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[RC] ride questions?? - Juli JakubOkay guys...I have a couple of questions. I have been sitting on the fence here wondering how best to get involved in Endurance. I have even thought...forget it...too complicated, not enough rides close enough. I figure I could take up eventing again because in the NE there are events every weekend close by ( meaning 1 to 4 hours away from L.P.) that offer many levels for different horses. Most events offer at least beginer novice to training if not higher. while endurance well...few and far between and often only offering certain distances. I would love to be able to travel all over all the time....but I am 28 and I have a job and even when I am on vacation I have other horses to take care of and dogs and ferrets and a husband who is involved, but does not neccesarily want to be left behind for days at a time with all the responsibility....he would rather come and help or ride himself. Also money is always an issue with the price of gas ect. I am left wondering how you guys do it...honestly!! So I am looking for advice...First is it okay to do one 25 miler on a four year old if I go very slow?? I want to have a long lasting partner and I have gone slower with her training than what I am use to, but she learns fast fast fast. Not that I would do it I was just wondering on opinions on that. I am so use to eventers where my girl at four would already be showing this season. I have not, however, trained her to jump or anything. ( Which annoys my eventer friends who think what the heck am I waiting for!) She is walk/trot/ started some canter after she turned four. Solid horse...smart, never gets tired, well ground trained and ground drived. Picks everything up like she has been doing ti for ages.To add I am what you guys would call a featherweight..100lbs and 5 ft. I know I am going to get a hundred different opinions on this but I wanted to ask and see if there was any consensus. Secondly for those of you in the NE....what would be a good start ride? Where do you go to participate?...how many rides do you do in a season? I am in Lake Placid, NY which is quite a ways from anywhere!! I am thinking I just have too much of a eventer mentality of a show every other weekend at least and that maybe people in this sport do alot less rides per season. All my horses get ridden six days a week ( weather permitting) a mixture of dressage, trail and road riding, jumping for those that are old enough and able. I usually ride each horse about an hour each day and then a longer ride of 5 or so miles when I can fit it in.( once a week or so) I have the possibility to ride a longer ride ( from 15 to 30 miles) if I trailer on the weekends and could do longer rides on the roads ( good sand footing on the sides) Woodtrails vary from flat for the young horse...to pretty steep ( I am in the Adirondacks) for the mature ones. Do people in NE bite the bullet and trailer to other areas? How do people schedule rides? Anyway, I am just trying to determine if endurance riding is even feasible for me. I do have all summer off from my main job, but have all the other beasts to care for as well as part time work instructing english riding lessons. So how does everyone fit stuff in with limited ride options. I would love to hear advice from everybody but particularly and especially from people in the NE. Right now I am ready to sign off and put endurance on the shelf with all the other things I'll never really get to do like compete in the Olympics!! I do like eventing, but I wanted to test myself on something different. Thanks for any advice! Cheers, Juli <html><DIV> <P>Juli Jakub</P> <P>The Air of Heaven is that which blows between a horse's ears.</P> <P>~ arabian proverb</P></DIV></html> =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 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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