Just returning to riding...

[guest@endurance.net]

Christine McLaughlin duchessofdirt@yahoo.com
     Okay...looking for practical advice. I have had my arab mare,
"Kalima", for 10 years (she's 16 and very healthy). Due to the birth of my
FOURTH child, I really haven't ridden much in the last couple of years.
Mainly just "fooling around" riding, and bareback at that! I have recently
(my 4th baby is almost 3 now!) started lunging her on a steady basis &
hope to do more in the spring. I am also looking foreward to "real" riding
again, including trails. I want to become closer to my horse & do things
that we have never done before. Endurance riding has been suggested to me
over & over & I have become very intrigued... Although, I realize that we
have a lot of conditioning to do, my delemma is that my horse is boarded
15 minutes from my house & with four kids it is unrealistic for me to
believe that I can condition her for hours a day with several different
techniques (plus,I have never ridden "dressage")like all the literature
suggests! Help! I really want to try this!

Thanks!  Chris