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>One important note: in the Southeast it's rare to actually ride without a
>crew at all. As soon as people find out you're crewless, they inundate you
>with offers
I have also found this to be true - very nice indeed.
The other part for me of going to a ride by myself is the drive home
alone....sometimes I would like to have a crew just for the ride home :-)
Those of you that do 100's with out of camp checks or multi-day rides solo
have my respect! My goal is to able to do a 100 without a crew at some point
- but not right now - for my first 100 I want all the support I can get :-)
call me a wimp - I don't care <g>
RE: Ice boots
I have a pair that I use after rides (competitions, that is) but don't
generally use them for normal riding and conditioning. I would say yes to
using them before vetting but not due to stiffness rather for time - I
wouldn't want to put the boots on for 15-20 minutes and THEN go in for my
check - the boots can go on after if you wish. I tend to use them only after
the ride - maybe at a longer vet check you might have the time but on a 20
or 30 minute check it seems there's hardly time to turn around.
RE: trailering long distances
I have trailered up to 15 hours and did not unload during the ride. I do
stop periodically for 30-45 minutes to let them rest from the constant
balancing. I made this decision after talking to many folks that trailer
long distances (up to 30 hours) all the time. I frequently travel over 6
hours to a ride and do not consider the ride long till it's over 8 hours. I
guess it depends a lot on on how well your horse travels - Embers just turns
the trailer into his stall - eats, drinks, poops, pees, no problem. Tony, on
the other hand, is a little anxious in the trailer - may unload him on a
long ride - haven't trailered him long distances yet.
RE: experienced riders helping beginners
A good thing to do is "hook up" with an experienced person or find a mentor
so to speak. This does not have to be someone that lives close enough to you
that you ride together every day - rather someone that will be at the rides
you go to, you can camp next to maybe and start out with on the ride, will
talk to you via email, phone or whatever. That person can then show you the
ropes, introduce you to others at a ride, etc...Of course if you are truly
new to the sport finding that mentor can be hard but forums like this really
help. Don't be afraid to email someone offline saying "I saw your post on
the endurance list and.....".
Tina
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