Ridecamp: [RC] conformation, size, riding w/family

hi all,

first off let me state that i am a very conservative rider.  while i have 
always loved horses, being a city girl and just a teesy bit afraid of them 
(i am less than 5' tall and all horses seem so BIG to me) i came to 
endurance and real horse use and enjoyment late in life.  i have been 
blessed to find two completely different yet perfect horses for me.  i got 
both horses when they were older and well trained, but really have no idea 
what their early lives and training was like.  however i agree that sucess 
is determined by many varying factors.  i am most impressed w/what is 
between the ears.

baja is now about 16, is at least 15h, is arab/quarter cross, and i got him 
when he was 11.  he has a beautiful arab head, kind of a round quarter butt, 
good feet (size 1), tough looking legs, non-spooky, gentle as a lamb.  his 
last owner used him as a jumper but wanted a bigger horse and so sold him to 
me.  her mother tried to buy him back several times since!  we have done 
some 25's and a few 50's but he definitely is not a 100 mile horse.  
although he has only been pulled once for a stone bruise, he developes 
serios wind puffs on all four after any ride over 25 miles.

jasmine is now 22, is JUST 14h, is registered 1/2 arab (we don't know the 
other 1/2), and i got her at 13.  she has a plain head (which i think is 
beautiful anyway), a thin build, small feet (0 and 00), small legs, 
non-spooky, gentle but a little more assertive.  her last owner used her for 
pleasure riding but she had been standing in a corral unused for about a 
year when i bought her.  we have done a lot of ld and several 50 & up.  she 
has been pulled twice - once for a stone bruise and after 60 miles at this 
years tevis  because of a slight cramp low in her right rear.  i have never 
had problems w/her legs and she can trot so fast it takes my breath away any 
other horses have already broken into a decent speed lope.  i would give 
anything to lop ten years off her age.  i have a friend who is almost 6', 
nicely rounded but not fat, who had a bad horse accident in times past.  on 
the rare occasions she rides, she wants to borrow jasmine.

are baja's legs worse because of his previos work, or are jasmine's better 
because we did many more ld's before moving up (since we were new to 
endurance my friends and i were out doing long, slower rides all the time!)  
i don't know.  as a completer rather than a competitor it doesn't matter.  i 
let my horses tell me when they need to rest and when they're ready to go 
and we have always completed on time w/the exception of those times listed.

on riding w/ family, my husband used to pleasure ride w/me but than 
discovered a 4 wheeler that could climb a tree and then helicopters.  we 
both let each other indulge in our own hobbies w/ mild mannered teasing on 
both sides as to who has the best hobbie (i'm the winner right now because 
he crashed his helicopter  a couple years back - but i'm sure he'll get 
another some day).  I lovingly Pushed my 10 year old daughter into endurance 
- she was very shy and insecure - and four years later her confidence level 
was amazing.  we "won" last place many times, and it was well worth it.

i really enjoy this site, at least most of the time.  i will never consider 
myself an accomplished rider because i am always learning something new - 
something i'm sure my horses already knew and were just waiting for me to 
catch on to!

thanks to all who continue my education.

lonnie

















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