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# Endurance Introspection

"To Finish Is To Win"

## Sitemaps

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## Posts

- [Shades of Gray and Green / Taking Good Risks](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/shades-of-gray-and-green-taking-good-risks/) - [Note: I've struggled with this blog. Drafted, edited, scrapped, deleted, started again, changed direction. I think this is because this topic is one I struggle with, and I don't want to imply that I am taking better or less good risks than anyone else, or that this is some "how to" blog. It is simply
- [Mirrors](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/mirrors/) - I'm not the only woman of a certain age that has a complicated relationship with mirrors. I think we have a perception of ourselves, our weight, our hair, our face and its level of sun-damage and laugh lines. The mirror in our guest room, combined with what can only be described as operating-theater lighting, was
- [Shades of Gray and Green / Lizard Run, Here We Come! (Part 5)](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/shades-of-gray-and-green-lizard-run-here-we-come-part-5/) - Featured image by Elise Burke While I am not as “old school” as many endurance riders with whom I pal around, I started dabbling in Competitive Trail Rides (CTR) in the 1990s, with my first 50-mile AERC ride in 2001, so I’ve been around a while. We didn’t have “Intro” rides in AERC back then,
- [Shades of Gray and Green / Atticus in Motion (Part 4)](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/shades-of-gray-and-green-atticus-in-motion-part-4/) - In my last blog, Groundwork Gaps in my Greenie (Part 3), we focused on improving groundwork with Atticus. “If the horse is dull on the ground, he’ll be dull under saddle. If he’s worried on the ground, he’ll be worried up there.” Buck Brannaman In the can-you-believe-it’s-been-four-months that I’ve been riding him, we’ve had quite
- [Shades of Gray and Green / Gathering the Guild (Part 2)](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/shades-of-green-and-gray-gathering-the-guild/) - By my nature, I’m a collaborator. My husband, Tom, calls me “The Queen of the Follow-Up Question.” I’m insatiably curious about the things that fascinate me. Annoyingly so, I’m sure, to those I pepper with more and deeper inquiries. “You are an average of the five people you spend the most time with.” (Jim Rohn)
- [Shades of Gray and Green / Groundwork Gaps in my Greenie (Part 3)](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/shades-of-gray-and-green-groundwork-gaps-in-my-greenie-part-3/) - “If you don’t have it on the ground, you won’t have it on the horse.” (Ray Hunt) I’m not sure how many horses I’ve taken from green to (mostly) solid citizen in the fifty years I’ve had horses, more than some, far fewer than many. During a brief time during college and for a few
- [Shades of Gray and Green / Finding Atticus (Part 1)](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/shades-of-gray-and-green-finding-atticus/) - [I feel compelled to apologize for the use of my describing myself in the third person in this graphic, but I've decided to blame ChatGPT since it created it for me.] "Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?" (Mary Oliver) 2025. Not a fan. I lost
- [On right arms, storytelling and my brother, Tom](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/on-right-arms-storytelling-and-my-big-brother-tom/) - This one is for you, Aunt Rose. [My Aunt Rose is one of my seven blog fans.] It’s been just over two weeks since I got the phone call that changed everything, the day my brother Tom died in a skiing accident on a slope in Stowe, Vermont. Last night was the first night I’ve
- [Embracing the Work/Life Pendulum](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/embracing-the-work-life-pendulum/) - Make hay while the sun shines. (A quote attributed to medieval English farmers) This one is for the self-employed and the small business owners -- these are a lot of my people. It was jarring recently, when surfing past my own profile on LinkedIn, to see that I'd been self-employed for 26 years. There have
- [Endurance at Almost 57: New Goals and the Want To](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/endurance-at-almost-57-new-goals-and-the-want-to/) - [Feature image photo credit: Me, of Rachel Lodder and Dakar, who I would follow almost anywhere. Pine Tree 50 2019.] I have always considered myself a namby-pamby endurance riders of sorts. I'm not the least bit competitive, although I do love going as fast as we can on the right horse on the right day.
- [Legacy of Mom: A Mother's Day Love Story](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/legacy-of-mom-a-mothers-day-love-story/) - No one's life should be defined by their tragic death. But that's what happened to my Mom. So let's get that part out of the way: Thirty four years old. 1974. In the passenger seat of a Chevy Vega with only a lap belt. At an intersection four miles from our Marilla home. Town Line
- [Boomerang Boy's Rehab: In Praise of The Village](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/boomerang-boys-rehab-in-praise-of-the-village/) - I affectionately call Iggy "Boomerang Boy." I gave him away twice during my divorce, and both times, he came back. I tell myself he was meant to be my boy. He's a quirky fella, mostly cheerful and a little crooked. He's the type who internalizes his stress until his tummy starts to act up, and
- [Chemotherapy and Speed Bumps](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/chemotherapy-and-speed-bumps/) - I don't think I remember exactly when or where I met Sam. Sixteen or seventeen years ago? Is it possible it was that long ago? It was at an endurance ride, of that I'm sure. She reminded me of my mom, my birth mom, long gone, but whenever I meet a woman who does,
- [Check box. Live life. Cancer.](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/2619-2/) - From Sam through Patti... I have breast cancer. There, I said it. I never thought something like this would ever happen to me. I eat mostly healthy, I exercise, I don’t smoke, and I have a social drink. I’ve never really had any health issues my whole life to this point other than a
- [Quid Pro Quo and Ponies](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/quid-pro-quo-and-ponies/) - Sometimes I’m convinced I’m getting softer and more woo-woo when it comes to horses as I get older. I wish I had another lifetime ahead of me to learn about them, or that my 56-year-old body and mind had the fearless and athletic approach of my twenty-something self. Still, no regrets. I’ll take my slightly
- [Relationship Status with Me, Myself and I: It’s Complicated](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/relationship-status-with-me-myself-and-i-its-complicated/) - I have a difficult relationship with myself, my body specifically. Some parts more than others. I can't think of many women who don't. Before and during my divorce, I lost a lot of weight, first intentionally, then less so. A combination of ditching white carbohydrates and intermittent, and then extended fasting, and then just plain
- [Observations on Aging and the Sport of Endurance](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/observations-on-aging-and-the-sport-of-endurance/) - Purchased photo by the fabulous Becky Pearman. Highland 100 finish line. Steven and Alayna Hay on Mu and Ivan. 5th place. “No one is as old as those who have outlived enthusiasm.” (Henry David Thoreau) Becoming an elder in your tribe just sort of sneaks up on you. One day you're "kiddo," and then you
- [Letting Go Lessons from Hummingbirds and Hazmat Response](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/letting-go-lessons-from-hummingbirds-and-hazmat-response/) - This weekend we had a hummingbird crisis. One flew into our barn, which is large and has high ceilings, and could not find her way out. She flew furiously along the very highest levels of the ceiling, darting here and there as hummingbirds do. My heart raced in worry. There wasn’t much time before she’d
- [Vermont or Bust!](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/vermont-or-bust/) - Moonlight in Vermont has been one of my favorite rides for a very long time. It was my first 100 mile ride with Ned in 2005. We finished near maximum time, and wiser, we came back to finish it hours earlier the following year. It was Ace's second 100, ridden by Rachel, but a shorter
- [Planting A Good Garden (Hint: thisisn'treallyaboutgardening)](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/planting-a-good-garden-hint-thisisntreallyaboutgardening/) - I've been doing yoga in the mornings, recently focused on a DVRed episode that is a series of seated twists, exactly what I need as of late. At the beginning, the instructor talks about asking her mother-in-law, who was nearly 102, about the secret to a good life. Plant a good garden. It's such a
- [Liminality, Benny and an Oh Shit Strap](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/liminality-benny-and-an-oh-shit-strap/) - The Dunkin Project is going well. I've done some things handling Dunkin in the last month or two that remind me of the time spent with my first horse, Benny. Benny was the horse I "leased" when I was ten years old. "Leasing" Benny meant that I rode 5 miles each way on my banana
- [Diagnosis: Failure to Connect](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/diagnosis-failure-to-connect/) - Last week I met Dawn for breakfast while traveling for work. We caught up, talked horses, talked life, as we do. As we were wrapping up, I expressed that I was feeling ashamed that I'd let some things slide with Dunkin. She scolded me just a bit. "No, not shame." "Okay, okay, I now recognize
- [Endurance and Infinite Game Theory](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/endurance-and-infinite-game-theory/) - Photo by Dawn Hilliard. The Wednesday night prior to the Old Dominion ride, I lie in my little trailer, listening to the pouring rain, relentless on the roof. “Why am I doing this?” One of the worst things about the sport, in my experience, is being warm and dry while my horse is cold or
- [Musings from Mile 87](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/musings-from-mile-87/) - Writer’s Note: This was drafted on April 23, 2021, nearly a year ago. I opted to delay publishing it until today. I edited it some. Why publish it at all? Because the details of my story may not be that important, but the message it sends to (mostly) women in a similar situation, might be.
