Re: Putting the horse 1st

["Judy A. Worley" <aussie@aa.net>]

I think that Endurance riders are high quality people with beautiful high
quality horses, that it's nice to be associated with. The Rules keep folks
from killing their horse in the heat of the moment.  Judy
-----Original Message-----
From: Cathy Adair <cadair@prodigy.net>
To: ridecamp@endurance.net <ridecamp@endurance.net>
Date: Monday, March 23, 1998 7:07 AM
Subject: Putting the horse 1st


>
>Karen wrote in her ride story:
>
>>Saw the good and bad in people at this ride.  If I ever don't put my horse
>> first, somebody shoot me.
>
>I met up with some pleasure riders this weekend while Moe (the Curly) and I
>were 'sperimenting with stuff - you know, how fast can he trot before he
>breaks into a canter; hey he doesn't shy; hmmm, he runs about the same
>pulse as my Arab at the trot - you know, stuff. And tried riding him with
>just the halter which we both loved.  And it was actually sunny.  Ahh,
>bliss...
>
>Saw these riders approaching on the narrow trail, pulled over and sat there
>off the trail til they passed. Of course they have to stop and remark about
>my odd horse. I am so used to people remarking about my weird tack that I
>have to look again to make sure they mean the HORSE! One man asked what do
>you do with that horse? I say, he's gonna do endurance. This man backs his
>horse away from Moe as if he was afraid of contamination and said in a
>vicious voice - oh, you'll kill him! I gulped and said, no. But he was
>resistant and off that bunch went. Some giving poor Moe sympathetic looks
>over their shoulders... Moe with his head down getting a few snacks, poor
>Moe! Poor Moe with his saddle that fits him, his halter that fits him and
>his shoes that fit him, poor Moe. Not to mention his diet.
>
>Kinda took the light out of the day for a bit. Just a bit.
>
>I cheered myself up by imagining what I would change with endurance to make
>it better. The first thing I would change is NO off/lame/unsound horses
>allowed. Not even grade 1. The second thing would be to lower the criteria
>to 60 - and the LDs have to meet that in 10 -15 minutes. Oh hey, so do the
>longer distances. After all, those horses can do it when they are fit
>anyway. Then check the pulses before they leave their holds - say below
>50/48. The rest of the metabolic stuff such as done in OCER and others is
>great now.
>
>And I thought, hey, let the vets PACK (so it's their lunch in their
>holster, not everyone has to know that) and I wonder how many riders would
>quit taking unfit, or unsound horses to the rides and would be more careful
>with their pacing etc. And would not argue with the vets' decisions too.
>
>I thought, boy wouldn't it be nice if people automatically said instead,
>you are crazy to ride that endurance stuff, but wow! your horse must really
>be fit!
>
>As Moe and I picked back up our trot - I thought, next on the agenda is
>ways to improve the pleasure riders but we can't do much about them, can
>we? Except infiltrate them and lure them into distance riding where they
>will learn horsemanship and conditioning and all the stuff we are aware
>of... I am not sure I want to join a saddle club tho. Maybe it could be
>worth it to promote our sport. More dues though.
>
>Boy I was glad to get back to the trailer and forget all this stuff!
>
>Cathy
>Ash Grover
>that's in MO
>