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[RC] [Guest] Ride questions - John Teeter

(p.s. Lynn, I think your emial address is registered and you can post directly by sending email to:

  ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

)

Date: Sat, 13 May 2006 22:11:41 -0700
From: ridecamp-owner@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
To: guest-owner@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx


I don=92t think that riding a four year old very slow on a ride is=
 going to be detrimental=2E  DO wait until all the front runners=
 are gone and the dust has cleared until you start=2E  It may even=
 benefit you to not even let your horse see the front runners=
 leave!  You will enjoy the first ten miles much more if you do=
 this=2E  If I want to start slow I usually hook up with someone=
 that wants to go slow at the pre-ride meeting=2E  This way both of=
 us have horses with company=2E  Horses seem to be less excitable=
 if there is another horse on the trail with them=2E  It seems like=
 the most time consuming thing is just meeting the right riders=
 for how you like to ride=2E  You can volunteer for a ride or two=
 and do things like PR=2E You will learn a lot=2E  During slow times=
 you can ask the vets questions, meet new people, etc=2E   I have=
 just as much fun volunteering as I do participating in rides=2E  =
 You can find out who the slow people are and ask them if they=
 would mind if you tagged along on another ride=2E     Also, if the=
 rides in your area offer trail rides, you can get the camping=
 experience and expose your horse to all the excitement without=
 stressing him out too much=2E  Trail ride fees are really=
 reasonable and you don=92t have to be a member of AERC=2E  Always=
 ask about the rules of etiquette!   These are the unwritten=
 rules that endurance riders follow=2E  Once you meet a few people=
 you can start building a network of people to go to rides=
 with=85this is the next big step=2E  With gas prices the way they=
 are, many people are truck pooling to rides and sharing the gas=
 expense=2E  You can put out a post on one of the e-lists telling=
 people that you are willing to pay so much for gas and they can=
 pick you up along the way=2E  You will need to learn to pack=
 light, but I have done this and even managed to be able to bring=
 my own tent and portable electric fence=2E   If you are fortunate=
 to find someone that wants to mentor you, listen to them and=
 don=92t be afraid to ask questions=2E  Don=92t yell at them or be=
 disrespectful=2E  They are paying the ride fee just like you and=
 they aren=92t being paid to baby-sit=2E  And don=92t dilly-dally on=
 the trail=2E  Nothing drives a mentor crazy faster than someone=
 who wants to stop because their horse =93needs a lesson=94, can=92t=
 figure out if they want to ride or walk along side their horse,=
 or want to relieve themselves nine million times=2E  Download the=
 AERC rules and learn them the best you can=2E  On another note, I=
 can=92t believe that the eventers in your area are critical of you=
 because you are not jumping your four-year-old=2E  I think you are=
 wise to hold off on that=2E  Now I know why one doesn=92t see many=
 20 year old jumpers!  If you haven=92t read Dr=2E Deb Bennett=92s=
 literature on the rate that horses grow and how they grow, it=
 will be an eye opener for you=2E  You can find her website by=
 typing her name in Google=2E   I wish you luck=2E  Endurance is a=
 great sport with great people=2E  But watch out, it is definitely=
 addictive!