>
> Hi all,
>
> What happened last weekend with Special is really bothering me. I keep
> thinking about how badly it could have turned out..... I just feel
> terrible. And I am more than a little scared to go out and ride her hard
> again, for fear that she might tie up. It just TERRIFIES me that she
> could have died, and that it would have been -MY- fault! I've always
> known that getting into endurance riding was potentially very hard on a
> horse. But I guess I just didn't think that it could be so serious at my
> currently -low- level.
Marisa,
Please don't be afraid to continue in endurance. Although it isn't
that uncommon for horses to become over-stressed at a ride, there
are seldom any lasting ill effects. Endurance really has an
outstanding safety record. The Southeast Region went for several
years without a single horse fatality.
There are no gaurantees, even for horses kept as "pets" and never
ridden. But, you are a caring rider, who is willing to learn, so
your chances of actually having a tragedy are very small.
--Joe Long Rainbow Connection Arabians PC/LAN Manager home of Kahlil Khai Calhoun Community College AERC Hall of Fame horse jlong@hiwaay.net 11,475 miles completed