Re: Re: mare won't take care of herself

["kristine hammond" <tinka@reno.quik.com>]

Well Kathy, all of my arabs have come off the race track so I only know what
works with those horses.  I will tell you what I do and maybe you can use
some of these things that work for me.  First off the arabs off the race
track are taught not to eat or drink anything with a bit or bridle on.
Experience has taught me NOT to do the horses 1st season with anything less
than my dressage bit.  Then I switch to a mechanical hackamore the second
season.  I use a dressage bit because of the double rein system,  the top
rein of course is very gentle, and the bottom rein is for more control.
Anyway, at home I feed a light dinner at night, put the water bucket at half
full.  Then I plan a early ride for the morning.  I tack up (bit & all) and
ride out to a creek, wade in.  I live in the desert so I know my horse is
thirsty, and hungry.  There is fresh grass growing on the sides of the creek
and fresh water is running.  All 4 of my horses have immediately grabbed the
fresh grass.  None of have drank immediately, however!!!  Then I go for a
ride, long enough that I know they are really thirsty, and then head back to
the creek.  We wade back in, and of course they go for the grass,  I let
them munch on the grass for approximately 1/2 hr.  Sometimes they will
drink, sometimes not.  I have noticed they begin to "root" in the water with
their noses.  By the second time they are drinking and eating while we are
wading in the creek.  My arabs have all translated this as "good" and from
that point have ate and drank under saddle and bit during an endurance ride.
A word of caution, and a note to let those out there who might think I am
abusing my horses by feeding and watering at half rations the night before.
First I have never had to do this more than five times, and if it is really
hot (over 90) I do not withhold half of the water.
This works for me because I can take my horses out of the grass pasture, and
put them in a dirt paddock for the night.  And the irrigation creek is only
about two miles into the desert.  With this technique I also can accomplish
my "water" training easily.  (horses in the desert don't see ground water
often)  Sitting on the horse while they are wading in the creek, eating and
drinking also seems to calm these ex-race horses down, and causes them to
change their attitude.  As your horse never being raced.................it
has to be genetics and training!
I knew someone who also tried the techniqueof........opening them up, and
then beating them home.  Did not seem too successful to me, as the horse was
frightened of him forever after that, and we all thought he was a JERK!!!
He was my best friends husband,  and she was so mortified by his behavior
she cried.  It is not something I would ever suggest trying.
Now............I hate to say it but I agree with the vet.  I have spent more
energy trying to slow them down than it was worth.  It works for me and my
horses to start with the front runners.  They seem to be more under control
that way, and they are used to going fast.  Not that I let them
run.........but a fast extended trot or gallop does not seem to hurt them.
Then at least we use that energy for forward movement, instead of fighting,
and they are happy with that.
BUT.......the most important thing to do is............RIDE YOUR OWN
RIDE(RACE).  Do what is safe for you and your own horse.  I do this because
it works for me!!!
Long Winded-Kriss
----- Original Message -----
From: Kathy Mayeda <kathy_mayeda@atce.com>
To: kristine hammond <tinka@reno.quik.com>; <DESERTRYDR1@aol.com>
Cc: ridecamp <ridecamp@endurance.net>
Sent: Tuesday, June 06, 2000 6:06 PM
Subject: RE: Re: mare won't take care of herself


> Kriss, so fess up - what do you do for the wannabe race horse!  The guy is
> Russian/Crabbet/Polish been he's never been raced so does those genetics
> kick in?
>
> Someone I know (who actually has done only one 50 in his life) said he
> "opened her up" the first half and "beat her with a stick" all the way
home
> for a racy mare.
>
> On the last vet check, I told the vet that I fought my horse to slow him
> down the first half of the race, because he wasn't eating, wasn't
drinking -
> just wanted to beat all 30 horse in front of him.  The vet told me that
> sometimes fighting them takes more out of them than just letting him go.
>
> All my cautious riding buddies said that I should take it easy (as if I
> could).
>
> He wasn't tying up, but his hydration and gut motility was suffering and I
> didn't feel like testing the limit and getting a dead horse.
>
> So how do you make the horse eat and drink!
>
> I just hope this gets better with experience - both for him and for me.
>
> Kathy Mayeda
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: kristine hammond [mailto:tinka@reno.quik.com]
> Sent: Tuesday, June 06, 2000 8:00 AM
> To: DESERTRYDR1@aol.com
> Cc: ridecamp
> Subject: RC:  Re: mare won't take care of herself
>
> Jeri,
> I have found myself with the same problem as you on a number of
occassions.
> Is your mare off the Arabian race track?  The reason I ask is I have taken
4
> abandoned arabs off the race track and turned them into endurance horses,
> and had to deal with the same problem. My most favorite mare used to sniff
> the tracks in front of us and run like ........until she could not smell
> anybody in front of her.  Of course she ignored eating and drinking along
> the way.  I have a new gelding who came off the race track last season I
am
> still working on.  Did one 50 on him last year and he did not eat or drink
> anything before, during or after the race.  (also tried to buck me off the
> first 15 miles)  I might be able to tell you what I do to get my horses to
> eat and drink, but I have no experience with tying up.  Too bad about
Fog's
> stifle injury.
> Kriss
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: <DESERTRYDR1@aol.com>
> To: <ridecamp@endurance.net>
> Sent: Monday, June 05, 2000 10:04 PM
> Subject: RC: mare won't take care of herself
>
>
> > I don't know what to do.  My 6 yr old (Fog) has a stifle injury (i've
> written
> > about this) and never even got to her first ride.  I swore I would never
> > again compete on my older mare (Misty Moon).  Our last ride she peed
brown
> > after coming in 9th.  She had high muscle enzymes the year before that,
as
> I
> > got her over conditioned.  I did LD for three seasons, and top10ed four
> > times.  Sure wish I had Ridecamp from the start, I've learned so much.
> The
> > problem is I really want to do rides, even LD, even slow, even just to
> > complete.  Every ride that goes by I think I should just take Misty
Moon.
> > She looks pretty good this year, I've been riding her 8-10 miles a
couple
> > times a week, plus a little arena work.  Lots of people have written
about
> > bringing horses back after tying up etc.  Big problem is that she thinks
> its
> > a race.  If there is a horse ahead of her that she can see or even
smell,
> she
> > won't slow down.  She doesn't eat or drink much from the time she gets
in
> the
> > trailer.  She does eat and drink a little at vet checks, but wastes so
> much
> > energy that she could easily do 50's if she would just focus.  Has
anyone
> > every turned a wannabe race horse into an endurance horse?  I'm thinking
> she
> > just doesn't have the mind for it, but I can't sell her and buy another
> > horse.  any suggestions?
> >
> > jeri (I REALLY REALLY REALLY want to go!)
> > misty moon (I just want to go REAL FAST)
> >
> >
> >
> > =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
> > 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
> =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
>
>