Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

In a message dated 03-05-31 20:45:41 EDT, heidi@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx writes:

<< In recent years, I've come to the conclusion more and more often that we 
are frequently asking horses to do this sport that simply are not suited to it. 
And it is one thing to participate in a limited way simply because one 
happens to like the horse, wants to ride, etc.--but something else entirely to 
work 
and work and work to micromanage such a horse to get him to a higher and 
higher level of participation.  I think there should come a point of "reality 
check" where one backs off and says, OK, this horse can comfortably do 3 or 4 
50's 
a year, at a moderate pace, but more than that causes him to go past his 
comfort zone.  And some of the extreme effort that goes into micromanaging 
unsuitable horses would perhaps be better spent in selecting horses with more 
aptitude for the sport in the first place.  Conditioning and miles under saddle 
will 
improve any horse.  Just as basic dressage will improve any horse.  But just 
as one has to be realistic about a dressage horse that can't make it past 
training level because he is built wrong or doesn't have the mental "wiring" to 
do 
so, one also has to be realistic about horses that do not have the physical or 
metabolic aptitude to go beyond basic fitness and an occasional completion on 
an occasional ride.  >>

Well put, Heidi!  I had to face up to the fact that my mare was not mentally 
cut out for distance riding.  I did 5 LDs on her back in 1999 over a 5 month 
period.  We started out slow (barely beating the 6 hr cut off) and gradually 
became mid-packers.  She learned to eat great in camp and at holds.  Bombproof 
and confident on trail.  Pulsed down great.  But - she *hated* it.  Hated to 
head out on that second loop.  Got to where, when she saw me packing the 
trailer 
for a ride, she'd go stand in the far corner of the pasture with her head in 
the corner.  After the 5th LD, I just couldn't keep making her do something 
that made her so miserable.  She's very laid back (ok, lazy <G>), likes to 
putter along the trails, but trotting 25 miles just wasn't her "thing".  We 
still 
have her (she's our 28 yr old gelding's sweetheart), and we love her dearly, 
but distance horse she ain't.  She'd make a great kid's horse.  I went horse 
shopping and now have a horse who loves nothing better than to chase horse 
butts 
down the trail at Mach 8.  <G>  He thinks he can do that for all 50 miles, but 
after the first loop, usually listens to me for the rest of the ride.  It was 
hard to make the decision to start over with another horse, but now when I go 
out to get my mare and she comes to greet me, it's all worth it.

Dawn in East Texas 
and Mackenzie (please don't make me do that anymore, mom!)

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