- [Guest Blog Post from Sam Lewis](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/guest-blog-post-from-sam-lewis/) - Written by Samantha Lewis So, what is your word? Disclaimer: No names have been changed to protect the identity of anyone referenced in this post because they deserve all the credit. Upon diagnosis, my God-fearing, Jesus-loving, eccentric friend Jacki Jo asked me what my word was? I was like “Huh? What word?” She said “The
- [Patience and Puzzles](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/patience-and-puzzles-and-the-patti-package/) - The older I get, the more time I have. [Patti Carey. No, really. I just googled it and no one said it yet, and I'm telling you this is all me.] This is true about a lot of my life, but markedly so with the horses. I’ve often commented flippantly to people with horses
- [Pam Karner's Gaucho Derby Adventure](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/pam-karners-gaucho-derby-adventure/) - (Photo credit to Sarah Farnsworth.) Note from Patti: Anyone who knows my friend Pam Karner knows that she is a force of nature. She is a veterinarian and a Ride Manager and an endurance rider, and beyond that she is unfiltered and generous and hilarious and just a wee bit unhinged. [I say that unapologetically
- [Alexa, turn up the volume!](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/alexa-turn-up-the-volume/) - A few days ago, I finally caught up with Kathy to ride, and we had a long, chatty walk on our boys. It was Iggy this time for me, which felt like going home in so many ways. In the weeks that had passed since we'd gotten together, much had happened. Sharing the news back
- [Unpeeling the Iggy Onion](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/unpeeling-the-iggy-onion/) - Elise asked me not too long ago— What is your favorite thing about endurance riding? “Oh, that’s easy. It’s getting to know a horse so intimately well that you can ride him 100 miles in one day. And oh, the people, the crazy people!” My favorite horse people, and honestly, my favorite people overall, are
- [Benching Grit](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/benching-grit/) - Disclaimer: Over the years I have written about all sorts of personal struggles. Sometimes I wonder why. Is it a way to untangle the strings in my brain and process them? Is it the need to have my voice heard? Is it some sort of pathological ego gratification? Much of it is about being a
- [Dunkin's Diary - Dressage and Boundaries, Part 487](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/dunkins-diary-dressage-and-boundaries-part-487/) - Dear Loyal Readers, Once again, sitting with my laptop and my second cup of coffee, watching the sun rise while Tom indulges in the outrageous act of sleeping in until roughly 7am, I am introspective about the fact that most of life lessons are repetitive ones. Recent reminders: Life is imperfect but very good indeed.
- [Boundaries, Buttons and Dunkin](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/boundaries-buttons-and-dunkin/) - (Photo by Derith Vogt.) I asked a group of my long-time horse friends online recently about an old adage we seemed to agree exists, but collectively we couldn't definitively credit the horseman who wrote it or said it. (Gold star to anyone who can provide evidence of who did ...) The concept is this: We
- [Flip charts, QR Codes and the In-Between Magic](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/flip-charts-qr-codes-and-the-in-between-magic/) - A few weeks ago, I was purchasing pink baby Carhartt overalls at Tractor Supply when the cashier asked if they were for my grandchild. My first instinct was to be insulted. This lasted about 7 milliseconds while I reminded myself that while I still looked forward to the day I felt like an adult, I
- [Windshield Time](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/windshield-time/) - My Dad, bless him, has been a powerful influence in my life. He taught me to drive, and I marvel at his patience and self-control, thinking back on it. I was apparently unaware that one should slow down prior to making a turn. If it was possible for a Ford LTD station wagon --later used
- [The Sisyphus of Normal and Just Being Sam](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/the-sisyphus-of-normal-and-just-being-sam/) - It’s been a hot minute since I sat down to actually write a shitty first draft. I wrote a piece about using my humor as a self-defense mechanism, which in turn was me using my humor as a self defense mechanism. I stuck a pin in that. We didn’t publish it. Not yet.
- [Throwing Boulders and Chipping Away at It](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/throwing-boulders-and-chipping-away-at-it/) - It was a few months ago, sitting in bed over coffee -- right in the thick of so much change that it felt a bit like living in the eye of a hurricane -- that I mentioned this study to Tom about the Holmes Rahe Stressor Scale. I was laughing. https://healwithnature.com/holmes-rahe-life-stress-inventory/ I grabbed my phone,
- [Log In](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/login/)
- [#Enough is Enough!](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/enough/) - Letter sent this morning to AERC Board of Directors. [Edited to add: Written, not by me, but a group of concerned members.] If you are a member and you agree with the sentiments in this letter and the members who signed it, it is not enough to hit "like" on Facebook, or make a comment
- [Again for the 2019 AERC Season! 20% Off Endurance Essentials for GBE Members!](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/new-20-off-endurance-essentials-for-gbe-members/) - I suspect that I'm not alone, particularly amongst endurance riders in parts of the world where the return of winter means a contemplative time. The days are short, the holidays press obligations other than riding, and for us, the snow flies. It means that the weeks between Thanksgiving and the New Year are generally a
- [Are You On A Mentor Hunt?](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/are-you-on-a-mentor-hunt/) - AERC has a formal method for matching up new riders and mentors. The Mentor Program lists, by region, individuals who have considerable experience in our sport and have reached out to the Education Committee or their Regional Director to volunteer to mentor new riders or riders who may have questions: http://www.aerc.org/Regional_Mentors.aspx However, I must admit that
- [Contemplating the Realities of 50](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/contemplating-the-realities-of-50/) - (Feature photo by Tre Wheway.) I'm not talking about the fifty-mile distance, I'm talking about the half-century mark of longevity, the hallmark birthday when the AARP begins to send you postcards, the age at which (I read and now believe, based on a one-rat self study) women become invisible. I hit the big 5-0 in July
- [Today, I sent an email to the AERC BoD ...](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/today-i-sent-an-email-to-the-aerc-bod/) - [If you are an AERC member and would like to voice an opinion on this topic, here's a link to email your BoD members. Please note that most of them do not read or participate on Facebook, so while such discussions may be gratifying and allow you to vent your spleen or defend yourself, this
- [So ... Can You Find Love or Good Endurance Riding Advice on Facebook?](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/so-can-you-find-love-or-good-endurance-riding-advice-on-facebook/) - Let's clear up that love question first ... I have no idea if you can find love on the 'net. I've been with Richard for over 20 years now and while I've had a few exes "friend" me on Facebook I'm quite confident that when they saw that I hadn't aged as well as they'd
- [Top Ten Questions Endurance Green Beans Ask](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/top-ten-questions-endurance-green-beans-ask/) - [Photo by Spectrum Photography. GMHA, 2015] I believe that I shall always miss David Letterman's Top Ten lists. After teaching so many clinics, meeting new riders or prospective riders or riders who have an inkling that they might love our sport "if only ... " -- I can almost finish the questions before they are
- [Top Ten Reasons to NOT Join or Renew With AERC](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/top-ten-reasons-to-not-join-or-renew-with-aerc/) - [I'm a horrible recruiter, and would have been a horrible used car salesperson, so thought a little tongue-in-cheek list was in order a la my good friend, David Letterman. Written with the help of some chums, who indicate they are ashamed to have me list their names ... ] TOP TEN REASONS TO NOT JOIN
- [And We Are Launched! Endurance Essentials Web-Based Course!](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/coming-soon-endurance-essentials-web-based-course/) - A few years ago we got very involved in educating new and aspiring endurance riders. Education is kind of in my blood. My mom was a teacher, and my safety consulting business -- 18 years old last month -- focuses on providing creative, engaging and interactive training about OSHA regulations to the employees of my clients. So
- [Endurance and Conscious Competence (Updated 12/07/2017!)](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/endurance-and-conscious-competence-or-not/) - [Update added 12/07/2017 -- I wrote this blog just a bit over three years ago, after teaching and co-teaching a series of Endurance 101 and Beyond the Basics Clinics all over the Northeast Region. Dinah Rojek -- who graciously hosted and co-taught one of the clinics -- and I had a long discussion on this topic over
- [The Endurance "Green Bean" Movement -- an evolution!](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/the-endurance-green-bean-movement-an-evolution/) - [Featured image by Jacke Reynolds, one of the Green Bean's early leaders. Thank you.] I'm the first to admit that I was primarily a sidelines spectator and cheerleader for the Green Bean movement in endurance riding. Like most movements, it was started by a small group of motivated people who saw a gap and found
- [Iggy is a Millennial -- and other anthropomorphic theories](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/iggy-is-a-millennial-and-other-anthropomorphic-theories/) - [Warning: This blog is full of smarm and stereotypes. I won't apologize for that because, as those who know me in real life would likely confess, I am a wee bit cheeky that way.] A week or so ago I found myself with a day with no client meetings and a forecast that screamed for an
- [Ho-Hum and Hiccups](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/ho-hum-and-hiccups/) - [Photos by Dawn Hilliard. Thanks, girl! For everything ... ] Iggy has been my test pony for all sorts of theories I've accumulated over the years we've competed and the horses we've brought along. How it is easier to start a horse who is mature and has all of his connective tissues and bone fully
- [Endurance Riding and Einstein](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/endurance-riding-and-einstein/) - That dainty girl in the photo is my first distance horse, Tess (short for Serendipitous -- she was). She went on to be a rock-solid trail riding partner for my friend, Dr. Barb. That's not me, but a friend of Barb's, whom Tess safely toted around, no doubt, because that's the kind of girl she
- [Legging Up with Limitations -- Iggy's Story](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/legging-up-with-limitations-iggys-story/) - Three months ago, we bought Iggy, an 11 year old Arabian who had done a couple of 25 mile rides and a moderately paced 50 miler at age 6 or so. He'd been purchased, but life got in the way with his new owner, and he didn't have a full time (or even part-time) job
- [Influencing Iggy](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/influencing-iggy/) - It's just another one of those "do as I say, not as I do" moments ... Countless times I've told other people with new horses, fretting over this or that, that it takes a year to get to know a horse. It's been two months since we picked up a new horse in South Carolina.
