Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

If you get this off the ground, what might make it really interesting would be to have sort of, hhmmm, "floating" vetchecks.  Similar to the pit stops on a race.  Where the riders don't HAVE to take them at an exact mileage, but rather have a choice as to when they can take them.  Something along the lines of "Must complete 50 miles with 3 mandatory vet checks and 90 minutes of total hold time."  But it would allow the rider to do a stop-and-go check with zero hold time, and then take a one-hour hold later if they wished.  Or split up their hold time however they desired.  Horse must reach pulse criteria in order to start hold time, same as now.  Allow them to ride however many miles they wanted before going to the vet, but they must present at least 3 times, maybe at least x (5-10) miles between checks, etc.  Does this make sense???  That would REALLY put a strategy element into play, especially for those that were racing.  It would also make it much more interesting to watch I think.

On 12/11/07, Paul <Paul@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

I am not a huge NASCAR fan, so not an expert on that sport. However, to the best of my knowledge, NASCAR is not supervised by licensed, trained and empowered Veterinarians watching out for the welfare of the cars.  I could be wrong on this:)  I would also not agree with the idea that the main reason people show up to watch NACAR is the hope for seeing blood and exploding cars. From talking to NASCAR friends of mine, it seems that some people like watching a tactical event that takes longer than 30 seconds. They appreciate the strategy and skill involved in sustaining focus and concentration over a long time and distance. They appreciate the bonding of a human with another independent entity into one focused unit. Of course some may think that this is nothing like Endurance Riding, so how could the same people ever get interested in our sport?  We must not be interesting to watch because nobody has done it so far. If people really wanted to watch, wouldn't they already line the trails along the Western States Trail by the thousands?  My thinking is to give people a reasonable opportunity to watch a ride, and then they can decide if they want to do it again..

 

Endurance riding, for those who confuse it with racing flaming cars into walls at 190 MPH, is a sport that has Vets with absolute power and control over the welfare of the equines who participate. Those vets, control the welfare of those equines at all rides, from 10 mile fun rides to 100 mile rides through some of the roughest country on the continent.  For any proposed AERC ride, those Vets are going to make  the welfare of the equines involved the number one priority.  If a new ride is held on a one mile oval, or over the whole state of Kansas, the Vets will be supervising it. If a rider overrides a horse, they will be pulled. Pretty simple concept isn't it?  So far it has proven to work pretty well. I don't believe it has been shown that the length of the loops in a ride have any direct connection to equine abuse.

 

The chances of equine abuse would actually be less at my proposed one mile distance, 'cause there ain't no place to hide. All horses would be in view of the Vets and anybody who cared to watch for the entire ride. In addition, the equines would never be more than one half mile from vet care. How many other rides could make that statement? Obviously this is not a NASCAR type of danger to the equines. Now of course if you think our vets at AERC rides  aren't competent to do this job, and that horses would get crashed into the walls at high speeds, that is a different issue, and you need to take it up with AERC. Personally I think they do a tremendous job of protecting the equines involved. 

 

As for TV, my thinking is this is not likely to ever become prime time network programming. Don't look for big dollar advertisers to jump on board. However, TV, web casting and other electronic media is a way to promote our sport. Promoting our sport isn't a bad thing. I went to  a ride last week in good weather that had 5 entries in the 50 mile distance and 10 in the 25 mile ride. Promoting the sport so we might have a few more riders is a good thing.  Don't worry, we will still stay pure and poor:) It won't turn our rides into the Dubai Cup.  Don't worry about the half nekkid tattooed women showing up in hordes to be rider groupies. It won't happen. Drunken kegger parties in camp before the ride will be no more prevalent than they are now.

 

I appreciate all those who have taken the time to post their opinions on this idea. If it goes any further, I will let you know.

 

Paul N. Sidio

Piper ( hmmm... No rocks, or hills, or tree roots grabbing me?  Never more than 1/2 mile from snacks? That doesn't sound so bad.)

Spokane MO

 

"If you approach things in life with the idea that you will succeed or you approach those same things in life with the idea that you will fail, you are likely to be right."

-- 
~ Crysta

"Those of us who finish near the back, make the rest of you look good."