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Re: [RC] Cold shoulder? - heidi larsonCome ride in the Pacific Northwest!!! At the Klickitat ride last year, some aquaintances of mine came to ride the fun ride with their (gasp!) Icelandics!! They were so cute, they had people all gather around them asking tons of questions and petting them. The next time I saw the owner (she was the FedEx lady in our office) she commented on how she and her friend felt like superstars with their unusual breed. I take newbies to rides, they've ridden QH's, a morgan and a quarab, all seemed to fit right in and all have commented on what a wonderful group of people the endurance folks are! One gal went to an AQHA ride a month after she completed her first LD (30 miler) and compared groups. The endurance crowd won hands down as the AQHA ride (anyone could ride it) wasn't friendly except for, wouldn't you know, they parked next to an endurance rider who talked to them all weekend! I started this sport about mid-90's on an arab and only knew about 4 people when I started. I make it a personal goal to meet a new person at every ride. (Eva Yellowhair was my new rider in Idaho last week and I rode with Victoria White, who I know, but had never ridden with.) The best way to make "First Contact" (yes, I'm also a trekkie!) is to compliment someone else's horse. It's like having a horse treat in your pocket. One of my favorite reason I do endurance is that no matter what you wear, ride or drive or sleep in, the people I've been around don't care. Just bring a prepared horse and a big smile!!! heidi larson and kalasha --- Dodie Sable <dodie@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote: What Jay, Keith and others are pointing out is we have a very real problem in the sport. There is a very definite click in endurance. Those outside the click who don't ride the right breed of horse, the right color, wear the right cloths, or the right saddle are given the cold shoulder or have people talk behind their backs as you have done. I've experienced it first hand. I've been told to my face that my horse couldn't "do endurance". ~~~~~ Now that's interesting to read because I've experienced exactly the opposite since I began this sport in 1999. I ride Appaloosas and Tennessee Walkers, and yes, I've had people tell me if I wanted to be serious in this sport I needed to get an Arabian and I just smile and keep on riding my own breed. Everyone I've encountered has been wonderful, I've never gotten the cold shoulder and in my neck of the woods I've been known as "The App Lady" since I show up with a trailer full of spots. I have heard "talking behind the back" about me, and about other "non-conformists" but that is to be expected no matter where you go in life and I view it as a success! See! Someone noticed me enough to talk about me. For the most part, the people I've met in AERC and ECTRA have been marvelous, educational, friendly and by no means snobbish or mean like those competitors in other equine sports. Dodie
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