racing and long term soundness

[Chelle Sherman <cms@fluent.com>]

Hi - this one is for Tom, because I've watched and followed his
discourse and folks' response to it for a couple of years now, and never
DARED risk that he might throw some flames my way, but I'm feeling
asbestos-clad today, so here goes. Tom, I hear you when you talk about
winning as a goal and how carbo-loading and certain conditioning methods
(it seems to me like a lot of speed, really), will help a horse/rider
team to get there. This is fine with me, although winning is not my goal
at this time, I certainly support those for whom it is, and don't
condemn your methods because I haven't tried them. What I want to know
is, does this type of carbo-loading/speed conditioning method burn them
out after a while? Do you have any evidence to the contrary? I have
certainly seen a lot of burned out track racehorses, who no doubt have
been engineered and conditioned for maximum speed over the short term.
Now, there may be a fair number of endurance riders who are focused
primarily on winning, and have plenty of money to replace their mounts
after they burn them out, but that's not me (and I'd bet its not most of
the ridecamp audience, either). My time and money are hard-won, and my
horse is my partner. His long-term soundness and well-being are
paramount to me. I don't have another sitting on the bench in case of
injury. It is not a victory for me if my horse doesn't love his work.
How do you know that your program will work for the long-haul? If you've
covered this before and I've missed it, I apologize for asking you to do
it again.

Seriously, I ask this with curiosity and respect - please don't insult
me.

Chelle Sherman
Plainfield, NH