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RE: [RC] [RC] A sad story for AERC - Mcgann, BarbaraCatfish, I think you're right on in this message. I'm sure if we were honest with ourselves, we all started out with grandiose thoughts, maybe we just didn't voice them. I started endurance riding in 1970 with Jacque Jewkes taking me under her wing. We conditioned for our first ride for 3 months and everywhere we went we trotted fast! Trot, trot, trot, trot! In my mind, I'm thinking, wow, we are hot stuff. We're going to go to that race and win. Come the day of the ride, everyone lined up and I'm ready to spring into our award-winning trot. The RM said go, and all around me, horses took off at a dead run. I was very surprised, but settled into our trot. I figured that those guys (including my pal, Jacque) would wear their horses out and that somewhere down the line, I would pass them by in a blaze of glory. I NEVER saw them the rest of the race and came in dead last. That was my wake up call, and made me realize that I had a lot to learn if I ever hoped to "run with the big boys". :>)) Maybe this guy is a little up-front with his bragging, but to condemn him out of hand is a little harsh. There's also a wonderful story about Bill Thornberg, who thought that since he rode his horses everyday on the ranch, he didn't need to condition for the Tevis. He said that by the time he got to 30 miles, he knew he had never ridden that far in his entire life! By the time he got to 70, his girls were leading his horse with him slumped over it. He says he was never so humiliated, but determined to learn how to do this great sport; and of course we all know how that turned out. So, Amber, keep an eye on him, but give him a chance!! Barb McGann -----Original Message----- From: ridecamp-owner@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:ridecamp-owner@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]On Behalf Of Catfish Daniels Sent: Tuesday, January 10, 2006 1:17 PM To: ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: RE: [RC] [RC] A sad story for AERC Hi Amber: Well, my hat's off to you for looking out for his horse. It's scary when our experience reminds us about the scary consequences that a less experienced rider may impose on his horse. But in fairness to this guy, who obviously is barely starting his venture into endurance riding, I don't think it was all too cool to exploit him publicly on this forum the way you did. There are many, many newbies about to enter the sport that have somewhat of a misconception of what endurance riding is, how to ease into it, the time, knowledge and experience it takes before attenpting to "race" - and for many of them, they need to learn. For most, learning starts by participating. You learn a lot by simply camping, meeting people, and the power of influence by more experienced riders all around you. Going to a pre-ride meeting, listening to the veterinarians, and for those that are still hard headed at that point, they will learn very quickly when they get to the first vet stop and are having trouble meeting criteria. Now, I'm not saying I encourage new riders to race and learn from their mistakes at the first vet stop, but...we all have had to learn from mistakes at one point or another. If I were this guy and somebody would have "outed" me like this on ridecamp because I didn't know better or had a "different" idea about LD's due to my inexperience, I would probably be too embarrassed or too discouraged to ever even attempt a ride. My opinion is that more could be accomplished by making ride management aware of him - behind the scenes, via private e-mail or phone conversation. Somebody like ride management or a veterinarian could then face to face educate him about the dangers or possible consequences without publicly embarrassing him. Just my opinion. When I first started in 1999, I was getting ready for a 25 LD in Oklahoma. I lived in the sticks of the Ozark Mountains in Northwestern Arkansas. There were just a bunch of good ole boys, and certainly nobody at the beginning that educated me about the consequences of "racing" a young horse, properly legging him up, etc.etc. So, I drove to Oklahoma with these visions that I'm going to win this ever so important 25LD race - oh we were gonna take names and yes - as long as there was a clock, and awards for placement, we looked at it as a race. It sounded so exciting and it was all I could think about at the time. Thinking back now, I have to laugh about it - and I was VERY lucky to not have hurt my horse. But at my first ride I learned a lot. I talked to people - I watched and I listened. I made friends, and those friends influenced me with good information without casting judgement or embarrasing me about my "ideas" of 25 mile rides. I respect your concern. Catfish From: "apleg8'n" <rackinfool@xxxxxxxxxxx> To: <Undisclosed-Recipient:;> Subject: [RC] A sad story for AERC Date: Mon, 9 Jan 2006 18:30:14 -0800 I have sat here vasilating on whether to forward this or delete it for a long while. But this is so against what "I" believe To Finish is To Win and the sport of AERC stands for that I have decided to go ahead and post it before our 2006 ride season begins and hopefully remind all of us and shame any newbies that don't know any better or oldies that may have forgotten just