I received a very thoughtful letter recently from one of the most respected people in endurance riding. The letter expressed the concern that the vast amount of information and misinformation available on the internet is actually scaring people away from endurance riding.

(I am reminded of one of my favorite cartoons: a picture of a dog typing at a keyboard, with the caption, "On the internet, nobody knows you are a dog.") A few days reading of online endurance discussion groups, as well as going to various websites purporting to offer advice, can lead the new prospect to believe that it will be years before she or he dares enter a ride, that the endurance horse will need to be fed an elaborate concoction of supplements, that the horse must have perfect conformation, that debilitating ulcers are rampant each time the horse is trailered, that disasters are common, etc.

In actuality, many of the great horses in our sport started their long endurance careers early, had minimal or no supplements, had obvious conformation defects, did not apparently have ulcers despite extensive trailering, and never had a disaster over a decade or more of competitions.

To complicate matters further, anybody can purport to be an expert on the internet. Information online is much like gossip in the small West (by God) Virginia town where I grew up. Information spreads rapidly but it may or may not be true. And people seem to get some sort of perverse pleasure from telling every horror story they ever heard publicly. But in a small town one knew who had credibility and who did not. So the "horror stories" were dismissed or put in context and the misinformation was usually sorted out quickly.

This letter prompted me to ask what advice I would give to new prospects eager to learn whether endurance riding is for them. Where should a "newbie" turn for information? More importantly from an AERC standpoint, how does AERC reach out to prospective members with the right messages? How do we help members and prospects sort the good from the bad and right from the wrong?

First, I would advise any new person to find a mentor. To quote from the AERC mentor web page, www.aerc.org/Education_Mentor.asp: "The origins of mentoring can be traced back to Homer's Odyssey where Mentor, an elder from Ithaca, was asked by Odysseus to become guide, advisor and teacher to his son Telemachus when he was away fighting the Trojan Wars. Mentor was actually the goddess Athena, the goddess of wisdom. She had assumed Mentor's form and was a wise and capable teacher to Telemachus. The meaning of mentor has evolved through the ages and a mentor is now regarded as someone who is a wise counselor, a sponsor, a guide, a facilitator, a coach, a teacher and a role model."

So, one choice in finding a mentor is to go the AERC web page and contact one of the mentor liaisons or mentors. Another choice is to find a local rider who has an admirable track record of completions, is known for her or his care of horses, and is willing to be a mentor.

Beyond finding a mentor, the new person has some other steps to pursue:

-- Join AERC (of course I would advocate that).

-- Read Endurance News.

-- Read the educational information on the AERC website, particularly the Rider's Handbook.

-- Supplement with books on endurance riding.

-- Go to local clinics, if available.

-- Definitely go to rides to observe, ask questions, assist ride management, crew, etc.

However, most importantly, endurance riders learn by doing. Start with a suitable (need not be the ideal) horse and a sensible conditioning program. Start riding longer distances and/or more challenging terrain, preferably with experienced, respected riders.

Note that there are no magic formulas, hence the need for guidance from experienced endurance riders. No one answer fits every situation For example, some endurance people say it takes two years to develop the musculoskeletal system of the horse once you start training. If fact some people on the internet will severely criticize anybody who dares to compete before that. Such a "rule" simply cannot be made in general. A horse raised in the sand hills of Nebraska for four, five or six years -- as were the Hyannis and Rushcreek horses that have excelled for years in the sport -- can be fit years ahead of one that was raised in a backyard paddock.

In fact I took my first Arabian, Ramegwa Drubin, on his first slow and easy 25-mile competitive trail ride less than four months after I was the first person on his back. Some internet "experts" would probably roundly criticize me for having done so. However, Drubin is a small, tough horse that matured early and came "pre-conditioned." He had spent his first four years running on a very hilly and rocky 150-acre farm. He is still doing well at competitions at the age of 23.

On the other hand, a horse we purchased that was raised in a small, flat pasture took far more conditioning before he was ready for a competition and had to be brought along much more slowly.

Basic endurance riding is simply riding long distances with good horsemanship, something we as humans have been doing for eons. It need not be complicated. Note that the internet has tremendous value when you want to research a problem or seek advice on a specific situation; for example, what is a ride like that you are considering attending, find a contact, etc. But you have to know how to assess the credibility of the information. That's where your mentor and other experienced equestrians come into the picture.

In summary, find a good mentor, take advantage of AERC and other information sources but listen carefully and critically. Find and train a good horse, do your conditioning and then "just do it." Do ride with common sense and conservatism but do it. In fact, the sport should not be a torturous path for a newcomer. Rather, the essence of the sport should be enjoying long distance riding with your equine and human companions. Let's ride, really ride.