25 vs 50 (can't help myself)

[Howard4567@aol.com]

I, always, find this an interesting topic; even though we have probably 
beaten it to death on Ridecamp.  The two rides (25 vs 50) are so far apart 
that it's understandable why some riders won't call LDer's endurance riders.  
And the times, MPH, of both rides, at least down South, are about the same.  
12.5 MPH is usally the winning time for both rides as in 1:59 ride time for a 
25 and 3:59 for a 50, times you'll see quite often on rides held in the 
lowlands.

One of the reasons LDers are criticized so much isn't because they ride their 
horses too fast, since the 50 milers go just as fast and twice the distance, 
but the fact that the horses the LDers ride are not ready, haven't been 
trained long enough, muscles & tendons haven't been developed with long, 
slow, distance training rides, maybe, too young, etc.  I think this is the 
gist of the problem.  

To do a 50 mile ride a horse has to be in shape.  It has to be trained, ready 
to go, or you will not complete the ride.  In a 25 you can get away with 
finishing a ride with a horse that is not up to par.  I know now that Dance 
was not ready for his first 25 two years ago, but we came in 13th place 
anyway.

I love both distances and wish some riders weren't so arrogant as to think 
LDers aren't endurance riders.  I have a soon to be 4 year old Paint (yea, 
I'm working on buying an Arab, just haven't gotten around to it) that I can't 
wait to take out on an endurance ride.  And, since I don't want to break any 
rules, she'll do an LD.  It's all she's ready for anyway.

cya,
Howard