- [Life, Loss and Stewardship](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/life-loss-and-stewardship/) - Damn. This one is tough to write. Ned has been a huge part of my life for nearly twenty years. And tomorrow we will be letting him go. Some creatures -- human or equine or canine -- just have more personality than others. Ned has been mammoth in more than stature. When we were competing
- [I Bought Him For His Brain ...](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/i-bought-him-for-his-brain/) - This week I am vacationing with my brother's family in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. My nieces are almost "up and out" as I like to call it, in their late teens and early twenties, and the youngest two are here, with friends in tow. I turn 50 this year. The platitudes I heard
- [Learning To Ride My Own Ride](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/learing-to-ride-my-own-ride/) - Reprinted from Endurance News, January 2011, Ride Managers’ Column, monthly publication of the American Endurance Ride Conference, www.aerc.org, 866-271-2372 I admit that I am a slow study, and that it has taken me some time to figure out precisely what “ride your own ride” means, and to develop the self-discipline to actually make it happen.
- [LDs, 50s, 100s and UGs](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/lds-50s-100s-and-ugs/) - No, don’t worry, you haven’t slept through the sanctioning of a new AERC-sanctioned distance. Ultimate Goals, or UGs, are a concept stolen from my friend Kathy Viele, an accomplished combined training (“eventing”) and dressage rider, and a veteran fox hunter. Some time ago, she penned her sentiments about her Ultimate Goals for her riding and her relationship
- [A Silly Look at the Various Equestrian Disciplines! (an oldie but goodie)](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/a-humorous-look-at-the-various-equestrians-an-oldie-but-goodie/) - [Note: On Facebook this week, a funny little document started circulating and was shared all over. To the poster's credit, they said they didn't know who wrote it. It sounded more than eerily familiar to me. Back in 1998 or 1999, I was new to the internet. At that time, before Facebook and Twitter and
- [Seeking Serenity](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/seeking-serenity/) - A month ago, a week ago, the day before, I was counting down until the election was over. I was doing all I could to limit the inundation of ugliness. DVRing the local news, fast-forwarding through political ads and election coverage, passing quickly by posts on Facebook that led me to believe my otherwise sane friends
- [Electrolyte Essentials -- A Brain Dump](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/electrolyte-essentials-a-brain-dump/) - DISCLAIMER: There are few topics endurance riders share opposing views on more than electrolytes, electrolyte-ing protocol, and even whether to electrolyte at all. So as I write this blog, please note that this is just our experience from over fifteen years of competition, approximately 6 or 7,000 miles of competition experience and having started and
- ["Dangerous at both ends and crafty in the middle ... "](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/dangerous-at-both-ends-and-crafty-in-the-middle/) - Thanks, Sherlock. Yesterday as I had lunch with my BFF, we started discussing high school teachers and --alarmingly badly, I might add-- attempted to recall our cast of characters by subject and year. I lamented using Cliff's Notes rather than actually reading the classics we were assigned and tried to remember details about various coaches and teachers and classmates.
- [Broken Things: A Love Letter](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/broken-things-a-love-letter/) - It has been a year of broken things. Cars and horses and dogs and relationships, both professional and personal. Stuff and non-stuff. Trust and health and faith in the fact that Right should prevail over Wrong. The gradual realization comes. Life is a series of broken things. In fact one could mess about just a
- [Fighters, Fixers, Spectators and Eye-Rollers](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/fighters-fixers-spectators-and-eye-rollers/) - For a long time, I've been an Environmental Health and Safety (EH&S) consultant and trainer. Employers come to me to help them solve issues in their workplaces related to risks to their employees that they cannot handle on their own -- dangerous chemicals or confined spaces or working on machinery. It's the sort of business
- [An Open Letter to the AERC Board of Directors](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/an-open-letter-to-the-aerc-board-of-directors/) - They say that when you’re a hammer, everything is a nail, and perhaps that is true. I teach for a living, my mom was a teacher, and so when I look at the issues facing AERC and its future success (and yes, survival) of course I think that the answer is EDUCATION. For those of
- [Two Bit Wisdom From A Questionable Pair: Focus on Decade Team and 100s](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/two-bit-wisdom-from-a-questionable-pair-focus-on-decade-team-and-100s/) - Year's end is neither an end nor a beginning but a going on, with all the wisdom that experience can instill in us. Quote from Hal Borland, American journalist Everyone has a different way of coping. For me, it involves quiet time putting it all in perspective, organizing it in my head, and oftentimes,
- [Nowhere but here, Marv](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/right-where-i-am-supposed-to-be/) - Before we had horses at home, and I was a single girl, I had season tickets to the Buffalo Bills. This was in the days before my time was consumed with horse-keeping, riding stupidly far and sometimes stupidly fast, shoveling horse poop, running my own business, building a barn and a house and caring for what has amounted
- [The Struggle of When](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/the-struggle-of-when/) - It would be foolish for me to lament this difficult time in my life by suggesting that it is unique, or that I am somehow special. We've been blessed with dogs in our pack who have had long and healthy lives, but it also leaves us with heart-wrenching decisions as they decline and their bodies
- [Detours, Diversions and Transitions](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/detours-diversions-and-transitions/) - (Featured image by Wanda Clowater, Clowater Arts and Photography. clowaterart.com) Life is a journey with almost limitless detours. (Ken Poirot) This has been an unusual endurance season for me. It started with a fairly abrupt end to any official involvement with the AERC organization. I dare you to find any non-profit, volunteer-driven organization that is
- [Denouement, Decades and Diverting Disappointment](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/denouement-decades-and-diverting-disappointment/) - As I type this, I'm at home rather than at the Moonlight in Vermont ride. This is the first time in many years that I've not been there, riding or crewing, but mostly riding. Tomorrow is also my birthday, an event that I typically prefer be ignored but it is strange to know I will
- [In Praise of Honest Horses](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/in-praise-of-honest-horses/) - [Photo by Wendy Webb] I've often said to riders in my Endurance 101 Clinics "beware the horse with more heart than brain." Horses with more heart than brain do not slow or stop when they are tired, they do not limp when they are sore, they do not say "no" when the reality is that they have
- [Holding Space for Ace](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/holding-space-for-ace/) - The individual who suggested the Yoda quote as I started to verbally wring my hands with worry will surely recognize himself. Ace was diagnosed with high ringbone on May 18th. There are approximately 73 medical, nutritional, homeopathic, biomechanical and voodoo-esque things one can do to improve the chances of a 15 year old 100 mile
- [An Old Wife's Tale -- OD 100](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/an-old-wifes-tale-od-100/) - [Disclaimer: As I write this post, I do so knowing that my husband may veto its publication. While he grudgingly tolerates my it-sounds-over-the-top-to-say "public" persona, he's a pretty private guy, and while I might be okay sharing with the world where I peed behind a bush in Vermont, being the subject of a blog post
- [Breezewood Nevarre6: Longshot Schoolmaster](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/ned-longshot-schoolmaster/) - A dressage schoolmaster was something I thought 'Other Riders' had. Other riders, much more "serious" than me, with more funds, more aspirations, and did I mention more funds? Schoolmaster. A slightly creaky, noble beast who could be a curmudgeon but knew what was right and what was not right, and would respond appropriately when appropriate
- [CREWING 100s! The Next Best Thing to Riding ...](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/crewing-100s-the-next-best-thing-to-riding/) - (Photo by Deanna Ramsey.) There is no question that the best part of 100s is riding them. Or more honestly, the BEST thing is talking about having ridden a hundred a few days after having successfully done so, when you've caught up on sleep and have triumphed over two massive hurdles -- forward stair descent and lowering-self-onto-toilet-seat-without-illegal-use-of-hands.
