Re: [RC] Western Raised horses out East - rackinfool
Well Roger, I ain't gonna guess, but I think
you may be interested in my situation.
I have brought down to date five Canadian
Horses of my own, and transported four others that went down to So. Cal. Much
different climate and terrain than what I have here in Southern
Oregon.
The last one, my Rocky Mountain horse was being
trained this winter in minus 40 degree weather with three foot of snow. He came
from way up north in Alberta almost to the NW Territories.
He never even had to climb an ant hill, much
less the 4400+ ft elevation that I ride in out of my barn.
I brought him down here the end of May, and he
was GREEN, GREEN, GREEN, and he was 100 lbs over weight.
We have had a horrendous hot summer in this
part of Oregon, 108 degrees and too many over 100 degree days, plus a few with
humidity that we normally don't see.
In Canada, he was eating five pounds of oats
per day and the hay was nothing that I have ever seen nor would I feed to my
herd.
He has completed two LD's and has done
super! He got into condition in no time with these mountains and his heart rate
at the Redwood Ride was way better than I expected.
D'Artagnon is six years old as of this past
June. He was a Stallion until about the end of last year, he ran with forty
other stallions on 200 acres, never had shoes on, never had to "answer" to any
human until he was started this winter.
I am taking him to Headwaters on the Rogue this
weekend for his third Ld. I plan to let him move out a bit faster, he can do it
with plenty to spare. That does not mean we are going balls to the wall, just I
am going to keep him at a good lick and watch his vitals and how he is reacting,
which in the past two rides, he seemed to really enjoy it.
In fact at Redwood, which was on the coast, so
a whole new environment, when we came to the VC, the pulser said he had the
lowest HR of any that had come in.
So in my opinion, which I imagine you would
call a guess, your horse will adapt just fine. All of my beautiful Canadian boys
never ever seemed to have any trouble with coming
Stateside.
I think someone asked this before, but now its my question.
It
does appear I may become the owner of a horse from MT.
I want to hear
from riders and of course vets. who have experience with moving a horse
form the great west and competing here in the east. I have 'heard' there
may be problems - with adaptation. The weather and humidity should be
just time, what about the nature things - hay weeds air , bugs all
the new stuff that he would be exposed to. He was born and spend his
whole life in MT mountains. He is 9.
What if anything could I expect to
a be a problem or issue.
( Please if you dont know or have not taken an
older horse from West to East - dont bother to 'guess' ) Thanks
Roger R V-MAX Equine HRM Equine Performance Technology 800 655
8629 423 253 3882 Phone or Fax www.vmaxept.com pictures http://community.webshots.com/user/psdendurance
