Ride managers are very influential in attracting new riders and new AERC members into the sport of endurance. They perform several duties for the AERC organization when taking on the task of managing a ride. Not only do they collect rider fees and drug test fees, but many ride managers become recruiting agents of new members for the AERC. This duty should be taken seriously.

The ride manager, in most instances, is the first form of contact for the prospective member. They are often contacted by phone or through an e-mail message from riders who want to come to their rides to see what endurance riding is all about.

Encourage . . . volunteering

Be very encouraging to these people, educating them in endurance riding and horse welfare but also making them aware of just how much fun this sport can be. Since they want to find out about endurance riding, invite the "wannabe" endurance rider to come to your ride as a volunteer. Train them to be veterinarian scribes; this is a very good place for prospective endurance riders to learn, plus it gives the ride manager an extra hand.

If the new rider is wanting to bring a horse to ride your ride, encourage them in their endeavor. When they arrive be sure to make them feel welcome. Make endurance riding's first impression a good one that will make the new rider want to come to the ride and be around other people and riders like you. Try to find a willing, experienced rider who can take time to "show them the ropes."

Encourage . . . joining

If the ride manager or ride secretary sees on the ride entry that the entrant is not an AERC member, try to get him or her to join. Have the AERC membership form readily available; they are included in the ride packets that are sent out by the office. Explain to the non-members that they can save $15 that day by becoming a new member before the ride, thus avoiding the $15 day member fee on top of the entry fee. On the ride result forms, when a non-member has joined at your ride, just write "pending" in the space that asks for the AERC number.

Ride managers must remember to gather all the day member (non-AERC members) contact information and send that information to the office so that they can be contacted for membership purposes. The day member information form is located in the AERC ride packet.

Encourage . . . education

A great way to educate the new rider is to create a "new riders' packet" to hand the first-time endurance rider as they register for your ride or to mail before the ride date to the prospective riders. This packet should include an explanation of what endurance riding is all about, information about conditioning for a first ride as well as an Endurance News and AERC membership application. If you need help creating this be sure and contact the Membership, Media & Marketing (3M) Committee or the AERC office. Some regional organizations have some really nice informative packets available for the first-time riders.

Each ride should offer a meeting for new riders. A ride manager may ask a very experienced rider, in advance of their ride, if they would be willing to lead the new rider meeting. This meeting is generally held immediately following your ride meeting. Many new riders are shy and do not want to raise their hands when you ask if there are any new riders, so it may be best to announce that there will be a new rider meeting, give the location of it and ask that anyone new to endurance or just wanting to learn more about the sport attend. Take the new riders step by step from the start to the finish and through the vet check procedures. Be sure in this meeting to emphasize having fun and finishing is winning.

All experienced AERC members should seek out the first-time riders to help them through the entire ride process. It can be very confusing in the vetting area if you have never been to a ride in your life. Most endurance riders try to be helpful but many times we are so involved in setting up our own vet check area that we never notice a person who looks lost. We all need to remember how we felt on our first few rides and how a friendly face can make it a much more pleasurable experience.

Also some of the more experienced ride volunteers can be helpful in giving the new rider guidance. Often as a pulse taker we will see struggling riders in the vet area and take them through the pulse area and on to the vetting area. The new rider will be aware of the goodwill gestures and will go away with a better appreciation of endurance riding and riders. All AERC members can make the first-time rider feel welcome on their first endurance ride.