Long Slow Distance

[Rides 2 Far <rides2far@juno.com>]

>>Well, it IS Long, Slow Distance.  

The idea with LSD is to apply stress, then allow the time for the body to
react to it by getting stronger...in small increments...three 50's
straight allows no time to react, only time for stress to build up to the
breaking point.

>>>It wasn’t his first choice, he had lost his horse a couple of months
ago due to a pen mates kick breaking his good horse’s leg.  Judging by
the results, he knows what he is doing. 

Did somebody force him to ride that day?  He had the option of saying,
"Oh well, next year".  Some people are very talented when it comes to
pulling unconditioned horses through.  It's painful to watch.  They
obviously have a real feel for the horse and it's a shame they don't put
it to better use.

>>>He was going vet check to vet check, playing it day by day and
watching the horses condition all along and would have called it quits at
any sign of distress. 

I've been guilty of this so I'll tell you what I did wrong.  I bought a 7
year old, broke Arab.  Owned him 7 weeks training the whole time.  An old
friend was coming back from Texas just to compete in a Tennessee ride and
she really wanted to ride with me.  There was no 25 that day so I said
I'd enter the 50 and pull when he got tired.  Well...he made it through
the vet checks fine so I ended up completing.  He was one tired puppy at
the end. We finished last place. He interfered and stocked up.  He also
gave me a look that let me know I was not his favorite person.  It took a
few months for him to like me again.  I ended up riding that horse 2 more
years and completing 10 out of 10 50-milers.  He never stocked up again
or interfered.  It was too much for that horse at that point in his
traiing and I was darned lucky to have gotten away with it. I shouldn't
have done it.  I also rode Kaboot in a DEEP sand ride for his 4th 50. 
Friends warned me it lamed many horses and I said, "I'll pull the second
I feel anything."  I felt it at 42 miles just after getting all "A's" at
a vet check.  Stopped immediately.  Ended up with a torn tendon sheath
and 4 months off.  Stopping "as soon as you feel something wrong" isn't
soon enough.  If endurance has taught me one thing it's that moving too
fast is usually the slowest route.  

Angie

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