[RC] Defining Endurance-An explanation that works for both sides - KimFue
Here is what part of the problem is. Endurance is a generic term outside of AERC. Nobody would have a clue outside of AERC if you stated....I do Limited Distance. Endurance riding to other equestrians and all outside of AERC is a long distance ride that recognizes placing that is based on speed/recovery. That separates it from ride and tie and CTR and Orienteering which are all distance riding events with horses.
The problem is that AERC defines a "level" within the sport as endurance. Meaning instead of having levels defined in terms of novice, open, advanced or other descriptive terms that express distance we have LD & endurance. This is just how the sport in AERC evolved....there was one level so it was called endurance. As other levels were added the name was not changed within the sport BUT to everyone outside the endurance community all levels are the generic "endurance riding". So this is very much the same situation as the generic use of terms like Jello to describe all gelatin deserts when Jello is a brand name. Q tips to describe all swabs when Q Tip again is a specific brand of swabs, and even Coke to decribe all colas.
So, both sides of the arguement are really correct. Cindy, in trying to clarify a specific distance is correct when she states that LD is not endurance. It sounds like most of the folks that were offended by Cindy's statement are thinking in terms of the GENERIC use of endurance not the specific description which is a level in our sport. In AERC, an LD is not endurance because a 50+mile ride is designated differently than a -25 mile ride. To all outside of the sport of course all levels are the generic "endurance" just like all gelatin desserts are Jello to most people.
Other nations of course do not have this problem because ENDURANCE DID NOT EVOLVE FROM ONE DISTANCE TO SEVERAL DISTANCES in most other countries. I do bet that they have different levels to describe the distances within the sport such as beginner or novice.
Our problem is that we (and everyone else) uses the generic term "endurance" to distinguish this sport from other distance sports like CTR & RAT AND we use the term "endurance" to designate a level with the sport. It is no wonder there is so much confusion.
