Conditioning Tips/Arena

["Beth Glace" <lb@nismat.org>]

 Hi Truman and Sue,
Rather than thinking about how many circles it would take to get in x 
amount of miles, I'd rather think of how minutes it is going to take to 
get in x amount of miles.  I know that at a comfortable trot on the trail 
my horse typically travels 10-14 mph [depending on incline, surface 
etc].  In the ring she moves at about 7-8 mph; for any hour I spend in 
the ring I typically trot for about 45 minutes, covering approximately 
5+ miles.  Add in walking distance, and probably 1/2 -1 mile at the 
canter, and we have done a reasonable amount of mid-week [or 
midwinter] mileage.  I NEVER get bored in the ring.  I generally plan 
out what I am going to work on before I get on, and will sometimes 
ride dressage tests.  Challenges my memory and her attention, for 
sure.  Will always do lots of patterns and gait and pace changes, 
throw in jumping 2'6" fences [which she loves]. Just going round and 
round might cover some miles, but you might as well actually school 
while you are there.  Be creative.  As Sue points out, having worked 
with excellent dressage and 3-day trainers gives one lots to think 
about in the ring.  Is it the same as doing the harder pace, with hills, 
on the trail? No.  But it is a decent workout, and sometimes the only 
option.  
Beth Glace

Truman wrote:
<How  many 60 meter cirlcles would you have to do to get 3 years of  20 to 30 miles a week on the trial. A 60 meter circle is a bit less than 1/8 of a
 mile,
Sue wrote: 
> Why do guys always get so hung up on size?  I can go downstairs, put
> in a video and get a helluva cardio workout never moving from the
> basement. Doing serpentines, half passes and shoulder-in across an
> arena, I can put plenty of stress on tendon, ligament and build quite
> a bit of muscle.  

> I'm not sure they're designed to crawl over rock outcroppings or
> through deep sand for 50 or 100 miles, either, but we ask them to do
> it anyway.  And there's a big difference between a balanced circle and
> flailing around in something that approximates a round shape.

> If all a rider can think of to do in an arena is trot 60 m circles for
> hour after hour, then they should probably stay at home, anyway, lest
> they be confused by all those nasty letters and cones and things. 
> Guess I was just lucky to have worked with a world-class
> trainer---both I and my horses saw it all as games, and pretty lively
> and challenging ones at that.  And he came out of it fit enough to
> scamper through a straight-up-straight-down LD immediately afterwards
> and through a damn tough 50 two weeks after that. Was he ready to win,
> nope.  Did he finish it easily with good recoveries, yup.
> 
> Susan G
> 
> 
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