"A couple of people have mentioned "little Mommesin" and "tiny
Monsieur Joseph". How big are these horses?"
Mommesin is just under 15 hands . Her athletic ability stems from
excellent conformation and a lineage of "Black Type" (Stake Winners, Stake
Producers). She has a well laid back shoulder, long humerus, long forearm, short
cannon, strong back and powerful hindquarters resulting in a very long fluid
stride. Having large fleshy nostrils and good distance between her jawbone she
is able to breathe in a large amount of air to rapidly replace the
essential oxygen supply to her red blood cells.
Combine these factors with a superb athlete like Alyx Luck who is
herself thin, very fit and trail savvy having over 7000 Endurance miles and you
have a very competitive horse/rider combination. I think the
attributes mentioned above are shared by all of the Top Horses/Riders in
Endurance as well as the Top Horses/Riders in any of the Sporthorse
Events .
Important factors in Mommesin's placement on this ride was that
Alyx had her very fit and "Race Ready" having recently completed a
100 Mile ride. While nominated to the AERC NC 100, the actual decision
to compete in this ride was made three/four days after PAC when
she began bucking/leaping obviously full of herself. The Lucks
make certain she arrives at a ride well enough in advance that she
is relaxed, ready to compete. They also give her time to
recover before vanning home.
The size (height) of a horse is not as important as is the power, angle of
shoulder, length of stride and ability to oxygenate their system. Height becomes
a factor when a rider is tall and needs to be in balance with the horse he/she
is riding. If the combination of horse/rider is out of balance then stride most
certainly will be affected. If the horse is carrying too much weight the oxygen
supply needed to sustain speed and distance will be used up rapidly resulting in
early muscle fatigue. (JMHO .. knowledge gleaned from my years as a
Licensed Race Trainer)
Mommesin's Race Win photo from several years ago is on my website at
:
This website needs to be updated. There are no photos of Mommesin's
Endurance Rides, nor Staccata's recent Win Photo's from Delaware Park.Still
listed are several horses including Stacctinacity who is with the
Lucks in preparation for her Endurance Campaign. Have promised to update
soon.
There are currently three outstanding geldings sired by *FA Staccato
available for purchase; Stacc 15'2 Endurance Winner owned by the Lucks,
Stacctition 15'1 Endurance Career sidetracked by Lydia's move to
Arkansas, and Staccniet 15'1 Ridden by his owners for trail riding.
Like Mommesin they all have the long fluid stride that Staccato's "Get" are
known for. If interested eMail for details.
