In which the Clash ask a question, and here are my thoughts about "going"

I see this question often on the Green Bean Facebook lists, especially this time of year.

People asking the question, "should I go to XXX ride?" often do not have a single concern that is causing the hesitation.  Usually it's a laundry list of concerns, which might include some or all of the following:

• Saddle fit (horse) -- "He's always been fine in this saddle, but when he started to shed out I found some white hairs behind his shoulder..."
• Saddle fit (rider) -- "My back (knees/hips/shoulders/butt/feet) hurt if we go more than an hour..."
• Footgear (horse) -- "He's always been barefoot, but people say..."
• Footgear (rider) -- "My toenails have all turned black..."
• Camping (horse) -- "Will my electric fence/panels/origami rope creation be sufficient..."
• Camping (rider) -- "I don't have a living quarters trailer, how will I...?"
• Travel (horse) -- "He loads and unloads just fine but if we drive more than 20 minutes..."
• Travel (rider) -- "I've never driven my horse trailer in a city (mountain pass/desert highway/narrow bridge/major construction zone/unpaved road)...
• Fitness (horse) -- "We did a lot of conditioning last summer, but then my son had chickenpox and I haven't ridden since..."
• Fitness (rider) -- "I'm a coach potato and I've been working out a lot lately but..."
• Metabolics (horse) -- "He's a picky eater and..."
• Metabolics (rider) -- "I have asthma (celiac disease/artificial heart/bee sting allergy/chronic hangnails)..."
• Lameness (horse) -- "He's okay at the walk and canter, but he's intermittently lame at the trot..."
• Lameness (rider) -- "I'm 55 (65/75/85) years old and I can't run alongside him..."
• Training (horse) -- "He's okay by himself but in a group..."
• Training (horse) -- "He's okay in a group, but by himself..."
• Training (horse) -- "I'm worried about the vet check..."
• Training (horse) -- "I'm worried about the water crossings..."
• Training (horse) -- "I'm worried about the start..."

and most especially

• (rider) -- "I'm worried..."

What to do?

I will never tell you to quit worrying.  

I am perfectly capable of second-guessing my own judgement, and I hold a black belt in self-doubt.  I am the last person who should tell somebody to quit worrying.

Seriously, it's kind of a miracle that I've ever managed to saddle up and leave the farm.  But I have done, and still do, and I'm going to share some stuff I know and some stuff I've learned.

When you should go:

• You've done everything you can to prepare, and your horse is sound and happy and waiting for you to open the trailer door so he can load up.  If your horse looks forward to these outings, it's okay to swallow your butterflies and take him for a fun adventure.

• Your gear is safe, well-maintained, and fits reasonably well.  It may not be perfect, but it's comfortable and it's clean.

• You have a support team to help you through rough spots, especially on the road or in camp.  This doesn't necessarily mean a crew!  Sometimes your support team are other riders who can hang out with you on the trail or in camp, ride management folks who can lend a hand, a family member who will drive the rig home when you're tired, or even somebody you can call from the road (or the trail) who will cheer you on.

Sometimes Patty rides with me, sometimes she crews for me, often she cheers for me,
and I can always trust her to smack me in the head if I'm making bad choices.

• You and your horse have fun together, even if your ride does not go perfectly.  Most rides have glitches.  If you're likely to still like your horse at the end of the day, load up and go.

When you should stay:

• If any part of your gear (including the truck, trailer, saddle, shoes, and helmet) is marginal.  Your safety--and your horse's life--can depend on dependable gear.  It doesn't have to be pretty, but it does have to work reasonably well.

• If your horse is dangerous to you or others.  This should be obvious, but I lived through several years of overcompensating for a "kicky bitch horse" by throwing her (and me) off the trail and into the bushes rather than endangering any horse and rider that wanted to pass us on the trail or in camp.  Fiddle still wears a red tail ribbon, however, after YEARS of work her rear "cannons" don't fire randomly anymore.  If your horse is likely to bite the vet, kick the timer, or run over other horses or riders, and you can't yet throw him into a ditch to keep people safe, stay home.

• If you haven't done your homework.  If your horse isn't fit for the distance or the terrain, if you know his shoes aren't going to stay on for the whole distance, if you think his saddle is pinching in the shoulders or rubbing in back, if you suspect that he's brewing a fever or a major ulcer, if you've been intending to practice working out in the heat of the day but haven't got 'round to trying it, or if there's anything else that you know you should have done to prep but haven't done, it's time to put on the brakes.  There will still be events next month or next year.  Do your prep, and then go.

• If your worries will keep the event from being fun.  This is huge.  In my early days of competition, I swallowed my concerns and just held on.  Guess what?  It wasn't fun.  Experience has taught me to acknowledge the times when worries outweigh rewards. If I can reasonably predict that I will spend the majority of the time fretting instead of smiling, I don't go there.  This includes times when I'm already at ridecamp and faced with signing in for the event.

The Toad, circa 2002.  I loved him dearly, but this horse always scared me. 

The Dragon, 2013.  No fear.

Still not sure?  

Here's what not to do:

• Don't ask advice from Facebook or any other online board.  If you do, you'll get tons of advice, of course. However, most of it will be (at best) nonsensical and (at worst) dangerous, offered by people who (at best) don't know you and (at worst) don't know diddly.

• Don't stick with a plan that is no longer working.  Even if an event has been on your calendar for yonks, if it's not a good idea, there's no need to push on.  

My recommendations:

• Ask advice from people who know you, know your horse, and know the nature of the event.  Your trainer, your riding partner, your veterinarian and (sometimes) your spouse will have more reliable advice for your situation than a Tevis veteran half your age, or a total stranger who has exactly zero competition miles on his record.  (Yes:  I do look up the records of people who give advice online.  You should too.)  People who know you will be able to give a fair assessment.

• Ask advice from ride management.  The ride manager can give you good suggestions, either before you leave home, or after you've parked in camp.  Maybe the route is easier (or harder) this year, and you should ride a different distance than originally planned.  Maybe the weather in camp is worse (or better) than the weather you have at home.  Be specific when you talk to ride managers--they want to help you succeed.

• Ask advice from ride vets.  Once you're in camp, don't hesitate to ask questions and look for recommendations from ride vets.  Like ride management, the vets want you to end the event with a horse that is happy and healthy.

• Be prepared to change course if what you're doing isn't working.  If you get to camp and your horse is obviously "not quite right," it's okay to ride a shorter distance or slower speed, or to pull yourself from competition entirely.  If you get out on the trail and your favorite socks start to blister your feet, or his bridle is rubbing a raw spot, stop and change something to make it better.  

Endurance is a sport.  It's supposed to be fun.  

If you aren't having fun, change things until you are having fun.

Finish line smile

The motto of the AERC is "To Finish is To Win."  

Make your motto:  "I'm here because I'm having fun."