Re: [RC] [RC] Ouch! So that's what a pull at the finish feels like! - oddfarm
Oh please, getting pulled is not that bad. It is,
of course if your horse is headed to the hospital, but if you both are going
home in the trailer you came in, then it was the right thing to do.
Yes, I'll bet if I were pulled at mile 85 or so of
a hundred, I would be bummed. But only for as long as it took me to have a few
glasses of wine, then I would start to see things differently. So long
as my horse was ok.
I have been and want to be again, just as
competitive as the next rider. But over the past few years, I have found that
riding these rides, is just what you make it. It can be fun, intense and
competitive, a learning experience or just another trail ride. That is ALL good.
The majority of us that do get pulled, have very
minor problems, but just can't continue to ask our mounts to move on. It
happens. It is very rarely a life threatening problem, thank God.
So really, how will it change your life if you get
pulled? It doesn't. You will be a tad smarter, though. That is a good thing.
What is going to happen if you get to a ride
and decide not to even do it? Trainer Wendy and I went to LBL recently. I signed
up for the 50, changed down to the 25 because of the weather and ended up not
getting up in time for the start. Apparently, the bottle of wine I was
drinking the night before was bigger than I thought!! :-0 Noooo!
So we rode both days, but at a very leisurely pace
and only for about 10-11 miles. It was one of the best rides I have ever had. If
you can't be flexible in this sport, you and your horse will be very unhappy.
So take your pulls for exactly what they were meant
to be. A very valuable learning experience and to be able to ride another
day. That will make your horse's life so much better. Trust me :)