- [Zeke -- A Dog's Life](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/zeke-a-dogs-life/) - Our story is not so unique, a million people fortunate enough to be owned by dogs can commiserate and empathize. Each one "gets" it. But with a dog who lives to the ripe old age of 18, it seems a eulogy of sorts is in order. When I married Richard, we already had two dogs,
- [Holding Space](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/holding-space/) - Without question, it's been a challenging few weeks between Ace's high ringbone diagnosis and my fall off Wynne. While I realize this makes me akin to a unicorn, I've never had a lame horse, at least not one with a diagnosis of something degenerative. Certainly my time has come. It's times like these when you
- [Concussions and Conversations With An Inner Warped Voice](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/concussions-and-conversations-with-an-inner-warped-voice/) - [Disclaimer: I'm writing this fewer than twenty four hours from a pretty good, aka bad, concussion. I'm also on muscle relaxers and have had some difficulty locating certain parts of my vocabulary in its resident gray matter. This should make editing in a few days some kind of high entertainment.] I've been thinking a lot about my
- [Sixty Days ... But One At A Time.](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/sixty-days-but-one-at-a-time/) - On Monday, it was May 18th, two months exactly until the Vermont 100, which is the ride I set my entire competition calendar around each season. The day found us taking Ace, the horse I'd had my heart set on taking to Vermont, to see our lameness guru vet, Dr. Ronald Genovese, VMD, down at
- [One Mile Per Hour and Matters of Matrimony](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/one-mile-per-hour-and-matters-of-matrimony/) - (Photo by Lyn Gerry) My husband Richard's horse, Sarge, is a rock star. He's fast and sure-footed on a wide variety of terrain, he's relatively uncomplicated, and he's handily become a Decade Team horse. He's still going strong, and despite my worry wart anxieties, he continues to power along at the age of seventeen without appearing to need
- [Home](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/home-page/) - Welcome to Endurance Introspection a website for new, old, aspiring and contemplative endurance riders [column size="1/2" margin="" last="no"] [blockquote image=""] en·dur·ance noun: endurance The fact or power of enduring an unpleasant or difficult process or situation without giving way. [/blockquote] [/column] [column size="1/2" margin="" last="yes"] [blockquote image=""] in·tro·spec·tion noun: introspection The examination or observation of
- [Throwing Boulders and Un-Tying Knots](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/throwing-boulders-and-un-tying-knots/) - (Photo courtesy of Nancy Walker) Right around the cusp of the New Year, I was talking to someone who frequently gives me insight. At a time where people all around were making and talking about resolutions, we were talking about whether or not people really can make changes in their lives. Her theory was this. The people
- [Setting Goals!  The Difference Between Floundering and Moving Forward](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/setting-goals-the-difference-between-floundering-and-moving-forward/) - No better day than New Year's Day to contemplate the topic of goal-setting. All over the planet, resolutions are being made, treadmills are being dusted off, vegetables and high fiber foods are being purchased, gym memberships are being renewed and juicers are being unburied from beneath cake pans. I'm convinced that one of the key
- [How Many Trips To The Well?  Insights From A Sleep-Deprived Ride Manager](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/how-many-trips-to-the-well-insights-from-a-sleep-deprived-ride-manager/) - Being an AERC Ride Manager has its challenges. Chiropractors from all over will soon be summoned as those who have taken it on nod in near-violent agreement. There are so many reasons we throw in the towel, permanently or temporarily, or contemplate doing so. Perhaps writing about it all after a weekend of only a
- [Shoeing Success in the land of "Whatever Works!"](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/shoeing-success-in-the-land-of-whatever-works/) - To say that we have had some shoeing and booting challenges over the last year or two would be an epic understatement. We've been at the endurance (and horse!) game long enough to know that the path to success is nowhere near linear. If you add a few glued-on boots scattered along the edge of
- [Links](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/links/) - Inspirations Slow Fat Triathlete by Jayne Williams (what a fabulous inspiration this lady is!) Ten Feet Tall Still by Julie Suhr (should be required reading) Suppliers of Endurance Riding Tack and Equipment Running Bear Farm Information and Resources About Endurance Riding American Endurance Riding Conference(AERC) http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqx4Qhez7S753wqU5MCnJ4w EnduranceNet (including the incredibly valuable Ridecamp email list) Endurance
- [AERC Releases New Educational You Tube Videos](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/aerc-releases-new-educational-you-tube-videos/) - Check them out! And huge thanks to Susan Garlinghouse and the Herreras for their efforts in getting these videoed, produced, edited and posted for all of the world to see. This was a massive effort and I, for one, am grateful for all they have done. http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqx4Qhez7S753wqU5MCnJ4w
- [High hopes for a 100 . . . fulfilled!](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/high-hopes-for-a-100-fulfilled/) - Reprinted from Endurance News, September 2005, monthly publication of the American Endurance Ride Conference, www.aerc.org, 866-271-2372 Vermont 100 – Done By Dawn a tale of determination, urination and hallucination After being pulled from Top of the Rock at 80 miles, I was left with some time to contemplate. It was a tremendous relief to find
- [Patti and Ned's Luck Runs Out](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/patti-and-neds-luck-runs-out/) - Reprinted from Endurance News, August 2005, monthly publication of the American Endurance Ride Conference, www.aerc.org, 866-271-2372 Someone said it to me once, but I don’t recall who. Finishing a 100 is one third horse, one third rider, and one third luck. While I think we need to find another third in there somewhere for the
- [The final countdown: ready, get set . . .](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/the-final-countdown-ready-get-set/) - Reprinted from Endurance News, June 2005, monthly publication of the American Endurance Ride Conference, www.aerc.org, 866-271-2372 The horse seems fit. The horse seems sound. The rider has lost 15 pounds but would like to lose some more. The crew has committed (and should be committed, admittedly). The ride has been chosen. As I type this, we’re
- [Crewing 101 (or The Art of Hurry Up and Wait)](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/crewing-101/) - Reprinted from Endurance News, April 2005, monthly publication of the American Endurance Ride Conference, www.aerc.org, 866-271-2372 I’m holding up my end of the “prepping for a hundred” bargain and my childhood friend Anita still plans to help my husband, Richard, act as pit crew. Every time we talk (and I confirm and re-confirm the date
- [Selecting A First Hundred](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/selecting-a-first-hundred/) - Reprinted from Endurance News, March 2005, monthly publication of the American Endurance Ride Conference, www.aerc.org, 866-271-2372 With the temperature soaring to a balmy 35 degrees, Ned and I enjoyed a wonderful conditioning ride on the snowmobile trails near our property today. Winter is a great time to contemplate the ride season. Given the advice of my
- [Conditioning and cross-training](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/conditioning-and-cross-training/) - Reprinted from Endurance News, February 2005, monthly publication of the American Endurance Ride Conference, www.aerc.org, 866-271-2372 Here I sit, in the abyss of a western New York winter. The outdoor thermometer is reading 8°F, and about 10 inches of fluffy snow are covering a thick coat of ice on the driveway and road. Ned, my
- [High Hopes for a Hundred](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/high-hopes-for-a-hundred/) - Reprinted from Endurance News, January 2005, monthly publication of the American Endurance Ride Conference, www.aerc.org, 866-271-2372 Although the numbers in 100 mile rides have declined during the last several years, I’ve discovered my own growing desire to ride one. For any voyage of this magnitude, you need a guide, so I recruited a few of
- [In so many aspects of our sport ...  It Takes A Village!](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/in-so-many-aspects-of-our-sport-it-takes-a-village/) - I find the lone wolves in our sport to be fascinating, but I am not one of them. From the get-go, I've relied on a whole army of people to help us succeed in distance riding with our horses. It takes a village to keep us going, an entire armada of individuals who have a skill set
- [Discussion Forum](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/forum/) - Endurance Introspection Private Discussion Forum Membership is required to view and post to the Discussion Forum.
