[RC] LDs are not all that. sort of long - Donna DeYoung
well, I'm not new to horses for sure but I'm new to AERC (less than 1 yr, 105 endurance miles, 100 ld miles, 2 pulls). The pulls on very difficult rides taught me alot. One was my own Peruvian horse who got a stone bruise, we think, and pulled 25 miles into a very rocky 50 mile ride. He should have had pads and a better farrier. my bad. Another was a borrowed TWH w/ history who was very slightly lame at 40 miles into a very humid/hot/difficult 50. It was pretty rough riding for me. Broke out in a heat rash all over. After that I was ready for a break! So I went and did back to back 25s on a nice QH mare on a hilly but pretty easy course in the Hill Country of TX. More on that in a moment.
Recently have been riding my Peruvian again, he's sound, and so this past weekend it was time to do a practice 25 (my own LD). I won 1st place, BC, and top heavyweight! I did it in a slow 5 hrs in very high temps in TX. Best of all it was "free" except for the gas to get there and my packed lunch. It seemed really easy compared to an official AERC ride. Perhaps because I didn't have to pack and unpack for camping or wait in line for anything. And I made my own starting times and vet cks and all. Pretty fun. Too bad no one else was there!
This is training. I hope to do some upcoming real LDs to be sure we "are there" again before doing the 50s. Be sure my horse stays sound and be sure I stay sound. He seems to be doing fine. I get old age pains. :) So there we are. Doing LDs. But I actually see 100s in my long range plans. And more 50s.
I've always been interested in this LD vs endurance debate even tho someone has mentioned the debate should be censored (gasp). My 1st ride was a 30 mile LD and it seemed really hard! But so did the last 50 I didn't finish! It all depends where you're at. And some of us are there and others aren't.
Well at the ride w/ the QH I found myself on that side of camp (LDs are not all that), sort of rolling my eyes, at the loud applause/hoops and hollers for the horse/rider that got BC and 1st place in the 25 mile ride Day One. I had done it slowly that day on a borrowed endurance horse, the 2nd time I'd ridden her. She seemed a little nervous to me so I only rode as fast as I felt comfortable if I were to come off (take a fall?). Which isn't real fast but fast enough we finished. And then there I was Day Two, confidence up, trying for a top 10 in an LD, we managed to squeeze into 10th place when one of the top 10 was pulled. So I stood the little QH for BC (for the owners sake). I gave myself a pat on the back and felt proud for taking out a horse I didn't know real well and she took care of herself great (horse was being prepped for a big multi day) And the one or two juniors tagging along ... added to the mayhem. nobody died. horses got all As. Success at an LD. Two days of success to be more exact. I was impressed that I did two days and could still walk the next day (barely). And that I survived the weekend w/ a teenager (barely).
But what really impressed me that weekend were the horse/riders who tackled both days. And especially the 50 mile riders who survived the heat in one or both days. We LD'ers were finished before the heat of the day set in (thank goodness, I would have died - see success at an LD above). So I could only sit back in awe at those who ENDURED much more than I had.
So there you are. I don't think LDs are the same. But they are there. I use them for training purposes/fun/social/competition but once I can do a fast LD on my horse again (and not feel wiped out), I hope to try another 50. Or maybe I'll get hung up on points for this year in LD and be drawn to them or multi-days. Hard to split between pts between LD and endurance if you ride both events.
just my thoughts, Donna and dancing Danny the Peruvian.
