Natalie asked:

Q: in an LD (specifically in a 25..in 30's the time factor is not so much of
an issue due to the extra 1hr 15 mins you have to finish the ride), would
you like a 1/2 hr hold at the VC or a 1hr...WHY?? Also, have any of you
noticed more horses at the end of an LD that has a 1/2hr vs a 1hr hold, that
were pulled for metabolic or even needed treatment? (Remember to try and
factor ride conditions in...of course a hot/humid/difficult terrain ride is
more likely to have MB pulls than an easy ride of the same distance/hold
time).
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You're fairly well stuck with what the head vet and RM decide. I sometimes
wonder about this, as it is common for 50's to go 30-35 miles on 15-20
minutes hold, or even a stop and go. I've even gone more than 25 miles
without stopping at all. Personally, I think anything 30 minutes or less
doesn't give the horse enough time to rest, if it is hot, you're
hard-pressed to get through the vet check, pull tack, put tack back on, and
go in 30 minutes.

That said, let's look at what changes with a 30, 45 and 60 minute hold over
25 miles - also figure in an extra 10 minutes to pulse down. If you're going
slow enough to worry about over time, and you don't pulse down in 5 minutes,
something is wrong.

30 minute hold - 4.7 mph, or 12.8 minutes/mile
45 minute hold - 4.9 mph, or 12.2 minutes/mile
60 minute hold - 5.2 mph, or 11.6 minutes/mile

I think it is ironic - to some extent, I think the vets and RMs try to slow
down the LD riders with long holds, but end up making them go faster to
compensate. Might be a good thing for the front runners, some of whom ought
not be going that fast, but it makes it harder on the slower ones.

It isn't a huge difference, unless you have a lot of steep climbs, or a lot
of rocks, and you're doing a lot of the ride at 3-4 mph. I wonder about this
- the ride I was at last weekend had a lot of people over time on the 25,
and I'm not hugely sympathetic - I tail-ended the 50, had a lot more
elevation change, and was at the 25 mile (highest) point in less than 6
hours.

What I think gets people is this - when minutes count, you have to mind your
time carefully. If it is at all remotely flat and good footing, trot, even
if only for 50-100 feet. Mind your hold times - don't leave camp very late,
and be on your horse when the timer says go. If you've got a stretch of good
footing, do it at 7-8 mph.

Though I am curious - what leads you to ask this? You've got more miles than
I do, and know this stuff already.