Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

Thanks, I am taking notes here :-)

I have a mentor, just not an endurance rider.  He is a recreational  
distance rider who typically rides 15 to 20 miles at a pace consistent  
with endurance condtioning.  The public trails around here are the  
suburban-hairy-roadside type and my horse is way more confident out  
there with someone to follow.  Plus said guy has a trailer and a key  
to the gated private-trail system, so it works for me even if he  
doesn't have anything made of biothane...

I've learned a lot about basic trail riding and just putting in the  
hours of LSD conditioning has taught me a lot from the School of Hard  
Knocks.  I once was at a big group ride and was really hungry but a  
group of people wanted to go ride on a nearby beach so I skipped  
lunch.  I am not the sort of person who can skip lunch.  By the time I  
realized I needed to go into my stash of balance-bars from my cantle  
pack, I was too messed up to twist around and deal with the zippers.   
We were on a really crowded beach and horse was really amped.  I ended  
up mostly passed out and had a few seconds where I thought I was going  
to completely pass out and fall off the horse.  Two guys stayed back  
with me for a while and had to hand me food until I was human again,  
but see, I learned something.

Two rides later I have an easy-to-reach pommel bag and the guts to be  
able to say "we need to slow to a walk for a minute so I can eat this  
and not pass out" when I need to.

I've learned to have a backpack with various things I'd need if my  
horse and I part ways.   I've learned not to figure someone else will  
have it, in case they don't.  Horse has her own ID in her bags.

I've learned not to royally piss off one's riding companion, to the  
point of not speaking, while in the middle of f***ing nowhere and  
hours away from the trailer.  Man, that was a long, long ride LOL.  I  
think next time I'm offered a ride when I'm PMSing I need to make up  
some sort of mystery lameness for my mare.

Lots of little stuff like tying quick-release knots the right way, how  
to load a horse into a trailer, knowing my saddle is more likely to  
slip forwards than backwards, what my horse normally acts like after 5  
miles, 10 miles, 15 miles.  Know what terrain she might have problems  
with and what I can trust her to navigate without my getting in her way.

I've ridden this horse past more weird things than I could imagine.   
Suburban trails can be great for desensitization and learning how to  
ride spooks.  And the time we ended up in a mountain-biker-haven park,  
that was useful too.  I still remember the biker that was careening  
over the top of this huge hill and we were at the bottom and I  
received the the eerily quiet instruction "turn her towards the bike,  
and hang on."  I didn't fall off, she took about 10 fast steps  
sideways but no bucks and that was way better than I was thinking  
she'd be.  She is getting used to craziness, and I'm learning to stay  
centered over my feet.

Oh, and I actually finally opened and closed a gate today without  
having to dismount.  Major victory :-)

I guess, at some point I'll realize the next distance ride ought to be  
25 miles over 6 hours and that is when I'll put her in an official ride.

Thanks,
Betsy




On May 28, 2008, at 1:48 PM, Beth Leggieri wrote:

> Well, that's easy.  On the the top of my list is:  "You can take any  
> horse out of the pasture and do an LD," or some such version of that  
> thinking.   (Darcy, your summary of Valentina's preparation was just  
> wonderful!)
>
> Please take a moment and post the "most important piece of advice"  
> you *weren't* given and had to learn the hard way -- or  "what you  
> wish you knew then that you know now."
>
> Several folks I know are considering endurance, and it would be  
> helpful to include these contributions when speaking with them.  Our  
> AERC website has great information for newbies as well, which I plan  
> to use.  Any other ideas?
>
> There is a balance between information overload that leads to  
> "paralysis of analysis" and preparing a rider with enough facts and  
> information to keep themselves and their horses out of trouble,  
> while having a good time in the process.  So what is that balance?   
> How much does a responsible, careful rider need to know to get out  
> there on the endurance trail?
>
> Thanks!  Beth in Texas


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