- "Long" and "slow" are very subjective, depending on your interest
in the subject and your method of reading mail. Like many of us,
I have lots of fast, high-tech toys at work; at home, Netcom and my
486 are slower but perfectly acceptable. I sympathize with those
who are stuck in the boonies with a slow modem and high online costs;
however, I hope you all check periodically for better options--net
services are changing and growing so fast that you might miss a new
opportunity in your area.
- The fact that endurance@moscow has 400 subscribers seems irrelevant;
*relatively* few actually post. Compared to Equine-L, the traffic is
extremely moderate; compared to Caballo-L (the Peruvian Paso list),
it is very high.
- For a wannabe endurance rider, the ride stories are inspirational
and educational. These, and boarding at an endurance barn, have
finally motivated me to try conditioning my Peruvian mare for 25s.
As a writer, I enjoy the well-written personal accounts of what
really happens. I have less interest in ride result lists, but I scan
them anyway for familiar names.
- The absolute best parts (IMHO) are the discussions on tack, training,
health and nutrition. After 7 years on the net, with the help of
rec.equestrian (in its Good Old Days mostly, but even now), Equine-L,
and this list, I feel competent to deal with tack, tow vehicles,
trailers, camping, and general horse-wifery--these were complete
mysteries to me prior to 1989 (I started riding on January 1, 1990).
- I agree that most advice should be offered as specific personal
experience, not as a blanket "right answer."
- Mention of the "pros" on the list leads me to comment that you're a
pro if you get paid for doing something; by that definition, there are
precious few professional endurance riders, just a heckuva lot of
obsessed amateurs. :-) :-) Some of you are professional breeders or
trainers or DVMs or farriers or college professors. I think we all
know of by-definition professionals whose competence or ethics we don't
trust, so that label may be of limited value--IMHO, of course, and NOT
meaning anyone here.
This is quite long enough even for the tolerant ones. Hope I haven't
managed to offend anyone--not my intention.
(BTW, welcome back, Truman!!! Go check the archives, quick! ;-) )
-Sallijan
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sallijan Snyder | ==> I am not a speaker-for-Intel.
Santa Clara, California |
(408)765-9068 wrk (408)629-5909 hm | "Sometimes you'll find a heap of
Internet: jsnyder@td2cad.intel.com | thread on a mighty small spool."
or sallijan@ix.netcom.com | --Savvy Sayin's
*Internet Z-Car Club Member #42* |(Ain't it the truth! -SjS)