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[RC] LD-Bruce Weary-Yahoos, etc. - Ed Kilpatrickrefreshing comments, bruce. words so true have yet to be spoken by teeth so false! yes, many refer to themselves as "endurance riders" as if it were an occupation. and that is fine, because many take it very seriously, and many more would consider it their favorite, and possibly only, hobby. i started out as a bit of a yahoo in LD about four years ago, or was it five? time flies when you are having fun. I made some mistakes, like many do, but i was lucky, and i learned quickly. i was fortunate that i didnt hurt my horse, myself or worse, someone else. i was not the worst sort of yahoo, though. i paid attention, and i learned quickly about what is important in this sport. horse welfare, helping others, and having fun, in that order. but like someone else said, there are yahoos in the longer distances. to me, that is worse than "newbie"
yahoos. those who compete in the longer distances and still engage in a lot of risky behavior are far worse, because they should know better. so, i really have an appreciation for those folks out there who take a lot of pain, and make a lot of plans before they ever do any rides. i must admit, sometimes it is agonizingly humorous to read about, i.e. newbie says something like, "i have a nine year old horse that i have been conditioning for the last three years for his first ld. we are doing 60 miles per week at a 7 mph trot. Do you think he is ready for his first real ride?" i know that is a bit of an exaggeration, but you get the idea. someone asked what was the "right" thing to do in getting started. there really is no right or wrong, just different. do what is right for you and your horse. if you are not sure what that is, err on
the side of caution, participate, watch and learn. be kind to your horses, true to your friends, and nice to your neighbors. cowboy ed
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