- [Endurance 101 Clinic / March 23rd / Lockport, NY](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/endurance-101-clinic-march-23rd-lockport-ny/) - Sponsored by the Western Chapter of the New York State Horse Council. Sunday, March 23rd 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Royalton Equine, 7735 Chestnut Ridge Road, Lockport, NY 14094 An indoor/un-mounted clinic to introduce you to the sport of Distance Riding -- to include an overview of AERC Endurance/Limited Distance Rides. We will review how
- [Glue On Day at Daisy Haven -- What We Learned!](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/glue-on-day-at-daisy-haven-what-we-learned/) - Richard and I arrived at Daisy Haven Farm in southeast Pennsylvania, with a car full of boots, tools and old glue, plus two brains chock to the brim with questions. We were attending the final workshop day of four, so got introduced quickly to the other trimmers and farriers and we set to work. We
- [Glue On Day at Daisy Haven Farm -- What Brought Us There](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/glue-on-day-at-daisy-haven-farm-what-brought-us-there/) - Anyone within cursing or cheering earshot of me during this past competition season has borne witness to the fact that I struggled with keeping boots on my horse, Ace. Gloves and Glue-Ons, despite diligent effort, I scattered them all over a fair number of states in the Northeast Region, never mind Allegany State Park,
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- [Two's company, three's a crowd, four is ... ](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/twos-company-threes-a-crowd-four-is/) - Many years ago we had three dogs, and my husband fell in love with a litter of puppies, begging me to allow him to add another dog to the pack. I recall lamenting to my friend Anita (a common occurrence) and her response -- "Seriously, Patti, you have three dogs, how much difference can a
- [Endurance and the Risk-Averse](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/endurance-and-the-risk-averse/) - Having done some expos and endurance clinics, a couple of interviews and a bit of mentoring over the last year or so, I find that riders contemplating our sport fall into one of two categories: One group believes it is all about racing and they want to know how to get out there and win as quickly as
- [Decade Team — Ned and I have arrived! (5/27/10)](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/decade-team-ned-and-i-have-arrived-52710/) - The ride itself was much like the decade we've competed together. Moments of ups, downs, pride, embarrassment, laughter, impatience, disheartenment and renewal. My friend Joanie, a complete non-horsey type, decided going to Canada with me sounded like “an adventure” so I set off in the early morning hours on Saturday to go pick her up
- [Finally … Our Decade Team Interview!](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/finally-our-decade-team-interview/) - Patti Stedman and Breezewood Nevarre LINK TO ORIGINAL ARTICLE: Posted to EnduranceRideStuff.com on February 8, 2012 by Karen Chaton Riders Name: Patti Stedman Horses Name: Breezewood Nevarre (“Ned”, “Nedly”, “The Nedhead”, “Nedly Do-Right”) Region: Northeast Current Rider Lifetime Mileage? Endurance: 2485 Limited Distance: 215 [divider style="1"] Tell us about your horse. When/how did you come
- [We Need YOU](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/we-need-you/) - Reprinted from Endurance News, October 2012, Ride Managers’ Column, monthly publication of the American Endurance Ride Conference, www.aerc.org, 866-271-2372 My long-suffering husband, Richard, has a theory. He says that if an endurance rider were to show up at a ride the afternoon prior without a horse, tack, helmet, hay and/or cash, that within a
- [Welcome to Wynne](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/welcome-to-wynne/) - For the last several months, we've been keeping our eyes open and mentioned to a few friends that we were in the market for a young horse. Sarge is coming 17 years young this year, and while he's still feisty and full of good years, we knew that if we were going to bring along
- [What’s Said In The Goat Barn Stays In The Goat Barn](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/whats-said-in-the-goat-barn-stays-in-the-goat-barn/) - Every cloud has a silver lining. When life hands you lemons, you make lemonade. Look on the bright side. Statistically, our weekend at Pine Tree was a bit of a bust. Ned didn’t even start the 100; Sarge and I rider optioned at 65 miles. So why did I find myself crying tears of gratitude
- [Hocks and appetite intrinsically linked? Who knew?](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/hocks-and-appetite-intrinsically-linked-who-knew-2/) - Following the Vermont 100 and Sarge’s non-completion, I was quickly formulating an action plan. This is just what I do. Analytical to a fault. Two 100 mile ride attempts with Sarge. One pull as a result of just plain bad luck. Second pull from an odd lameness that COULD be associated with the cruddy luck
- [The jigsaw puzzle pieces are falling in place … (VT 100 Report — long overdue)](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/the-jigsaw-puzzle-pieces-are-falling-in-place-vt-100-report-long-overdue/) - … but some times it takes a little time and introspection to see the pattern in the big picture that the puzzle creates. Sit back with a cup of joe, boys and girls, this is gonna be a long one. I hesitated to write about my VT 100 experience back in mid-July, largely because I
- [The Balancing Act of Work, Life, Fun and Endurance Conditioning (8/17/10)](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/the-balancing-act-of-work-life-fun-and-endurance-conditioning-81710/) - Non-endurance riding friends, especially my dressage friends, marvel at the fact that I was able to get two horses fit for a hundred mile ride this season. Now, I will concede that in many ways, I am blessed with the perfect career, the perfect farm, and a workaholic husband who makes many things possible, and
- [Misfit Dressage Queens -- Unite!](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/misfit-dressage-queens-unite/) - Dressage as a riding endeavor is rewarding and addicting in so many ways -- Molding and teaching a horse to utilize its body gymnastically, teaching a conversation where both horse and rider have a voice and are tuned in to the nuanced changes in one another, and where, wheee! - you feel yourself dancing with
- [You Are Ready For Your First Ride -- Trust Me!](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/you-are-ready-for-your-first-ride-trust-me/) - Photo of Toni Wolf and her mare, Huggy, are "in the pink" and proving that of COURSE you are ready! It concerns me sometimes that we've made success in our sport seem like some unattainable thing, requiring hours and hours of ceaseless daily conditioning over mountains at a gallop with a heart rate monitor and reverse
- [Our Horses](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/our-horses/) - We love and respect our horses [highlight align="center" style="different"]Our horses are our partners, and our friends. They prove over and over again that they are the best teachers -- and why not? No one knows more about being a horse than, well, a horse. Each is like a jigsaw puzzle of physiological, mental and spiritual
- [VT 100 Video by Dawn Engle Hilliard](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/vt-100-video-by-dawn-engle-hilliard/) - My good friend, Dawn (Engle) Hilliard has a GoPro camera and has taken some amazing footage of various rides around the NE Region. This one in particular gives me chills. I've finished the VT 100 twice on Ned, Ace has finished it once, and I've ridden the Moonlight 50 another handful of times. It is
- [A Personal Rant About What's Become of FEI Endurance](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/a-personal-rant-about-whats-become-of-fei-endurance/) - [The first thing I have to do is officially divorce my personal opinions, comments and this entire rant from what is my official role on the AERC Board of Directors. I have certainly expressed my thoughts and feelings and ideas to that group of twenty-six, and am open to discussing that if anyone has questions on what is going
- [Ahhhh, dressage! (4/21/07)](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/ahhhh-dressage-42107/) - Life is good. Not a cloud in the sky and Dorothy came out to our place for the first time in a LOOOONG time. She was stunned about what an old plug Ace is at our place. At least on the ground. Had an excellent lesson with Dorothy reminding me of the place and the
- [Life Lessons From an Opinionated Decade Team Horse](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/life-lessons-from-an-opinionated-decade-team-horse/) - Reprinted from Endurance News, October 2013, Ride Managers’ Column, monthly publication of the American Endurance Ride Conference, www.aerc.org, 866-271-2372 “When the student is ready, the teacher will appear … “ (Buddhist Proverb) “If you keep feeding him, and listen to him, he’ll stick around and keep teaching.” (Mean Patti) I’ve long held the belief that
- [In Praise of Pit Crews](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/in-praise-of-pit-crews/) - Reprinted from Endurance News, April 2013, monthly publication of the American Endurance Ride Conference, www.aerc.org, 866-271-2372 Many times in this column, we celebrate the efforts of Ride Managers and the volunteers who support them in putting on rides. After all, this is the Ride Managers’ column and we have a Ride Managers’ Committee. For this
- [An Introvert in Extrovert's Clothing](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/an-introvert-in-extroverts-clothing/) - I would bet a significant sum of cash that people who know me, even some fairly close to me, believe that I am an extrovert of the first order. I think it is hard to earn the nickname "Mean Patti" by being shy and hesitant to speak up. My clients' employees remark that I am
- [Integrity and Ride Management](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/integrity-and-ride-management/) - Reprinted from Endurance News, November 2012, Ride Managers’ Column, monthly publication of the American Endurance Ride Conference, www.aerc.org, 866-271-2372 I find it a privilege to work with AERC’s Ride Managers’ Committee, because I think that the willingness to take the risk – so many risks! – to manage an endurance ride means that those in
- [Defining “Success” and “Horsemanship” in Endurance](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/defining-success-and-horsemanship-in-endurance/) - Reprinted from Endurance News, October 2010, Ride Managers’ Column, monthly publication of the American Endurance Ride Conference, www.aerc.org, 866-271-2372 Not too long ago, a friend and I were talking about the upcoming WEG ride. She remarked to me about "the level of horsemanship" it takes to compete at this level, and I must admit that
