Re: long term conditioning.

["GESA BRINKS" <gesaeqfx@pe.net>]

I ponied the babies a lot.  I would turn them loose to follow mom, when we
were in a safe area.  My friend and I would each turn our  babies loose
together in the hills and then try to ditch them, while riding their moms.
They learned to watch where they were going (even at a dead run) and learned
to come when they heard us call them.  They knew WE had their moms.  When I
finally broke my Annee to ride, she was like riding a mountain goat.  I dont
recollect that mare ever tripping.  She stepped in a gopher hole once, and
should have fallen.  How she stayed up right was beyond me.  All of my other
foals, before Annee, were raised in a 2 acre grass pasture with other foals
and calves and goats and sheep.  Im embarrassed to admit that my foals dont
get ponied much now , nor do they have a grass pasture with playmates.  They
do however have large corrals and a large turn -out area to play.  Does that
count as part of the conditioning for the 5 yrs.?   Hope so.            gesa
n clovis
-----Original Message-----
From: Dot Wiggins <dotwgns@ruralnetwork.net>
To: ride camp <ridecamp@endurance.net>
Date: Wednesday, January 05, 2000 11:40 AM
Subject: RC: long term conditioning.


>If foals are born in the open and can move around immediately after birth,
>rather than in a stall or small pen, they have already started that
>conditioning.
>Furthermore, if they can be allowed to run in "BIG"   "ROUGH" pastures at
>least most of the time, until they are three or more,  two thirds of that
>five year conditioning program is already done.
>
>This doesn't mean no handling during that time, just not lots of
>confinement.   Any old time rider  knew that the range raised horses were
>always tougher and sounder than an otherwise comparable "flatlander".
>"Stall babies"  have a much harder time adapting to hard work.
>
>Horses that  have the chance to learn to be "horses" in the open and in a
>herd environment before they learn to be pets can usually take better care
>of themselves and their riders.
>
>I'd like to hear some pros and cons on this,  as I am aware that the
>opportunity to bring up horses this way is disappearing.   What  are any of
>you doing to compensate?
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
>Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net.
>Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/RideCamp
>=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
>


=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net.    
Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/RideCamp   
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=