Re: RC: Skip the ride?

["Carolyn Burgess" <carolyn_burgess@hotmail.com>]

Here's my story and you can figure out whether you should take your mare on 
the ride on the 16th.  This is my first year doing CTR and endurance, 
starting with CTR.  I didn't do it before this season because I didn't have 
a horse that could do it.  So I started looking to get one.  In the interim, 
I stole my husbands horse.  He is an 18 y.o. 16H Arabian gelding who has 
done trail rides for the last couple of years and was a pasture potato for 
the 6 years before that.  So I had planned on spending the winter 
conditioning this guy.  When he was in condition doing trail rides he could 
comfortably do 15 miles at a good pace (2 1/2 - 3 hrs).  But this past 
winter was terrible in New England.  So he got out through January for light 
work and February and March - NOTHING.  Other than running around in the 
paddock with his buddies he got no work.

Now, I have a 25 scheduled for April 28 and at the beginning of April,  we 
still have ice on the trails.  I finally was able to do some training, then 
rain, rain, rain.  I get to ride him on two decent training rides before the 
ride.  He completed the ride in just under 4:40 and he got a completion.  He 
was tired, but he was fine.

Carolyn Burgess


----Original Message Follows----
From: RhndLev@cs.com
To: ridecamp@endurance.net
Subject: RC:  Skip the ride?
Date: Fri, 8 Jun 2001 19:49:57 EDT

Okay, I need some experienced people's opinions here.  As you all may or may
not remember, I ride an 11 year old TWH mare.  Prior to my purchase of her 
in
the fall one and a half years ago, she was ridden on multi-day rides in the
Ozarks and did some Competitive Trail rides with a local group there.  She
was in great condition when I purchased her and could do a 25 mile easily
with excellent recoveries.  However, the next spring, I injured my knee and
then she had a minor injury to her knee and we rode a grand total of four
times all last summer and fall.  This year, we were staying on a 
conditioning
schedule a little better, and have done one 15 mile CTR, one 40 mile CTR
(over two days) and a 25 mile AERC ride.  However, in the last three weeks,
I've only had time to ride her once for 12 miles.  Between two children, 
four
years and six years, chicken pox, and full time work, I just haven't had any
time to even lunge her.

So, my question is, how fast do horses lose condition?  Is it safe to take
her out on a 25 mile ride on June 16?  And if so, what should be our riding
schedule between now and then?

Rhonda


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