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Re: [RC] 100s - Joe LongOn Sun, 24 Jul 2005 14:07:58 -0700 (PDT), Zephyr Arabians <z_arabs@xxxxxxxxx> wrote: ... I suspect that fear of hurting one's horse (or one's self) is a big hurdle to getting more people to ride 100s. It's why I'm planning on trying a 75 first -- I have an almost irrational fear of hurting my horse, even though I know she's a whole lot tougher than I am! For most people its probably quite difficult to imagine that your horse IS actually ready to go that far. Those of you who have done 100s know how fit the horse actually has to be, but if one has not done 100s then the "is s/he ready?" question can really hold us back. And, of course, the average rider doesn't have a lot of conditioning time (work, commutes, family, etc) so there is the nagging worry that not enough conditioning has been done. I know the accomplished 100 mile riders have these same challenges, but you have now made it over the hump -- try to remember what it might be like on the other side. :) Don't be overly concerned about hurting your horse. I believe you will be amazed at how well the horses take to the 100-mile distance; just ride more slowly than you would on a 50. You can't know for sure if you have a 100-mile horse until you try it, but a horse who can finish 50's in reasonable time (say, eight hours or less riding time) and still have a good attitude is a good candidate. I didn't do any special conditioning to get Sanshra ready for his first 100 (or Kahlil before him, for that matter). The 50 mile rides we were doing were enough. Oh, and don't ask me at the end of a 50 if I want to ride 100s. :) Don't worry, I won't! Another thing that may amaze you is how you will feel at the 50-mile vet check of a 100. You won't feel anything like you do at the finish of a 50, you will still be wound up and eager to go (and so, likely, will your horse). About elevators, though -- don't enter the 50 of a 50/100 elevator planning to elevate. Enter the 100 up front. It gives you a whole different focus on the event, and the psychology will be much better suited to your having that "eager to go" feeling at the 50 mile point. A lot of people decide not to elevate because they focused on the 50-mile point as where they would decide, instead of focusing on the 100 miles from the beginning. -- Joe Long jlong@xxxxxxxx http://www.rnbw.com =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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