>>A lot of people come out and try endurance and for whatever reason
don't get hooked and don't show up after a season or two.
What I was trying to say is it's the same people,
year after year, ride after ride, in the LDs, it's just that every season they
have a different horse. I figured they were training the horse, and it would
show up in 50's and 100's under another rider, but the horses just disapeared
and the riders name appeared with another horse.
>>since the biggest grip I hear is running the legs of a 4 yo. I
don't really think there are that many 4 yo's out there (at least in the SE)
getting their legs run off in LD's.
I fell victim to overriding my horse at too young
of an age, I didn't know how old she really was until about six months ago when
I asked my vet to look at her teeth, since she was still growing. I was
horrified to find out that she was just then around 4 - 5 years old. Did some
checking and she was broke as a 14 month old. This horse has mild tendon
problems from an injury as a 2 - 3 year old when she damaged a tendon, but
otherwise she has no lasting effects that I know of right now. She's been sound
for 15 months now, as long as we don't ride in sand. But, I don't think she
would have held up soundness wise if I'd kept riding at the pace I was and the
distance at her age. Time will tell if I damaged anything permanently... I'm
hoping to do 50's next year in her 6ish year old year and start 100's when she's
7ish. What I wouldn't give to be able to look at registration papers and really
know her age.
If you also look at the rides where you have 2-3 hour LD's you normally
have 3 - 4 hour 50's.
Yep... But you sure don't have 6 hour hundreds that
I've seen. Fastest 100 I saw was 9 hours and change.
I guess it all boils down to what your goals are.
I've got a great training buddy, we get along great. With her first endurance
horse she wanted to top ten in LD, she did, he ended up having soundness
problems and he's a trail horse now with a family. Her new "baby", he's a 4 year
old Arab she wants to do 50's and possibly 100's. To me endurance is being out
there and riding with the horse, her welfare before mine. And, my goal is to do
100's, make it to the Pan Ams, National Championships, Tevis, etc.. All the big
100's, Not to wear my horse out riding 2 hour 25s.
