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> I also am concerned about the ride time vs total time. When the total
> time was changed to include hold times,
To my knowledge, the maximum time allowed has always been defined as total
time elapsed and was never defined as ride time (i.e. total time elapsed
minum hold time). Can you tell me when this ever was the case?
> it in essence made the less
> conditioned horse work harder. This is because it effectively REDUCED
> the time allowed for that horse to finish the required mileage. And this
> becomes even more dangerous for the marginal or novice horse when the
> mandatory hold times are increased because it forces that horse to go
> faster to earn a completion.
Quite frankly, if a horse cannot finish 50 miles within 12 hours total
time (frequently about 10 1/2 hourse riding time) that horse is not fit to
finish and should not get a completion.
> To illustrate:
> -If the RIDE time was back to 12 hours maximum for 50 miles, the horse
> must average at least 4.2 mph to earn a completion.
> -The way it is now the actual ride time not only is cut short by hold
> times but it varies from ride to ride depending on those assigned hold
> times. And frequently the hold time is increased if the conditions are
> more difficult because of heat, humidity, terrain, etc. It isn't a
> kindness to increase hold times when the price is requiring more speed
> out of the tired horse. The tired horse is punished.
The tired horse should be pulled. As far as increased hold times due to
harsher conditions...well...all horses, including tired ones, get a
benefit from resting. It might even be more accurate to say that
especially tired ones get benefit from the rest. If your horse is too
tired to complete with a rest, it is too tired to complete without the
rest.
Any horse that cannot complete 50 miles in 12 hours elapsed time because
it is too tired to go that fast, is not "fit" enough to be an endurance
horse and the rider needs to take the horse home and do more conditioning.
Averaging 4.6 miles per hour is barely above a walk.
If the horse and rider cannot finish under time because of poor planning
on the rider's part (i.e. went too slow at the start and therefore has to
go to fast at the end), then that is the rider's fault...and one of the
responsibilities of riders is to properly rate their horse so that they
can finish in the time allotted.
Just my 2 cents.
kat
Orange County Calif.
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