Rode my first endurance ride!

[JenLS]

A few years ago I was interested in doing one of the novice rides - I think they were 10 - 15 miles. I’d read up on it online and had been working with G, and thought we were ready to go! I signed up for a ride and signed up to volunteer at the ride before that so I’d know what was going on since i’d be solo. When I got there and went to meet the ride organizer and his wife the very first thing he said to me is “I hope you’re not really planning to ride with your size! You need to be in much better shape first! You don’t look as fit as your horse and that’s important.” I was shocked and embarrassed as hell. I did my volunteer time with the vets, went home, and withdrew from my ride. I leased another mare this year and wanted to do a novice with her. I danced all round and up to it, but ended up withdrawing too, because I just didn’t want to put myself out there for that kind of criticism again. It’s nice to think endurance people are friendlier or whatever, but that wasn’t my experience at all. I’ve never had anyone be so insultingly rude at a dressage show or ct. It’s still an experience I’d like to have, but not until I feel like i’m thin enough to fit in with the rest of the riders

I’m glad you had a great experience though!

[GotMyPony]

JenLS - I am very sorry you had that experience. I do both AERC and NATRC rides and I have seen people of all shapes and sizes competing so I think you unfortunately got stuck with some very judgmental ride organizers. Now I do believe, like in most athletic endeavors, that we would all be better off being fit/in shape, but I’ve seen lots of very happy “larger” riders with apparently very happy horses, too. Plus you took a very smart and generous approach to volunteer first so you could learn. I hope you’ll give it another try!

[HappyHoofPrints]

JenLS,
That really shows the LM (low mental) of some and how clueless they can be. One of our favorite and most intelligent to learn from on balance and rider fitness is Donna-Snyder-Smith…not a 100# nymph . I would love to ride with her endurance, if she ever chose to…
There are lots of heavy riders out riding endurance; Arabian horses and crosses do well. And keep in mind, some riders carry extra weight, on purpose, to condition for strenuos sp? FEI events. If your horse loves you — spit in the folks eye! that looks down on you and Ride your Sweet horse and Love Life!
ps I have watched more than a few “tiny-hiney’s” not be able to ride bc they were so obsessed with keeping weight down. Better to be overweight and able to take care of yourself so you can take care of your best-friend-equine !!!

[dacasodivine]

[QUOTE=JenLS;6771999]
A few years ago I was interested in doing one of the novice rides - I think they were 10 - 15 miles. I’d read up on it online and had been working with G, and thought we were ready to go! I signed up for a ride and signed up to volunteer at the ride before that so I’d know what was going on since i’d be solo. When I got there and went to meet the ride organizer and his wife the very first thing he said to me is “I hope you’re not really planning to ride with your size! You need to be in much better shape first! You don’t look as fit as your horse and that’s important.” I was shocked and embarrassed as hell. I did my volunteer time with the vets, went home, and withdrew from my ride. I leased another mare this year and wanted to do a novice with her. I danced all round and up to it, but ended up withdrawing too, because I just didn’t want to put myself out there for that kind of criticism again. It’s nice to think endurance people are friendlier or whatever, but that wasn’t my experience at all. I’ve never had anyone be so insultingly rude at a dressage show or ct. It’s still an experience I’d like to have, but not until I feel like i’m thin enough to fit in with the rest of the riders

I’m glad you had a great experience though![/QUOTE]

Wow, how insulting! Your horse will tell you if you are too heavy. Go ahead and sign up and DO it! Ignore the one or two who are insulting. The rest will be friendly and welcoming.

I figure if it was real taxing on my horse to carry my fat butt around those 25 miles, he would have had a harder time pulsing down. He’s not big, maybe 14.2. We walked into camp after the first loop, and he was pulsed down the first time he was checked. The second time, I rode into camp. This time it took 10 or 15 minutes to pulse down.

No one made a comment about my size. If they were thinking it, they didn’t say anything.

