Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

I definitely go over the horse to be sure they are clean and have no dirt in tack areas that could  cause rubs and I brush them out thoroughly to get the sweat off of them..and when it is available I hose the horse down thoroughly...I only get frustrated when the H-ship judge wants the horse "show ring" clean and you get dinged for a dirt clod in the fetlock (that you probably picked up on the way to the judgeing area).  Honestly that is my only grump about CTR's and it really does not seem to happen that much anymore. 

 

As for the "not touching your horse after 10PM"....I have NEVER heard that mentioned or seen it in the rules at a ride...if I hear a noise in the night you can bet I will check on my horse...and tend to them as needed. And...regarding the weather comment about putting them in the trailer...I have been at several rides where it was mentioned at the ride meeting that severe weather was either expected or possible and we were told that under those circumstances it was perfectly acceptable to put the horse in the trailer...heck at that point even if it would DQ me I'd do it as my horse is worth more than any ribbon.

 

 

But I must agree that you DO LEARN by being judged as most NATRC horsemanship judges are great about putting constructive comments on your cards that I study long after the ride.  Also one has to remember that judge is available all weekend and I have yet to see a horsemanship judge refuse to talk with a rider that was seeking advice on how to improve their riding.  That is why I say it is like a weekend long riding lesson (if you want it to be). I actually LIKE coaching and constructive criticism as I realize that most of the people in the sport are MUCH more experienced than me.  The vet judges are also very willing to consult with you on how to best care and condition your horse and I have learned as much from them as from the horsemanship judge.

 

I can't afford to "do" two sports heavily either so this year I am choosing to do a mixture of CTR and endurance. 

 

Both sports are great and like Jonni, I enjoy both.  When I first started CTR I heard the bad things about endurance too...but am happy to say that 99.9% of what I heard was totally unfounded.

 

Tracey

 

Jonni wrote----

 

>>>While some of the rules of a NATRC ride might seem silly (like why some
horsemanship judges want to see a squeakly clean horse after you just rode
15 or more miles in the MUD) <<<<

Ahhh, you know why many like to see them clean? Because if you have gone
over the horse that well,to remove all the gunk you will have seen if the
horse has any new rubs, sores , ticks, thorns etc. Also, if they are going
again the second day, getting all the dirt and stuff off, will eliminate the
chances of the horse getting rubs and sores from dirt under the tack.
Besides, most of the horses feel much better when we get all the sweat and
stuff off of them. They roll after a ride to get the itchy stuff off them.
Our grooming replaces the roll. (I don't mind my horse rolling, but after
the whole ride is done, so I don't get more dirt added to the body to cause
rubs etc.)

Jonni