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
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Hooking the Newbies!
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 having once been a newbie) are just going to find this...
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...
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,...
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 It's two weeks before your ride and your phone rings. Turns out that both your head veterinarian and the other control vet scheduled...
‘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,...
The ride manager/head 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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...