Re: RC: A picture is worth a thousand words (was: Up HillorDown)

[CMKSAGEHIL@aol.com]

In a message dated 1/12/00 9:20:45 AM Pacific Standard Time, woa@stormnet.com 
writes:

<<  I still am confused, though, do most
 endurance riders trot or canter for most of the ride? >>

Depends on the terrain and on how competitive they are.  On 50's that are not 
too rugged, one generally has to do a LOT of cantering/galloping to be up 
front.  I'd say that the trot is nonetheless the backbone of the sport.  The 
best situation, though, is to develop BOTH the trot and the canter so that 
the horse can use both easily--hence using muscles differently at different 
times.  And to top it off, I'd have to say that the WALK is by far the most 
neglected gait in endurance horses.  Especially on tough 100's, the 
difference between a 5+ mph walk and a 2 to 3 mph walk can make or break you. 
 And having sat at the finish line for years waiting to vet those last 100's, 
I can assure you that all too many walking along in the dark don't exceed 2 
mph by very much.  And if your horse can consistently do 5 mph at a walk, you 
can afford to give him a nice breather from time to time without losing much 
ground.

Heidi


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