- [When Enough Is Enough](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/when-enough-is-enough/) - Reprinted from Endurance News, October 2009, Ride Managers’ Column, monthly publication of the American Endurance Ride Conference, www.aerc.org, 866-271-2372 It’s a few weeks after the 6th Annual Allegany Shut Up and Ride, and this is the time when we’re typically re-energized and planning for next year’s ride. But not this year. This was the year
- [Just Sort of Happen Rides](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/just-sort-of-happen-rides/) - Reprinted from Endurance News, September 2012, Ride Managers’ Column, monthly publication of the American Endurance Ride Conference, www.aerc.org, 866-271-2372 The Parallels in Ride Management and the Entrepreneurial Spirit (or Running a “Just Sort Of Happens” Ride versus a Great Ride) Recently, I had a conversation with a fellow Ride Manager who is also an active
- [Vive La Difference! (Or Never Assume!)](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/vive-la-difference-or-never-assume/) - Reprinted from Endurance News, September 2011, Ride Managers’ Column, monthly publication of the American Endurance Ride Conference, www.aerc.org, 866-271-2372 One of the remarkable things about endurance rides as they are sanctioned under AERC is that there are a fairly limited number of rules that we must follow in order to conduct a ride. This means
- [Managers Column GPS Joe Schoech](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/managers-column-gps-joe-schoech/) - Reprinted from Endurance News, August 2012, Ride Managers’ Column, monthly publication of the American Endurance Ride Conference, www.aerc.org, 866-271-2372 Wow!! So you want to be a ride manager and put on an endurance ride? I am not quite sure what this malady is called, but you might want to schedule an appointment with your doctor
- [Times They Are A-Changin’](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/times-they-are-a-changin/) - Reprinted from Endurance News, July 2013, Ride Managers’ Column, monthly publication of the American Endurance Ride Conference, www.aerc.org, 866-271-2372 "If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading." Lao Tzu The demographics of the horse world, including our family in endurance riding, have changed, even during the time that I’ve
- [Outbreak](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/outbreak/) - Reprinted from Endurance News, July 2011, monthly publication of the American Endurance Ride Conference, www.aerc.org, 866-271-2372 As I sit here typing, several AERC rides have been postponed or canceled because of the late spring EHV-1 outbreak. While it is everyone’s hope that this crisis has passed by the time this column is published, the Ride
- [What To Do About Mis-Measured Rides?](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/what-to-do-about-mis-measured-rides/) - Reprinted from Endurance News, July 2012, Ride Managers’ Column, monthly publication of the American Endurance Ride Conference, www.aerc.org, 866-271-2372 Quoting Jan Steven’s Vice President’s column from December, 2011: “3,168,000 inches. 264,000 feet. 88,000 yards. 80.47 kilometers. Whatever you want to call it, it is 50 miles.” It seems so simple, right? And let’s face it,
- [Ned. Again.](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/ned-again/) - Reprinted from Endurance News, February 2013, monthly publication of the American Endurance Ride Conference, www.aerc.org, 866-271-2372 Yesterday I posted a photo on Facebook, not a particularly unique photo, a shot from the saddle, showing the horse’s ears and the trail ahead, in our case, covered with a foot or so of fluffy white snow. I
- [No Frills Rides](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/no-frills-rides/) - Reprinted from Endurance News, March 2009, monthly publication of the American Endurance Ride Conference, www.aerc.org, 866-271-2372 Getting Back to Basics – Running a No Frills Ride With the economy in precarious straits, riders, ride managers, vendors and vets alike are tightening the belt and looking for ways to save a few bucks. No one wants
- [Hooking the Newbies!](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/hooking-the-newbies/) - Reprinted from Endurance News, January 2013, monthly publication of the American Endurance Ride Conference, www.aerc.org, 866-271-2372 As Ride Managers, we have a lot more power than we realize with regard to whether that brand-spankin’ new rider at our ride becomes an AERC member. Sure, some newbies (and I use that term with the utmost respect
- [More on Endurance Clinics!](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/more-on-endurance-clinics/) - Reprinted from Endurance News, June 2013, Ride Managers’ Column, monthly publication of the American Endurance Ride Conference, www.aerc.org, 866-271-2372 We envision most clinics will fall into one of three categories: 1.Endurance 101 Clinics These are introductory clinics for people new to the sport, typically conducted in a classroom type of setting, but ideally with access
- [AERC Member Recruitment 101](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/aerc-member-recruitment-101/) - Reprinted from Endurance News, June 2012, Ride Managers’ Column, monthly publication of the American Endurance Ride Conference, www.aerc.org, 866-271-2372 There are a number of areas that AERC is asking ride managers to focus on this season – one of the biggies is increasing rider membership. For “newbies” one of the first impressions they get about
- [We’re Baaaaaackkkkkkk … !](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/were-baaaaaackkkkkkk/) - Reprinted from Endurance News, June 2011, Ride Managers’ Column, monthly publication of the American Endurance Ride Conference, www.aerc.org, 866-271-2372 Sometimes you just need a break. After managing our Allegany Shut Up and Ride in the Northeast Region for six years, we needed a vacation. Perhaps trying to run the ride and add a 75 mile
- [The ride manager/head vet partnership](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/the-ride-managerhead-vet-partnership/) - Reprinted from Endurance News, April 2008, monthly publication of the American Endurance Ride Conference, www.aerc.org, 866-271-2372 I've just arrived home from the AERC convention in Reno, and both the Ride Managers Committee and Veterinary Committee meetings had a strong theme -- communication. Next month we'll spend some time outlining AERC's insurance policy and what it
- [Save time and effort: put it in writing!](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/save-time-and-effort-put-it-in-writing/) - Reprinted from Endurance News, September 2008, monthly publication of the American Endurance Ride Conference, www.aerc.org, 866-271-2372 Like me, you've probably printed ride entries and information flyers from the AERC website, or had them sent to you. Like me, you've probably wondered how some ride managers manage to have a single page entry flyer about their
- [Casting A Bigger Net](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/casting-a-bigger-net/) - Reprinted from Endurance News, April 2013, monthly publication of the American Endurance Ride Conference, www.aerc.org, 866-271-2372 If you’ve been paying attention at all in the last year, or occasionally emerge from your basement to check in with the goings-on in AERC, you know that we have been working on ways to attract new members and
- [Whatever Works](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/whatever-works/) - I think this is the phrase I use most when new riders or prospective riders ask me questions about the sport. Which saddle? Boots or shoes? Hackamore or bit? Electrolyte or not? Supplement or no? In fact, I always get a bit of a giggle when advice gets handed out to new riders and those
- [Defining “success” and “horsemanship” in our sport (9/13/10)](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/defining-success-and-horsemanship-in-our-sport-91310/) - Not too long ago, a friend and I were talking about the upcoming WEG ride. She remarked to me about “the level of horsemanship” it takes to compete at this level, and I must admit that I found myself cocking my head and biting my lip about the (likely unintended) implication in that statement. Did
- [Are you shopping for a ride veterinarian?](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/are-you-shopping-for-a-ride-veterinarian/) - Reprinted from Endurance News, August 2008, monthly publication of the American Endurance Ride Conference, www.aerc.org, 866-271-2372 Co-authored by Nick Kohut, DVM It's two weeks before your ride and your phone rings. Turns out that both your head veterinarian and the other control vet scheduled to work your ride have crashed into each other while waterskiing
- [Rest! It’s not just for endurance horses …](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/rest-its-not-just-for-endurance-horses/) - No one was more shocked than me that I was doing pretty well with my treadmill routine — alternating jogging with maximum incline (walking) intervals. That 5k in mid-March was looking very doable. I did a bit of reading about couch-to-5k plans and the cautions about orthopedic injuries, but I am a sturdy sort, and
- [APEX clinic at Vermont 100](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/apex-clinic-at-vermont-100/) - APEX ? One Participant?s Perspective Plan B Sometimes when life hands you lemons, you make lemonade. Or better yet, if life hands you potatoes, you use the spuds to make yourself some outstanding vodka. And whip up a Cosmopolitan. With the Vermont 100 one of the few rides on my schedule this year given the
- ['Darned diesel' leads to economizing](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/darned-diesel-leads-to-economizing/) - Reprinted from Endurance News, June 2008, monthly publication of the American Endurance Ride Conference, www.aerc.org, 866-271-2372 There is a Chinese proverb/curse that goes something like this: "May you live in interesting times." Over and over again this season, when talking to riders and ride managers and vets and volunteers, while sadly noting the never-ending increase
- [Managing those badly-behaved riders](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/managing-those-badly-behaved-riders/) - Reprinted from Endurance News, March 2008, monthly publication of the American Endurance Ride Conference, www.aerc.org, 866-271-2372 Admittedly, this is a delicate topic for AERC members. I think the good news is that, generally speaking, badly-behaved riders are few and far between in our sport; in fact, some ride managers to whom I speak say they
- [Make Ride Parking A Pleasure, Not A Pain](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/make-ride-parking-a-pleasure-not-a-pain/) - Reprinted from Endurance News, August 2006, Ride Managers' Column, monthly publication of the American Endurance Ride Conference, www.aerc.org, 866-271-2372 Ask most ride managers how they feel about parking at their ride camp, and at a minimum you're likely to get an eye roll, a head shake accompanied by a heavy sigh, perhaps a curse.