[AlfalfaGirl]

Wow JenLS - you should have looked at him like he was an idiot - gave him one of my Aunt Rita’s frozen looks. His man bits would have shriveled up and ran for cover. :mad: I do not like rude people. I am not even pleasantly plump - in my dreams I am just fluffy. :lol:

Dacasodivine - I would love to do the Shanghai but I am having some really cranky health issues and have been busted down to a walk. I go back to the dr. on Jan 23 and hopefully they can tell me why I am suddenly wobbly when I walk and so off balanced. Could be MS could be narrowing of the spine. Don’t know right now so I am hoping they can figure it out and get a treatment going so I can realize my dream of riding in an endurance ride even if I come in dead last or disqualified for over time!

A lady I know, Jamie, was at the Hi-Roller in the 50 miler and had a horse accident and was air lifted out. She is ok thank God. It can be a rough tough sport but I still want to go!

[dacasodivine]

I’m happy to hear your friend is going to be okay. That is scary. I have no idea how I missed a helicopter airlifting anyone out! I did hear someone came off right at the beginning of the 50 and was injured enough they didn’t compete. Not sure if that was your friend.

I do realize it has it’s risks. There are things you can do to minimize that risk such as starting at the back. I took my horse out of the area where the most traffic was. There were horse there so he didn’t get upset about that and I was able to leave camp in a more controlled way and he didn’t get worked up.

I’m sorry to hear you are having health problems. It must be very frustrating to not know why. I hope they get it figured out soon and get treatment started.

[dacasodivine]

I’m happy to hear your friend is going to be okay. That is scary. I have no idea how I missed a helicopter airlifting anyone out! I did hear someone came off right at the beginning of the 50 and was injured enough they didn’t compete. Not sure if that was your friend.

I do realize it has it’s risks. There are things you can do to minimize that risk such as starting at the back. I took my horse out of the area where the most traffic was. There were horse there so he didn’t get upset about that and I was able to leave camp in a more controlled way and he didn’t get worked up.

I’m sorry to hear you are having health problems. It must be very frustrating to not know why. I hope they get it figured out soon and get treatment started.

[AlfalfaGirl]

Thanks Dacasodivine. I hope so too. I love trail riding and this and the rain is cutting into my fun!!!

Don’t know how you missed the helicopter - I am not sure what time it happened. When we tried the Airport Express last February we started after everyone else left!!! That is what I will do if I get the opportunity again. I am mentally ready to go - now I have to physically get ready to go!

[trailpal]

I have never been a small person. My second competitive trail ride (25 miles) was up and down a pretty good mountain on my young arab. We had done our conditioning but you never know til the day of the ride how you’re going to do. Turns out on this ride - there were a lot of “tiny hineys” - the conditioning paid off for us. At the end, they called out the placings in each division (LW, MW, HW) from 6th to 1st and my name wasn’t called - I was confused because I knew I completed. Then they called the grand champion -the horse/rider that had the best score regardless of division -and it was us! I was shocked! While you might not want to support those particular ride managers, don’t let it put you off altogether, good riders come in all sizes.

And congrats to the OP! It’s hard to commit to a 25, but once you’ve done it (and rested up) you wonder why you thought it was impossible. It’s been over 20 years now since I’ve done any competitive riding and I’m just heading back into it - I’m excited for you!

[caballero]

[QUOTE=JenLS;6771999]
When I got there and went to meet the ride organizer and his wife the very first thing he said to me is “I hope you’re not really planning to ride with your size! You need to be in much better shape first! You don’t look as fit as your horse and that’s important.” [/QUOTE]

Some people just need to be told to go F themselves right to their face. He’s one of them.

[Blue_Yonder]

Hey dacasodivine, I may see you in March. It will be my first endurance ride of any sort! Your story sounds very much like I’m hoping ours will go too.

I have no grand endurance aspirations (but much respect for yall!). It seems like a super-cool way to get my green homebreds a little experience off the farm and out in the great wide open before they turn into event horses. Plenty of time and miles to learn to chill out and enjoy life!

[dacasodivine]

Blue Yonder, it would be great to see you. If you see a pink trailer with a white top, that is me. If it’s not me, I’m painting my trailer! JK

I"m not out there to win. If I thought he could do it, I might shoot for that. Mostly I"m out there to have fun and finish in time. I did that without pushing him so I’m good with that. My only aspiration is to move up to 50’s one day. Maybe next year.

Trailpal, I have wondered what took me so long. I always said it was money but it wasn’t always the real reason. Just nerves getting to me. Of course, Casper is only 6 so plenty of time left to do lots of endurance rides.