Why do you *do* Endurance?
I do endurance for the same reasons you stated. The solitude, the bonding
with my horse, being outside in the woods and mountains. Through the years
I have come to require this time with my horse. I started endurance riding
last year at a friend's urging. We used to ride together before she moved
to Idaho where she became involved in endurance riding. She called me to
say that endurance would be perfectly suited to me because that's the way
I have always ridden. Turns out she was right. I can't add a lot to what
you state as reasons to ride endurance because your reasons are very much
the same as mine. What I would like to add is that I feel frustration
when I have to justify, explain, or otherwise defend my choice of how I
wish to spend my time. It's hard to explain to family members that riding
is what I prefer to do if given a choice of just about anything. There
are always the comments of being selfish; all you ever want to do is ride;
you don't know how to have fun, etc., etc. . . The best I have come up
with when I'm feeling defensive about this sport is to say, endurance/riding
is not what I do, it's who I am.
Joyce
Arlington, WA