Thanks for the many responses to How small is too small?

[keithr@nocdc.bc.ca (Ann Hatfield)]

Thanks, everyone!  Wonderful testimonials to tough, game little horses who
have been ridden by many of you long-time endurance pro's.

I'm going to quote some bits in my next ad for this little fellow.  He's
weasling into my heart and it gets progressively harder to have to sell
him-but how many horses can one feed this winter (and ride fully and work)?

Riff and I are about to go off to a ride this weekend, first for him, only
second for me.  The plan is to get to the end of the whole 12 miles without
looking like a caricature of airs above the ground.  Only 12 miles but I
figure he'll wear off about 40's worth of calories in sheer excitement.

I did a 35 years ago and boy was i naive! I vaguely knew there would be
stops and holds but had no idea how long they would be.  I didn't even
bring lunch or water cuz I knew how fast my very well conditoned mountain
horse usually covered country and I thought this would be a faster pace and
there fore it was hardly worth the bother.

Hah!  I stopped to help someone who'd pulled a shoe and then a stallion got
free at lunch and terrorized the whole place: tore horses loose and chased
people into trucks and bred a mare and by the time all that was over I
think lunch was somewhat longer than anyone had planned.  Someone gave me
some pop and a granola bar, the good mare ate and drank at every
opportunity; she got first and BC in the 35-others were doing 50's, but I
was mighty tired and dry by the end!  I slept drank, ate, recovered and
went to a Native round dance and danced half the night away!

So, off I go Friday knowing not much more about the actualities of
endurance but considerably wiser in theory thnks to what II have learned
from this group.  Been trying to get Riff to read the posts but he's
surprisingly disinterested-just not a visual learner, I guess.

Ann and: 	the Antique Appy-semi-retired
		Riff the Polish Arab who was saved from going for for meat
		Sierra a.k.a. Mr. Friendly
		Elka and Freya-the draft mares
		Bi-Lea and Sam-I-Am the little drafts