>>>Many horses are not the same beasts in a large group in the
excitement of a race venue as they are >>anywhere else regardless of
mileage. In addition, just MHO I would prefer to find out issues with my horse
on a shorter distance
I'm afraid I completely disagree on that one. Just to present the other
side...When Bekki Crippen did her first ride with her new horse I wanted to ride
with her, so I started with the LD's and then elevated rather than start
with the 50's. I know plenty of LD's know trail etiquette, but in general it was
AWFUL. How are you supposed to teach your new guy to drink when riders go
galloping by when you stop? There was awful leapfrogging...somebody on a horse
thundering up on your rear, passing, then you'd catch up wih them walking up
ahead, people *running* then walking, just not the situation I'd want to start a
new horse in. When I started my neice in endurance I had her enter one 25 and
didn't ride with her. She was in tears telling me about the mass of
horses galloping at speed down a hard gravel road and how she couldn't get out
of it. She never did a 25 again after that one. Went to 50's and was happy. 50's
aren't great at the start, but 25's are worse. 100's are the best, but then
that's a bit much to start with unless you're Cindy. >g<
My first ride was a 50...but I had read everything available, watched
videos, asked questions and ridden with a few people who'd already done rides.
If you're relatively well informed and you've been training, I'd much
rather start in the 50. If you just came in off the street and said, "What's
this sport about?" maybe that doesn't work. As an experienced rider, no way I'll
put my new horses I start in a 25 at all. I don't even want them thinking
competitions are over that quick.
This isn't to say nobody can do 25's for the rest of their life. I'm just
talking about people who say they plan to do 50 and seem to think it's "high
school" and you can't get there without going up through all the grades of
grammar school. I don't think it works that way.
