Re: RE: Conditioning Question

["Sarah McIntosh" <smcintos@rapidnet.net>]

Thanks Wendy.

Saffy is 9.  From age 3-8 she lived in a 1/4 acre paddock.  From age 3-5 she
was lightly ridden by a teenage girl doing a bit of ring work, then Saffy
became a pasture ornament.  I got her in the beginning of april 99 and
mostly ponied her the first month.

We do a lot of slow mountain work (walking up and down steep hills).  I can
only ride 2-3 times per week and it is always spaced out, so I think this is
partly why she has stayed so sound (has adequate recovery time)

She did one 25 in Sept/99 and did very well.  completed sound and healthy
with good vet marks.  Only downer was back score because saddle was not
fitting great.

I will continue to build her up slowly as I have been doing.  She is a
really great horse to ride and I want to have her around for a long time.



<snip>  Pushing the work causes damage that can take years to
> correct - ask any one whose horse has pulled the suspensor ligament.
>
This is exactly what I want to avoid.
>
> To increase the work for the coming year, first write down exactly
> the miles and times that you have been doing this year. If you have
> done endurance rides, put down those rides as well.
>
> 1. Remember that the days off after a workout are just as important
> as the days of work. Never condition 7 days a week every week.
>
> 2. Either 1- increase the miles that you ride by 10-20%
>    or 2- decrease the time that you do the miles in by 10-20%.
>    And you might add an extra day of rest after a long ride.
>
> 3. Be careful about pushing too much. Restrict the time spent
> on hard roads. Really restrict the fast work on hard roads.
>
> So if you have been doing a short 1 hour ride that is pretty
> intense. Go out and do a 1 hour 10 minute ride at the same
> intensity.
>
> Or take your 4 hour ride, and do the same number of miles only
> now do it in 3 hours 40 minutes.
>
> If you have a day where you just go out and hack slowly down
> the trail, keep doing that. It's good for the mind and body
> of both horse and rider.
>
> And have fun.

Points taken Wendy.  Thanks a lot.
Happy trails,

Sarah McIntosh & Saffy
Abbotsford, BC
Canada


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