Somehow, the Arab seems to have many physical characteristics
that make him more suitable for endurance than most other breeds, but this is
not ALWAYS the case. For example, some people who ride Morgans admit that
the breed is slower to recover P & Rs and slower to cool down their body
core. But I have seen some who do very well. I have seen the
occasional TWH in endurance, but have no input as to their recovery rates.
There has been the occasional Quarter Horse with a lot of TB blood in it that
has done well, really well. The occasional Mustang has been know to do
well, too. I would guess that you could ride any breed you
wanted to, as long as placing first is not your top priority. Stamina
would come from conditioning, rather than the breed, I should
think. And one can ruin the tendons of any breed if he doesn't
use care and consideration. I can't speak from great experience because I
have placed first only twice in my 33 years of endurance riding, but these are
my observations.
My question is this...if you are riding an arabian and the "idea"
is to keep a trot going over long distance for the race, then why
wouldn't a gaited horse be more suited or the cross as someone
mentioned? My life of horses has been mainly riding trail/show the
quarter type horse, with a dabble here and there in some gaited
horses. I guess I look at it as a gaited horse naturally covers
more ground and more smoothly, why would that not be the best
ride? I was told that a gaited horse could not fair as well,
because of the stamina, and because their tendons couldn't take
it. But if the horse is built and bred for what he does, how can
it then hurt him? I guess not knowing anything about all of this
yet (endurance) brings me to that. I would think that the long
gait would be more healthy, than to try to keep a horse in a trot?
Just wondering????? thanks : )
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