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RE: [RC] [RC] Angie's humor and new AERC members - Christina McCarthy

Hi Milroy!
 
I am glad you have started endurance.  What state do you ride in? When I started this sport I read as much as I could about it, joined various forums and found a barn that was all about endurance.  I had a youngster to condition and have been doing it slowly with LD being done, hunter paces, parades, chasing donkeys, what ever to get me and my horse prepared.  I love this sport, my horse seems to enjoy it to (which to me is the most important point).
 
You must understand that until you are around for 3 or more years, it pays to listen, ask questions, and not take offence from anybody.  There are some very helpful, dedicated people on this forum that you can always as questions off forum.  Then there are people, who are here because they think it is a fad, who don't want to do the slow work that is necessary to bring a horse along, and think they know everything.  The longer I am here, the less I know and the more I want to know.
 
I think this topic has run its course, and now it is probably time to move on to more endurance like topics (right Steph?).  Hope to see you on the trails!

Christina McCarthy


Date: Tue, 27 Mar 2007 12:22:58 -0700
From: milroygrosse@xxxxxxxxx
Subject: [RC] [RC] Angie's humor and new AERC members
To: ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx

OK I joined this forum just to put in my two cents.  And want to say that I am not referring to the racial issues that came up because that was out from left field somewhere and obviously a huge misunderstanding.
 
OK, here goes.....I am  new to endurance. But I am reading and trying to take in all that I can. And EN and RC are great sources of information. I have also had a hard time finding a true mentor.  This is for various reasons some that I take responsibility for and some because life just happens for everyone.  I think I have one now.
 
So maybe, as someone who has hasn't really started but wants to, I can say that at first read of Angie's article I was not offended as much as disappointed and thought that maybe this is why it can be so hard to get started in this sport.  The established don't think I have it.  Several people I talked to felt the same way. But after hearing established riders admit that it was poking fun at themselves I don't feel so bad. 
 
TO THE VETERANS I would say.....obviously, you have to have the perspective to get the joke.  So I hope you all could understand that if you have never been on a ride and dying of thirst enough to want to drink out of that water bottle then of course you won't get it.  Also, if you are having a difficult time breaking into the sport....for whatever reason then you might think that maybe it is because you are not wanted. Of course the husbands and wives of endurance riders will get it because even if they have never been on a horse, they still have their spouse to give them the perspective, right.
 
Finally, I agree with Jen Adams.  I got interested in the sport because the endurance riders I read about and talked with seemed like some of the most knowledgeable horsemen and horsewomen around and many I would consider an honor to be acquainted with.  But at the same time, you need to remember, for someone new to something,  that breadth of knowledge is VERY INTIMIDATING.  How would you feel if the "endurance celebrities" at the time that you start came out with a "satirical" article about how the endurance riders of today just aren't what they used to be (even if they were poking fun at themselves).  I recall many people offended on RC in the past because some were of the opinion that you were not a "real" endurance rider unless you do 100s at some point.  Whatever..... It is all perspective.
 
Anyway, we newbies are very impressionable and want to make good decisions about ourselves and our horses and make a good impression on the older (or younger) experienced riders, so go easy on us if we "misunderstand" the humor.....don't make us feel like we are stupid because we "don't get it".  Or "shouldn't be in endurance" because we didn't get it.  Just try to remember it is ALL perspective and someday we WILL get it and for now "explain" it to us (like some did) and then we can say "OHHHH.....I get it!!  VERY Funny!!"
 
I think that this thread (both newbies and veterans) may have done more to hurt feelings than the original article.
 
Just MHO.

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