- [Endurance and The Fine Art of Rest](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/endurance-and-the-fine-art-of-rest/) - Reprinted from Endurance News, March 2007, monthly publication of the American Endurance Ride Conference, www.aerc.org, 866-271-2372 Most distance riders spend a significant chunk of time and energy thinking about our conditioning schedule. In fact, some of us chart it, map it, and scrutinize it. Speed, distance, terrain, heart rates, reverse splits – many of us
- [Are you ready for Murphy and his law?](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/are-you-ready-for-murphy-and-his-law/) - Reprinted from Endurance News, July 2007, Ride Managers’ Column, monthly publication of the American Endurance Ride Conference, www.aerc.org, 866-271-2372 Ah, Murphy's Law. If something can go wrong, it will. Take a big bunch of horses and riders, a little speed, add a marked trail and the fact that we're competing by the good grace of
- [100s for the Rest of Us](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/100s-for-the-rest-of-us/) - Reprinted from Endurance News, April 2008, publication of the American Endurance Ride Conference, www.aerc.org, 866-271-2372 Some time ago, one of my favorite vets took me aside and gave me a little chiding: "Why no more articles about 100s? I see you've been doing more of them." "Well, Doc, you know, not everyone wants to
- [What makes for a great ride briefing?](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/what-makes-for-a-great-ride-briefing/) - Reprinted from Endurance News, December 2007 Ride Managers’ Column, monthly publication of the American Endurance Ride Conference, www.aerc.org, 866-271-2372 The AERC Ride Managers' online forum members were discussing ride briefings recently, contributing what it is that we think constitutes a perfect ride briefing. Terry Canavello (ride manager of the Pacific Crest and Limestone Challenge) summed
- [On family and grieving and learning that it is not at all about me.](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/on-family-and-grieving-and-learning-that-it-is-not-at-all-about-me/) - This will be an unusual blog post for me. It has nothing to do with horses or endurance or riding. It has everything to do with families and grieving and loss and the life lesson having to do with learning to deal with the cards you’re dealt regardless of how fervently you wish you’d gotten
- [Eenie, meenie, miney mo!](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/eenie-meenie-miney-mo/) - Let me preface this blog post by saying that I realize how wildly blessed I am to be faced with this dilemma! It’s ten days out from the Pine Tree 100 endurance ride in North Waterford, Maine, and I am working hard at NOT trying to speculate as to which two of the three horses
- [Sarge and Ned it is.](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/sarge-and-ned-it-is/) - I worked hard this week to shower my three horses with benign neglect. This close to a 100 there is really no point in “conditioning” them. They are either fit or they are not, and my preference is to take them in to a ride super well-rested and with a nice opportunity to heal any
- [The first thing to go …](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/the-first-thing-to-go/) - When I looked in the direction of the heavens in late December, when we found our Dodge truck on a sales lot, and told the powers-that-be that I needed more consulting work, I had no idea how quickly and in what volume that prayer would be answered. Old clients, new clients and one BIG new client
- [Heartburn, heartache and ulcers … who is having which?](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/heartburn-heartache-and-ulcers-who-is-having-which/) - I apologize again for being so silent for so long. I was emailing someone the other day, one of my birth mom’s dear friends in fact, who had sent me a note, and telling her that no one told me, as a teen, that those were the good days, where funerals were few and far
- [Just like childbirth …](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/just-like-childbirth/) - … or so I’m told, you forget the pain. So my husband and I, after two years off, are resurrecting the Allegany Shut Up and Ride endurance ride. October 1st. 30/55/75 mile distances. I sent in the sanctioning applications today. Hope to see many of you there! –Patti PS Back to my insane work schedule
- [Somehow I need to etch in my memory banks …](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/somehow-i-need-to-etch-in-my-memory-banks/) - … just how good it feels when I drag my carcass on to the treadmill or haul my layered-in-clothing butt out to the barn to climb on a horse. It is safe to say that I never regret the time and effort it takes to do so. I’m sure I’m not the only one who
- [Resolution for 2011](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/resolution-for-2011/) - Well, I know better than to establish any hard and fast resolutions for the New Year, so I am going to keep it simple. I am going to try to do better. Do better with my eating, my activity, my management of my business, my role as a wife/sister/daughter/aunt/friend, my writing, my riding, all of
- [So if I write this down …](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/so-if-i-write-this-down/) - … and all seven of my faithful blog followers read it, I’m committed, right? (Thanks for stopping by, Melissa.) I am a goal-oriented person. (One does not reach half their life expectancy without gaining some self-understanding unless they are trying really hard to avoid themselves.) The notion of climbing on the treadmill simply because it
- [On track thus far …](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/on-track-thus-far/) - My New Year’s resolution of “doing a little better” seems to be sticking pretty well. It gives me some latitude for off-road excursions into the land of watching The Real Housewives or following up a long day of hectic by meeting Anita for Mexican and ordering a second basket of chips. Thank heavens I didn’t
- [Of resolutions and such …](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/of-resolutions-and-such/) - I realize that most folks go with tradition and begin thinking of resolutions and such as the current year closes out and a new one approaches. For me, however, it seems the year is based on the ride schedule. As the Mustang Memorial ride wrapped up in mid-November and the snow began to fly in
- [A 100 in 2011?](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/a-100-in-2011/) - Who’s in? There’s a rather active discussion on the AERC Member’s Forum at the moment, about the decrease in 100 mile riders in our sport, and whether or not it’s real or imagined and whether it’s fixable or not, and how. As I stated in my response, I think the best we can do, as
- [“I can’t even THINK about bowls!”](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/i-cant-even-think-about-bowls/) - Sometimes life gets just a little too stressful. As a self-employed consultant, when there is work available, I work. There are enough lean times that I rarely turn down work, and sometimes find myself with too much travel, too many clients all needing assistance “urgently”, and too many technically demanding training programs to deliver. A classic
- [Sarge To The Rescue!](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/sarge-to-the-rescue/) - Some days can only be saved by a good ride. There are a number of things lately that have left me in a state of kerfuffle, as I like to say. Out of sorts might be a better way of putting it. We put an elderly horse down last week, rather than see him face another ruthless
- [GMHA 100 Mile CTR Report (9/8/10)](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/gmha-100-mile-ctr-report-9810/) - I’ve said more than once that getting to the ride is really the hardest part. Not just for all of the horse and rider preparation, but perhaps because we have a truck that one could kindly call “Old Unreliable.” Arriving at Gene and Dale's in what I hope is soon to be our EX hauling
- [GMHA 100 3 Day CTR / 2009](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/gmha-100-3-day-ctr-2009/) - Hit the road at 4:20 a.m. on Wednesday after a mostly sleepless night. Rich got up with me and fed the boys while I showered AND he found me some cash (forgot to stop at the bank) so all I had to do was load Ace and go. Despite some road work, I got to
- [Two-for-one emergency vet call (6/8/10)](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/two-for-one-emergency-vet-call-6810/) - A little back story here … About a year and a half ago, my dear friend Kathy Calanni discovered that she had cancer. She was terribly ill and having difficulty taking care of her four horses, so friends (who lived closer to her) were doing their best to stop over and fill the gaps. Clearly,
- [Who, me? Without A Mission? (7/25/10)](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/who-me-without-a-mission-72510/) - I’m the sort of girl, I’ve been told, who needs a project. I was pleasantly surprised to have a couple of friends tell me they’d been checking in on the blog and were surprised to see I hadn’t been posting. Getting two horses through a 100 mile ride = project. That kept my wheels spinning
- [Myofascial Release Day](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/myofascial-release-day/) - For years now, my horses and I have been getting myofascial release treatments from Doris Halstead, who wrote the book Symmetry in Motion and has also written Release the Potential and released a DVD. Lucky for us, Doris has been a local gal, a physical therapist who found the myofascial release technique and then began
- [Oh Canada! (7/3/10)](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/oh-canada-7310/) - It’s a long one, ladies and gentlemen. All photos by Rachel Lodder. Rarely does one get through a 100 without some bit of misadventure, but we had more than our fair share at the Canadian National Championship 100. All in all, we still had a magical time! Rachel and I headed out Wednesday at about
- [Post-100 Vacation Ends For Ace](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/post-100-vacation-ends-for-ace/) - No one was more shocked than me when my husband, Richard, and I sat down to talk about which rides we’ll try to hit for the remainder of the season. Certainly the WV ride on August 7th is a no-brainer. Not too terribly far from home (~7 hours), lots of friends attending, and Sarge’s type
- [Dear Denny … (8/4/10)](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/dear-denny-8410/) - Ah, the magic of Facebook. Denny Emerson and I are “friends” on Facebook. Now, to be fair, I’ve never been formally introduced to Denny, but I have always admired his long-standing dedication to both distance riding and eventing. During Ned’s first 100 in Vermont, we rode together for a mile or so, and Denny complimented
- [Ride Between The Rivers, WV  (8/9/10)](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/ride-between-the-rivers-wv-8910/) - This weekend was the Ride Between The Rivers near Elkin, West Virginia. We’ve been told over and over again what a FUN ride this was, how tremendous the hospitality, how tight the parking, and we might have also heard something about the moonshine. So we packed up Sarge (aka The Staypuff Marshmallow Horse) and Ace,
- [As Roseanne Roseanna Danna says … (8/13/10)](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/as-roseanne-roseanna-danna-says-81310/) - … “it’s always SOMETHING!” I probably jinxed my horses’ ongoing welfare when lamenting the rocks at last Saturday’s ride and miserably noting the likelihood that someone would get a stone bruise. While he finished absolutely sound, Ace was dead lame on Tuesday morning. There is nothing quite like trying to do a lay-horseperson’s lameness diagnosis
- [What Ride Managers Hate To Hear On Ride Day](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/what-ride-managers-hate-to-hear-on-ride-day/) - Reprinted from Endurance News, June 2007 Ride Managers' Column, monthly publication of the American Endurance Ride Conference, www.aerc.org, 866-271-2372 "Well, there's not too much blood . . ." "And then the herd galloped onto the interstate . . ." "But when they crossed the state line, they were fairly sure they were off
- [Now THESE people are truly nuts! (8/23/10)](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/now-these-people-are-truly-nuts-82310/) - We had a weekend visit from Natty, a friend from Canada (and a “booger” for those of you who know the reference) and her new husband, Jeff, as they were interested to come to our home conditioning trails at Allegany State Park to do a conditioning RUN (yes, on their own appendages) for an upcoming
- [If you want to test God’s sense of humor … (8/29/10)](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/if-you-want-to-test-gods-sense-of-humor-82910/) - … pre-enter all three of your competition horses in the same Competitive Trail Ride, and watch the fun begin. Ace has been struggling with stone bruising and abscesses in his front feet since completing the very rocky Ride Between The Rivers a few weeks ago without being padded. (I get it, PowersThatBe, I get it!
