Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

On 11/21/06, k s swigart <katswig@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> Riders would have to understand the locomotion of their horse, the
sounds of
> a healthy, recovering heart being tasked with effort, the sounds of
> appropriate peristalsis, etc.

And one great way for riders to learn to understand these things is to
go to AERC rides and learn them from the ride vets...who are there to
help you.
 

 

I've learned a lot from ride vets at rides, particularly the ones more concerned with the horse rather than whether I complete the ride or not. 

Most of what I learned was that I needed to learn more about horses, and maybe a bit more about myself.

 

I hear the words over and over again, however, how riders are supposed to be responsible for their mounts.  I believe, for the most part, they're just words that sound good to AERC riders.

 

I believe Truman has a valid point about the AERC cleaning up its own house.

I just believe that house-cleaning should start with the individual riders and their ability to recognize what is happening to their mounts and the ability to be accountable for it.

 

Showing up and racing endurance and hoping to learn from a ride vet just doesn't quite ring quite right somehow, though.

 

Frank