to sponge or not to sponge - that is the question

["Ed & Wendy Hauser" <sisufarm@mmmpcc.org>]

When I read Mr. Furth's flame I was mad and shot back one of my own, but
before it actually was delivered I deleted it.  I still think it is quite
inappropriate to use personal attacks and implied obscenity.  It is also
unfair to accuse one person of being responsible for rules that are set by
UMECRA's governing board (the ride managers plus rider representatives).
More to the point it started me thinking about why I do not worry about the
"no sponge at a check" rule.  My ride weight is 230 lbs, I also do endurance
and limited distance, and have consistently top ten'd in competitive riding,
thus I feel I have some experience worth sharing.  I came to the following
conclusions:
1. The pace is much slower in competitive riding.  Much less heat is
generated going 6 MPH than going 9 MPH.
2. The strategy is different.  There is no advantage in being first into a
check.  If the LD ride I did last weekend on a hot hilly course in SE
Minnesota had been a competitive, I would have done the first 13 miles of
the first loop in 1.5 hours (about 8 1/3 MPH) and then taken 30 minutes to
walk the last 2.  After a 10 minute wait for a PR my horse would have been
cool enough to rest without really needing sponging.  This would have left 2
hours for the 10 mile second loop.  This would have allowed an easy 6 MPH
pace as the day got hotter and 30 minutes to walk the last 2 miles.  Again
arriving cool.  While it is certainly fine to rapidly cool a horse with
water, there is nothing wrong with a natural slower cooldown.
3. Most of the rides have quite a bit of water.  Almost all loops have at
least one water crossing, and many 3 or 4 plus whatever puddles are on the
trial.  June and July are our wettest months with about 4 inches of rain,
this means lots of puddles.  On drier rides the management should and does
put out "natural" water in tanks and buckets
4. If sponging were allowed before vet checks, poor strategy would not be
penalized like it should.  I can see no reason not to allow sponging in camp
after PR checks, but no real need to do it either.
5. By the way on the LD I came in 2 hours 45 minutes (4th ) about 20 minutes
behind the winner.  I didn't push Ranger and it took 3 minutes of sponging
to meet criteria both times.
Ed Hauser
Sisu Farm
1140 37th St.
Hudson, WI 54016