how idiotic some people have gotten their lack of thinking sized down to. This man speaking is a Lawyer, an athlete, certainly no dummy to reasoning and sporting. One should think, eh? I first came into contact with this person about a year ago thru my website. He wanted to pick my pea brain on endurance with a gaited horse. I gave him as much information as I could then never heard from him for quite awhile. Then heard from him a second time and again a couple of months ago. Telling me the last time how thin this horse had become. What did I feel he should feed him. When he told me what he was feeding I quickly made some suggestions but the biggest suggestion I made and practically BEGGED of him was to join up on RC and read the archives on nutrition, conditioning and ask questions! Then also invited him...begged him to join up on Gaited Endurance Riders....a little more errr Friendly group but with a lot of great knowledge and some top endurance riders on there that have ridden both ARABS and Gaited horses. Not to drop any names but my favorite RC-er who slyly goes by TRUMAN is a wonderful font of wisdom on our Gaited Endurance list because of his Hell Bitch he rode to much fame. All this fellow could talk about is how fast this horse can rack out at, and how at this speed he is going to kick the Arabs butts. He thinks he is going to out race arabs and that seems to be his pipe dream. I told him first off he cannot keep this horse in a ventroflexed gait....he will ruin his back, he must teach it as many gaits as possible including the canter. I just heard he laughs at any body talking about cantering a gaited horse...never will he do that. I told him to go slow for a couple of years. He wouldn't hear of it. He has never used a HRM and as you read his words, he hasn't a clue how to even put one on a horse! Oh boy. Pity this horse. I think he is in Central Region. Look out. Anyway I have had a lot of discussion with this fellow and today I was inundated by people wanting me to help this "guy" sending me his posts that came to a group not at all involved in endurance but a list I am a member of but don't always read the posts. I was shocked when I read this. I fear for his poor horse but most of all I fear for other wannabe riders that we may encounter this year that ride with this same attitude. Look out for them people and don't just turn the other cheek. Tell them to slow down, help them learn. Maybe they are a jerk...but that horse doesn't ask for this kind of abuse. And as a gaited rider trying to do my mission to promote these fabulous floating clouds to have perhaps a gaited horse die because of no fault of its own will set back all that I have worked so hard to prove in this sport. Read this and speak up to any rider on any breed of horse. No horse deserves to die. Remember this horse he has only had maybe a year and he has never entered even an LD. amber Keith Speaking: I intend to give it a go. Blues has such heart and I am very competitive too, so I will be mindful of the risks to him. I will probably try a back to back ld (25 miles each day for a sat and a sunday ) first. I understand how to train on heart rate for a human as I am a long distance runner and long distance triathlete. So, it doesnt look that different in concept . The obvious exception is that the horse gets a vet check in the endurance ride and the human does not. Still trying to figure the best way to hook up the human heartrate strap to either his girth or maybe a different kind of strap on his neck to have the receiver watch pickup his heart rate so I can moniter it. Interested Female Endurance Rider replying: I will ask the people I know how they use them, or what they use ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Non interested non aerc member suggesting helpful sites to learn about endurance sport: Keith there are two lists that would be very helpful for you. One isGaited Endurance Riders and the other is Ridecamp. Have you talked to AmberApplegate. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Keith Reply: I have spoken to Amber in general in the past and she suggested the yahoo lists to me. I have also been to ridecamp in the past. Thanks for the suggestions~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Future female endurance rider again: . I think it's great you and Blues are doing this. Please keep us updated!!! You can give me some tips if I do some limited distance races this spring. We need to get out there and shake up those Arabs:) ......... Keith: That is exactly the way I think too! When I said that to Amber, she got offended and thought I was too aggressive. SO, I guess we should smile sweetly, then race like their is no tomorrow. I will train as smartly and with as much humor and dedication as BLues and I can muster. THEN, we kick butt and take names. Yeah I know, to finish is to win. If it is not a race, why do they have a clock? Keith _________________________________________________________________ Express yourself instantly with MSN Messenger! Download today - it's FREE! http://messenger.msn.click-url.com/go/onm00200471ave/direct/01/ =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 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!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. 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