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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[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...
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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...
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...
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...
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Being an AERC Ride Manager has its challenges. Those who have taken it on can almost be heard as they nod in near-violently enthusiastic agreement. There are so many reasons we throw in the towel, permanently or temporarily, or contemplate doing so. Perhaps writing...
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...
How Many Trips To The Well? Insights From A Sleep-Deprived Ride Manager
Being an AERC Ride Manager has its challenges. Those who have taken it on can almost be heard as they nod in near-violently enthusiastic agreement. There are so many reasons we throw in the towel, permanently or temporarily, or contemplate doing so. Perhaps writing...
How Many Trips To The Well? Insights From A Sleep-Deprived Ride Manager
Being an AERC Ride Manager has its challenges. Those who have taken it on, past or present, can almost be heard nodding in enthusiastic agreement as they read that sentence. There are so many reasons we throw in the towel, permanently or temporarily, or contemplate...
How Many Trips To The Well? Insight From A Sleep-Deprived Ride Manager
Being an AERC Ride Manager has its challenges. Those who have taken it on, past or present, can almost be heard nodding in enthusiastic agreement as they read that sentence. There are so many reasons we throw in the towel, permanently or temporarily, or contemplate...
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