body clipping and hardpacked dirt/some gravel roads

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

Amanda Stewart abarker3@wvu.edu
I am a newbie...planning a much needed escape from the show ring for a while,
and am very excited about endurance riding!
I have 2 questions for you vetrans:
1.Here in WV, up in the mountains, we have a "real" winter...totally
unlike the TN winters I grew up with.  In TN, we trace clipped 
our foxhunters.  What do you think about trace clipping our 3
endurance prospects for winter training?  One is arab, one is Arab/
AQHA, and one is AQHA.  I am considering clipping to speed up
the cooling out process.
2.We have miles and miles of hardpacked dirt/gravel roads through
the countryside (these are traveled by cars also).  A VERY good and
prominent endurance rider (name to be withheld to protect the innocent/
guilty) said that they train on these types of roads also.  We are
planning to add thin pads at the next farrier visit.  What is 
the general feeling about training on this type of surface?