport. It is alot of fun. Do some research and find out what its
really about before you make judgments. 
>NATRC was there at the very beginning of distance riding (as a
sport).....Alot of the people who founded NATRC also >started the
Tevis ride. And alot of NATRC riders have been successful at completing
the Tevis. So much so that the >Western States BOD allows NATRC Open
rides as qualifying rides for Tevis. 
>Sylvia

"Happy trails to you, until we meet again!"
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