Ready for 50?

[Sue Brown <sbrown@wamedes.com>]

Thanks to Richard for sending me the URL for the article on getting ready
for 50 miles (at http://www.foothill.net/tevis/training/ )...*however*...it
didn't tell me anything I wasn't already doing.  It's pretty basic and
covers what everyone should be doing in preparation for any mileage with a
green horse.  Good article, btw, but it didn't tell me anything new.

What I want to know is (2 questions) -- 1) With horses you have been
getting ready (doing all of the stuff in the article) and have done a
season of LD...how do you know when they are ready to make the jump to a 50?  

2) How do you know when a green horse (who has also been prepared according
to the steps in the article) is ready?  I'm reflecting here on the horse
who has lots of energy and "go" down the trail that you'd rather *start*
with a slow 50 rather than an LD.  The humans involved here have never done
a 50 on any horse...so we don't know what it's going to be like -- ie, we
have no way of judging their readiness.

I know a lot of you prefer to skip LD with certain horses...how do you know
when that horse is ready to start competing?

I *think* we're near ready, but I have no personal frame of reference.

Sue
*************
Sue Brown
Tyee Farm
ARICP Certified Riding Instructor
Recreational Riding, Dressage  
Marysville, Wa. 
sbrown@wamedes.com