RC: Qtr. Horses

["guest@endurance.net" <guest@endurance.net>]

Barb Peck bpeck@together.net
Barb Peck
bpeck@together.net

Depends on the type of QH.  The ones with a larger
percentage of thorobred blood, with less bulky muscles
would be better than the foundation heavily muscled horses.

I have a big (1300 lb 15:2) foundation bred QH that took
3X the training time to get him ready for a 25 than it takes
for the average arab. 
Once in shape, it doesn't take much to bring him around again.
It's the initial conditioning that takes so long.
He has a 24 heart rate, and great recoveries, and pretty much
has to lope the whole way (he's no speed demon) to be a middle
to end of the pack finisher.
Heat dissipation is the big thing you have to worry about, and
replacing the electrolytes.

I'm not doing any more with him, as I think he just too darn
big.
You can do it, but it's alot of work.

Barb
(and Leo Silver, who's now just going to be a pleasure
trail horse)