RE: Which horse? Feedback

["Kathy Mayeda" <kathy_mayeda@atce.com>]

"What I haven't
gotten as feedback (yet anyway)is the opinion that an 8 yoa who
hasn't been conditioned whatsoever may not have had the bone
stress and subsequent bone growth. Anyone want to run
with that angle?  Does living in a hilly pasture 
qualify for needed bone stress? Kristi"

I am wondering about this myself, but I imagine that you would
have to start slowly from scratch.  I am bringing my mare back
from a breeding layoff this winter and I'm sure that we will be
dinking around slowly for awhile.  She's gotten real fat and been
living on flat land.  I'll be turning her out into a hilly pasture
and riding slow and easy for the first couple of months, although
she's usually a maniac under saddle.

The advantage to having the 8 year old on hilly pasture is that there
most likely is good base muscle tone and good proprioception from
going up and down hills.  I know that in middle age people, bone
building exercise and nutrition can make a difference, so why not
for horses?

K.


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