- [Re-awakening my inner dressage queen …](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/re-awakening-my-inner-dressage-queen/) - … from a lengthy coma. Truth be told, I was never much of a dressage queen, even when it was the primary type of riding I did. Too chunky, too willing to settle for “good enough”, too averse to wearing white breeches or gloves. That said, I’ve really neglected my dressage schooling this season with
- [Twelve Step Program for Diet Pepsi Addiction? 8/13/10](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/twelve-step-program-for-diet-pepsi-addiction-81310/) - Okay, I have a problem. A monkey on my back. I am addicted to Diet Pepsi. I don’t drink a lot of the stuff, but at around 1 or 2 in the afternoon, I can hear the Diet Pepsi calling to me from the downstairs refrigerator. “Patti, Patti!” it says, sweetly whispering at first, and
- [Still on course! (6/7/10)](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/still-on-course-6710/) - Friday was muggy and hot but I took Ace for a very fast hill workout in the morning. Just five miles but we did it in 30 minutes, largely to outrun the flies as the human brain behind the operation forgot to liberally fly spray Ace and the little buggers are brutal (already)! It is
- [Busy several days! (6/15/10)](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/busy-several-days-61510/) - Hello, hello! Is anyone out there? The last few days have been crazy busy and I’ve neglected posting. Ace’s eyelid is finally starting to look less traumatized. My vet told me to keep riding him, so that’s what I’m doing. I decided to take Ned out for a happy little hack on the property
- [Speed bumps along the best-laid path (6/18/10)](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/speed-bumps-along-the-best-laid-path-61810/) - Yesterday, after two days of being out of town for work, I decided I’d take my bike solo and head to the Clarence Bike Path. Stopped to pick up a tube repair kit, a little bag for my keys and cell phone, and a portable pump. I didn’t have the requisite tools so (yes, you
- [After almost 14 years of marriage … (6/19/10)](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/after-almost-14-years-of-marriage-61910/) - … I’ve come to the conclusion that it is my role to break things for my husband to fix.
- [Love, Hate and Hay (6/20/10)](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/love-hate-and-hay-62010/) - I’m the first to admit that I have a love/hate relationship with hay. I love the fact that it smells so good, and the sound of my horses munching on it, particularly on a cold winter’s night. I hate the fact that I’m allergic to the stuff, and that when I handle it, I get
- [Getting those familiar old butterflies … (6/22/10)](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/getting-those-familiar-old-butterflies-62210/) - … like I always do when I’m prepping for a 100. This morning I was wide awake at 4 a.m., making mental lists and thinking of the dozens of things I have to do before and during that ride. I believe firmly that the difference between riding 50 miles and riding 100 miles is almost
- [One week until the Canadian 100!](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/one-week-until-the-canadian-100/) - I love it when a plan comes together … And so far, so good. Yesterday did a 3 or 4 fast, hilly heat acclimation ride on both boys. This involved tacking up when it was muggy and hot, then going as fast as we needed to go (and then some) to stay ahead of the
- [Errand-running day …](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/errand-running-day/) - … for various items needed for next week. Gatorade jelly beans, and electrolyte tablets and glowsticks and such. And wine, of course. For AFTER the ride. Was tempted to buy champagne but thought it might jinx us. The biggest news, however, is the weather, which is calling (as of this very moment) for a high
- [Inaugural post on my website — how exciting! (5/13/10)](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/inaugural-post-on-my-website-how-exciting-51310/) - My plan is to excavate old blog posts and cut and paste them here for posterity’s sake, but am excited to post on my own blog on my own website. Next stop, Oprah! It has been an exciting spring for us. I am presently staring down a rapidly slowing work schedule for the summer —
- [Ace’s First Attempt at 100 / August 1, 2009](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/aces-first-attempt-at-100-august-1-2009/) - Ontario Provincial Championships/Ace’s First 100 My friend Sylvia, managing to wrangle her passport in an expedited fashion from the Feds, came up from Pittsburgh on Tuesday, and we headed north with Ace for the 100 mile ride in Ontario on Thursday. After our last two truck-adventure-filled trips, I am pleased to say that the drive
- [Moonlight in Vermont / 2009](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/moonlight-in-vermont-2009/) - Vermont/Moonlight 50 Ned is 15 this season, with over 2000 miles to his credit, and the most frequently used phrase when I talk about him and our endurance competition plans is “he doesn’t owe me a thing.” He doesn’t. All those miles on a body that is not classically made for endurance – too big,
- [Biltmore 100 (5/8/2007)](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/biltmore-100-582007/) - Ned and I headed off to Biltmore by way of a stop in Canfield, Ohio (near Youngstown) to pick up my distance riding pal and crew, Randi. Hit dinner and a Cosmo, and overnighted there, before making the trek from OH to NC on Wednesday. We arrived about 7 p.m. at the Estate, passing under
- [Lost Password](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/lostpassword/)
- [Reset Password](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/resetpass/)
- [Register](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/register/)
- [Gator Run/2007 (1/04/07)](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/gator-run2007-10407/) - Gator Run I 55 Miles 1/4/07 We made it. It got pea-soup oppressive overnight from Wednesday to Thursday. I mean icky. It was 69 degrees as we tacked up and foggy and miserable at the 7:30 a.m. start. The first loop was 17.5 miles and we started out after the pack of front-runners headed out.
- [Gator Run III (1/08/07)](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/gator-run-iii-10807/) - In retrospect with the truck breaking down and all, Saturday’s 50 was the most wonderful, peaceful day of my whole trip. I told Mary I’d take Ned out on my own since she’d found a nice partner to ride with (Sue from SE) and I didn’t want to screw up the pair by being a
- [Welcome to the 2007 Endurance Season!](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/welcome-to-the-2007-endurance-season/) - The AERC ride season begins in December so I guess it is actually 2007 in my sport, so here goes … I am making lists and lists of things to take and pack and learn before my maiden solo voyage with the LQ horse trailer. (Please God, do not let me hit anything with the
- [Events](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/contests/) - Endurance Race Event Schedule [highlight align="left, right, center" style="different"]Here is a list of the up and coming events.[/highlight] [agenda] [event-day date="16th - 27th"]November Events[/event-day] [event time="November 16th, 2013" room="Norco, CA"][toggle-box title="Title Information"]Event details.[/toggle-box][/event] [event time="November 19th, 2013" room="Seguin, TX"][toggle-box title="Title Information2 "]Event details 2.[/toggle-box][/event] [event-day date="3rd - 24th"]December Events[/event-day] [event time="December 16th, 2013" room="Norco, CA"][toggle-box
- [Reply To: What to feed them?](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/reply-to-what-to-feed-them/) - Oats and hay
- [What to feed them?](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/what-to-feed-them/) - What's a good diet for an endurance horse?
- [Hows My Horse?](http://enduranceintrospection.com/wp/hows-my-horse/) - Your Horse is well.

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