pace control

[Chelle Sherman <C.Sherman@connriver.net>]

Hi - anybody out there that rides ECTRA CTR, I could sure use some advice. I have a 6 yr. old Arab mare that I hope to do endurance with, and we started our first season this Summer with some 25 and 30-mile CTR's. I have heard the advice, 'ride your own ride' and would very much like to follow that, but this seems to be easier said than done. I'd like some concrete strategies for getting away from the pack. 

On the last two rides, I have found myself bunched in with other riders who are riding at a pace that is too uneven and fast for my novice horse. Because I'm usually toward the back of the herd (others insist on being in front because their horse is uncontrollable otherwise), I end up getting sucked down hills at a trot or canter because their horses take off at the base of the hill. I have tried pulling my horse back and letting the herd go, but my horse is quite competitive, and has started to go ballistic when I try this. 

I have tried waiting a bit longer at the water stops, but I usually end up in with a different pack. When I do succeed in getting myself alone, my mare seems to know the others are up there, and gets pretty worked up (strong and fast, but not out of control) trying to catch them, which we usually do before I can get her settled down. This mellows somewhat after we've gone about 20 miles, but I'm really concerned about burning out my horse. Her mental toughness exceeds her physical conditioning right now, and I want to let her body catch up. 

We have completed our rides, her recoveries have been stellar throughout and we even placed, but she is sometimes stiff in the end, and we have lost shoes at the end of both of the last two rides - I am quite sure it was because of too much speed over rocky, uneven ground. I know she would finish in much better shape if I could choose my own pace according to the terrain. I really enjoy this mare and feel she is very talented. I don't want to fry her with too much speed, trotting and galloping downhill, trotting on pavement, etc. and these pack situations seem to be intensifying her competitiveness.

Anybody been there? What did you do? 

Tried looking in the archives, but didn't know what key words to use for this - none of the obvious ones produced anything.

Thanks in advance - 
Chelle and 'Dy
Tunbridge, Vermont