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1.) Patience. Learn the sport. Unless
you are riding an experienced horse (and it's regular rider is either crewing
for you or riding with you), do not expect to excel (top ten) for several years,
unless you have the money and personality to leave a bunch of wrecked horses
behind you.
2.) Time. To learn about horses in general,
and yours in particular, so you know when enough is enough for the horse you are
riding. The more I read and learn and ride horses (33 years and counting,
at this point), the more convinced I am that LSD is necessary for the RIDER more
than the horse, so that they know the difference between the horse having a
"good" day, a "bad" day, or a "great" day.
That's it. The rest - saddle
type, HRM, pit crews, beet pulp, electrolytes - depends on where you are
and what your goals are. For many years "endurance" saddles were whatever
hung in the barn. Western saddles (I think I've seen a picture of Wendall
Robie in one), old dressage saddles. What type of saddle did you ride your
first hundred on, Ms. Suhr? Horses have won World Championships wearing
double reined bridles (I've seen the videos of Rio). For everyone who
has a problem with the hot shoes, I was once asked this question - which is
harder on the horse, to finish in 5 hours and be standing at the trailer and
recovering, or to finish in 10 hours and be under stress the entire time?
Being a 10 hour middle to heavyweight rider (depends on the year), I'm not
sure. For that matter, is it easier for a horse to carry 220 pounds of
balanced weight or 140 pounds of unbalanced weight?
Take the time to know your horse and set your own
goals, preferably before the ride. Howard's goals (at least as they appear
in his stories) are a little different than most: he wants to stay with the top
half of the pack as long as he can, but he has no expectation of finishing the
ride. When the horse is tired, or he's tired, he's done. My goal
is to finish the ride, even if I come in at 5:58 for a 25, as long as my
horse is willing to continue. Decide on your goals BEFORE the ride,
based on your ability and your horse's ability. JMO, Laurie in Clare,
MI (#8768)
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