Endurance Introspection
"To Finish Is To Win"About the Site
Authored by Patti Carey (formerly Patti Stedman), Endurance Introspection is a website for endurance riders, aspiring endurance riders and other sport horse enthusiasts interested in the cross-training aspect of endurance conditioning and training for horses. Patti’s vision for the website is to provide a place for endurance riding enthusiasts interested in the philosophies, training, conditioning strategies and life lessons learned during the act of enduring.
Patti is an AERC (American Endurance Ride Conference) endurance competitor/Ride Manager/former BoD member who truly embraces the sport’s motto of “To Finish Is To Win”.
About Patti
Patti was raised in rural Western New York. She started riding at the age of seven and eventually showing in various disciplines, until she discovered dressage (the art of riding and training a horse in a manner that develops obedience, flexibility, and balance.) in her late teens. She attended Cornell University and received her BS in Animal Science.
While she taught and trained professionally for a few years, it became apparent that a career outside of horses allowed more financial security (and that wackily practical health insurance), so her love of teaching took her in the direction of occupational safety and environmental compliance. She owns two successful businesses, one providing live training and consulting, and the other providing web-based safety training.
Patti began to compete in endurance rides in the mid 1990s. A couple of decades and a few thousand miles of competition later, she has acted as a Ride Manager for the Allegany Shut Up and Ride and was formerly a member of the AERC Board of Directors, Ride Managers’ Committee, and Education Committee. She developed materials for and insurance coverage for AERC Endurance 101 Clinics and has taught dozens of clinics, and encourages others to do the same to give riders new to our sport the skills needed to succeed and a sense of community with other local endurance riders and mentors.
Her passion for sharing her sport led her to creating a web-based course for new and aspiring endurance riders, Endurance Essentials, which can be found at horselearningonline.com
Patti loves combining the disciplines of endurance and dressage, and observing and writing about the inside world of endurance riding competition. Patti currently lives in rural South Carolina, with her horses, dogs, cats and various vermin.
Header photo by Carien Schippers @imagequine
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 we decided that enough was enough. It’s been a good...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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....
Why I Do It- Debbie Zanot
On November 9th, 2011, the sport of endurance riding lost a dear friend. Debbie Zanot, longtime endurance rider and Ride Manager of the much-beloved Elk Valley rides held in Pennsylvania during the late 90s and early 2000s, was a friend and inspiration to so many of...
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...
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...
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...
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...