Come to Region 3 and ride Competitive Trail --
definitely I'm not a "fancy show type" and I love to go down the trail
too! I did try to show a couple of times, many years ago, and didn't like
it at all. Figured out I liked the other side of being around horses,
feeding and caring for them, riding them in the "wilderness," much better than
in any arena. The horses like it better, too.
I agree here. If one is to work one's
behind off and it is not beneficial and/or fun, they won't stay.
Everyone needs to start somewhere. No reason they could not have a T
Shirt with Fun Ride on it. I personally prefer a little plaque to a
tshirt but that is IMHO. I know that when I tried to do Competitive
Trail the dang rules drove me nuts and it appeared to be a place for the
'fancy show types' to prove there horses could go overland. IHMO.
I find horse shows to be a lot of work for a very short showing. Those
hot clothes are miserable... give me my tank tops and let's go down the
trail! mas
Of course it does! But how do you get someone who has
NEVER spoken face to face with a real live endurance rider (I had been
riding and showing horses for 17 years before I did) to BELIEVE that
they DO welcome and respect all riders, whether they are front runners or
turtle contenders? That it is NOT that difficult to follow marked
trails? That it is not an equine beauty pagent or a special
clique?
Sure, volunteering for a ride is one way, but folks don't
always want to load up and drive 200+ miles to work and run errands (one of
the first mental images an outsider may have after being
told to volunteer at a ride)-they're considering endurance because they want
to RIDE their horse...they just aren't sure about what's entailed in
actually doing a ride.
Let me tell you a little story, if I may. I had had my
first horse for 2 years...and, typical 11/12 year old country girl living in
the sticks, I rode that horse EVERYWHERE, EVERY day (MAN are ponies
tough...). Someone offered to trailer us to a local show on a Saturday
about a month away if we were interested...I got out the rule book and read
EVERYTHING in it about western pleasure, horsemanship, showmanship...read
the library horse books, and they all talked about how fun it was...I
cleaned up a borrowed saddle (I didn't actually own one at the time), made
sure Prince knew all the stuff I'd been reading, and off we went. I've
never had a more miserable day. My spotted pony and I fit in like Ru
Paul in a convent. And yes, they made sure I knew it, too...This show
was the prep for the "Better-Offs" to practice before they went to the
Quarter Horse shows.
A fun ride is directed at folks who aren't sure they want to
lay out too much money to try an event with folks they don't know, so they
can observe the "real" deal and MAYBE even get a few pointers about whether
or not their horse CAN do it once they find someone who they trust that they
have SEEN doing the sport...Of course it's not Endurance. If memory
serves, LDs aren't endurance, either-they're limited distance. But how
do you get someone to dive into a new sport, with new folks, when they DON'T
have the option of a mentor (remember, I still have friends who DON'T have
the internet)? The AERC mentor program is a good idea, but personally,
I just couldn't bring myself to call a stranger and ask for advice...I
wanted to PICK who I took advice from by judging them in action, and how
OTHERS regarded them...Just me, I guess. No, every ride doesn't need a
fun ride, and personally, I don't think a fun ride should earn you a
T-shirt...maybe a key chain, etc. (but I'm stingy <grin!>). But
they ARE a low pressure way to get a look at ya'll....AND maybe have a fun
trail ride, you know?
Lucky and
Romeo
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