Ridecamp: [RC] Newbie Horse Questions!

Ash just turned 6 and has been ridden since January. So
he's a newbie! :) We have been doing 6-12 mile training
rides since about April, riding usually 3 +/- days per
week. He is a SUPER easy keeper. Purebred arab, 14.2 hands,
he's the one with the 8" cannons, so pretty much built like
a tank. Anyway, we did a longer ride a couple of weekends
ago, about 16+ miles, stopped about 10 miles for a
grain/beet pulp meal and grass for about 40 min. He pee'd
about 12 miles and also drank about the same time. I know
mentally he's still a baby when it comes to work ethics,
etc. He is really a plug! I've ridden the fire-breathing
dragons, and he's content to walk or trot if asked. We
usually ride alone and he does have a little more pep in
his step when I ride with others, especially mares (he was
just gelded 1+ year ago.) But he gets SOOOOOOOO hungry on
longer rides, we are planning a 25 on July 27, and I'm
trying to vary our rides, more speed on hills, less
walking. So, is he just ravenous cuz' he's used to being
able to eat pretty much all the time? He's such a newbie
and needs to learn we're working now, not eating? He could
be missing out on some supplement? (He gets grass/timothy
hay, some pasture, beet pulp with about 2 lbs. of rolled
oats/1 lb. of cracked corn/1 lb. of rolled barley, Horse
Guard vitamins in the AM feeding and evening gets the beet
pulp and 2 lbs. of rolled oats.) No alfalfa right now.
Should I increase distance more often? Add in a long 20+
mile ride and just take all day and let him have an hour or
so to eat grass in the middle? Add alfalfa to his meals?
I've never had to start a new horse that didn't have any
sort of a job before, so any suggestions would be greatly
appreciated. It's like we're at a stage where I need to
change something, but not sure what exactly it is!! Help!



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Heidi-aerc#M20935  /\_/\~    http://www.synjinarts.com
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