Re: LD question

[Teddy Lancaster <Teddy@runningbear.com>]

I grew up with CTR's and learned TONS...grew to LIKE LD better maily because I
coluld take as much time as I felt my horse needed where in CTR, I had a time
limit.  Some CTR's go as fast as 7-8 MPH and I don;t want my youngsters going that
fast.  I can go a slow 4-5 mph on LD and ket them gain good experience.  I hate to
see them go, but admitedly there are abuses....

Teddy


CMKSAGEHIL wrote:

> When you apply minimum times, you essentially have CTR's, and the more I see
> and the more I hear on this forum, the more I believe that we should be
> abandoning LD's in favor of CTR's anyway.  (In fact, have been thinking about
> doing that at my own rides for a few years now, and as of next year, I think I
> will do just that, regardless of what AERC does.)
>
> As to the terrain, the "easy" terrain only speeds up the faster horses.
> Unless terrain is really extreme, it is not too difficult to maintain a CTR
> pace (say 5-6 mph) even if there is single-track with climbs and descents.
> Ideally, a trail has some of each, so that there are places one goes slightly
> slower and places one goes slightly faster.
>
> The thing with minimum times is that we must be aware of the consequences of
> any rules we make.  If we opt for a minimum time, it is difficult for novices
> to always guage their time, and I don't think it would be productive to
> disqualify people for being a few minutes early.  This is the beauty of CTR
> for learning to pace--one has a "window" to shoot for, and rather than being
> DQ'ed, one is penalized for being either early OR late.  That way, the rider
> in a hurry learns that his or her placing is way down the list somewhere.  (Of
> course, the horse score may be lower, too, making the placing even lower.)
>
> The areas of the country that have primarily CTR's instead of LD's are on the
> right track, IMO, and it is long past time that those of us in other regions
> and AERC as a whole followed their example.  Our "challenged" riders who
> cannot "move up" to 50's would still have a chance to come out and enjoy the
> trails and the camaraderie, and the new riders would have a format that is FAR
> more educational than LD!
>
> Heidi Smith, DVM--Sagehill Arabians (Oregon)