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asking too much



Personally, I don't think it's the sport which is hard on horses, I think it's people.  They either take a horse into a discipline for which that horse is not suited (because of conformation problems, for instance) or they simply don't take care of the animal whilst it is competing.
 Tracy,
I think you are absolutely right. However, there are some sports that are just plain hard on the joints, bones and muscles no matter what. Take jumping for example. I went to a jumper barn once to do some massage. Not one horse did I work on have clean legs. Not one. This was a well know barn with a highly regarded trainer. I believe these horses got the best of care as the trainer was the one to hire me to massage these athletes. I found this to be true in quite a few other hunter jumper barns as well. Muscle wise, they were in pretty good shape. But major joint areas were swollen, splinted, injected every 6 weeks or scarred from some surgery or another. (I am not picking on any discipline. this one just stands out in my little mind)
 
I think people who breed without really taking into consideration how important confirmation is to the discipline of the horse do not help the horse at all. Confirmation doesn't have to be absolutely perfect, but as close to perfect as it can be to have an all around athlete that will hold up to any hard work.
 
When I bred my mare, (who I believe is quite exquisite ) I looked for the best stallion that fit everything I was looking for. It was expensive, but worth it. Our Mucho Dinero is beautiful, and very well put together. He should be able to do anything, and very well at that. The costs involved in maintaining an athlete can empty a check book in a hurry. I think some owners won't or can't spend the money to keep their horses healthy or to fix an injury. That can be hard on horses, too.
 
It has been my observation that when I go to shows (rarely) and look at other people's tack areas, I see special "gadgets" to make the horse do what needs to be done. Lots of polish and grooming supplies. Granted, I don't see the home care. But, when I am at endurance rides, I see the best hay, electrolytes, special feeds, and for the most part horses just being pampered.
 
So while endurance riding is hard on all of us, I think endurance horses get the best maintenance care.I also think endurance riders as a whole, are way more knowledgeable about horse care, nutrition and the overall condition of their horses at any given time. That makes it much easier on our equine partners. It does set us apart from other disaplines;)  Lisa Salas, The Odd FArm


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