Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

I have a question for the endurance riding community.  As a rider for 16
years, a long-distance runner for 10 and a vet student for 9 months, I
understand most of the physiology and biomechanics behind what is needed
for endurance riding.  I've always wanted to break into the sport, but
as a tall woman, I didn't want to do it on a little arab.  I love arabs,
but always feel undermounted.  Recently, I purchased a Belgian draft
horse with an excellent vet check and high ratings on all of her
lameness/prepurchase exam.  She's got one of the most amazingly smooth
ground covering trots I've ever experience and I'm very excited about
beginning her training so we can do our first ride in July.  

Here's the thing.  I've encountered nothing but negative nancies when I
tell people what I want to do with her.  Other horse people that do not
do endurance feel similarly to me, but the endurance community has
mostly rolled their eyes and it makes me feel real dumb.  I'm not doing
endurance to win, I'm doing it because after years in the show ring, I'm
sick of it and want something that me, my horse and my husband can all
do together.  And as a long distance runner, this sport really seems
like the perfect marriage between running and riding.

Can anyone shed any light on this?  Everyone always says endurance
riders are the best horse community ever, and I felt that way too until
I started dealing with this.  I feel like my feelings have been hurt a
bit by the whole thing, and I've started hiding what I'm doing and what
I'm doing it on.  (this is why I've never talked about my horse here)

Elly

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