"What they had done, what they had seen, heard, felt, feared..
The places, the sounds, the colors, the cold, the darkness,
The emptiness, the bleakness, the beauty.
‘Til they died, this stream of memory would set them apart,
if imperceptibly to anyone but themselves, from everyone else.
For they had crossed the mountains."
Bernard Devoto
It came to me one day the true reason why I love this sport so much. It Is the one horse sport that requires me to use my brain and body to the Max, while on my horse! It is never-ending strategy, never-ending Improvement of riding skills, never-ending examination of the horse's Strength, health and comfort. It requires questioning of the Status-quo, just because it was done before, doesn't mean it is the best Way now. There is constant input on nutrition, shoeing, saddlery, General tack, conditioning strategy, etc. We keep all this in mind 24/7 And compile it into what works for our particular situation. Then we have the added challenge of not getting caught up in the moment and Getting carried away into hurting our precious horse! Doesn't get any Better than that!!!!
I have a very fast horse, and the 50's were lots of fun, but I wanted more challenge.
100 miles is definitely a challenge.
Flying just for Fun.
The hard pounding gallop with the wind making your eyes tear,
Working the trail as one, pushing hard, dodging trees, jumping creeks.....
Horses behind, trying to keep up, trying to pass, sometimes passing, then you must pass them again.
The wide open spaces where you can really Fly (I Believe We Can Fly)
The Solitude.Timeless trees, birds in the spring, soft snow sparking.Beauty, shared by a someone close, someone you can spend 20 hours with.The deep dark and piercing moonlight.The hard, harsh natural beauty of Mother Earth.
Hardship shared and defeated.
I ride endurance because I love to ride. I love horses and the great outdoors.
Having realistic expectations simply involves not asking your horse for more than he is able to give safely, either in competition or in training. Some horses are so naturally talented that they can run up front and even finish in first place with only a little conditioning. The problem is that such a horse has not had time for his bones, ligaments, joints, and cartilage to come up to maximum strength. Breakdowns are very common in those individuals whose natural cardiovascular superiority lulls their riders into the false impression of preparedness. Studies suggest that it takes the bony frame four to five times as long to come to full fitness as the muscular system (which takes about 90 days). If you want your horse to have the best chance of maintaining long term soundness, you will have to give him the required time to develop