Endurance Riding
April 14, 2023
BLUUURRRRGH, I really want to get into endurance riding! Like, the barrier of entry is still astronomically high, but also...closer than I've ever managed to get?
Like, riding my favorite breed of horse (because I'm basic like that, and Arabians are my jam) on super long trail rides through beautiful nature with mandatory vet checks to make sure everyone is still healthy and happy? The philosophy of "To finish is to win"? The slightly unhinged, beautifully mud-splattered feel of it all? HELLS YES, THIS IS EXACTLY MY JAM, YES PLEASE!
And like, it does also intersect with my Otherkinity. Cuz look. I'm Sonic the Hedgehog. I'm also a fuckin' alicorn.
Also I think I'm also horse hearted? Cuz my alicorn self is far enough from equid that it isn't, but close enough that it overlaps, too. I could also be horse therian too, instead of simply hearted, it honestly wasn't something I thought to consider until recently. Cuz hey, that's all encompassed by my alicorn self, right? Even though my unicorn culture maintained Very Strongly that they are not horses, and were cervine and elvey enough to make that stick? Yeah, shit gets hazy fast. (Chaos, when your parenthetical aside develops into its own full-on paragraph, am I right? Yeesh.)
But yeah, endurance riding. Or. Yanno. Endurance racing. Because it's a race. 50-100 miles of it. Racing on horseback across rugged country. Mountain trails, vast plains, that fucking insane climb on Tevis. The idea of actually DOING those sorts of things makes me euphoric as hell. These? The things I'm actually supposed to be able to do? The running, the exploring, the nature? And all with a beloved partner I work with so well we practically operate as one!? Um. Yes. Yes please.
And like, yeah, of course I'd start with limited distance and competitive trail rides (where the goal is to finish within a safe window, neither too slow nor fast, and the winner is judged by the condition of the finishers, most fit to continue wins), and might even ultimately prefer them. But CHAOS, is that an experience I want to work towards.
Like, it's hard for me to parse out, sometimes. Do I want it because I think I should have a goal or sport to pursue within this whole horse riding thing (because I do believe that past the basics, it does help to have a sport to help you grow and further your skills. Gain new experiences, keep learning, don't stagnate). Do I just like the idea of it, and the reality I would hate? Did I pick it arbitrarily entirely because I like Arabians, and this is Their Sport? Does any of that actually detract from my motivation, or am I arbitrarily deciding that my desires are impure because of my puritanical upbringing?
Soooo, yeah. I'm going to gradually pursue this, even though it's HUGE and dumb. Because that's what I do. "Giant animation project reflecting my parallel life? Let's gooo!" I'm doing some fresh research, and ran into the website of a local endurance riding group, so I'll see about making a connection and learning more about getting started and the community and whatnot. I'm enacting my plan to pay off my debts and save for a horse. It's still a loooong ways away, but it doesn't look impossible. Oh! And I'm scheduled for physical therapy on my knees and ankles, which is relevant, because I do not enjoy the pain!
To Finish Is To Win - Sonic