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[RC] mixing the two - Patti Kuvik

Deb...
What a wonderful opportunity for these kids to learn how to properly
feed/condition/read their horses! Even for a short (15 mile or so) "fun" or
"training" ride, they will need to learn to condition and rate their horses.
At Scorpian Sting (my first exposure to endurance - as a pulse taker) most
of the "fun ride" horses had trouble pulsing down; a couple of horses that
did really well were 4H kids that ride the bejeebers out of their horses
every day yet seemed really tuned in to caring well for them.
A "show horse" that is conditioned by trail work is prettier (the rounded
curves come from well conditioned muscle instead of obesity), carries
himself better (and with the new AQHA judging emphasis away from peanut
rollers and toward forward movement this could be an advantage), is more
sure footed and agile and is less likely to "anticipate" gait changes (as
they learn to do in the ring). And the kids will "naturally" become better
riders by having to adapt to terrain and gait changes and not worrying about
"how they look".
And they might discover the "pleasure" in their "western pleasure" horses.

Patti K
Vail AZ

From: DAldr94141@xxxxxxx
Subject: [RC]   mixing the two

Hi. I'm just interested in knowing if anyone has an opinion. I have a reason
for asking so here goes.
Does anyone think that it's possible to mix horse showing and endurance/CTR
with the same horse? I mean, anything is possible but I think it would be
tough
to do.
An adult friend who is heavily involved with his kids in 4-H and not into
CTR
or End. wants to introduce the western pleasure 4-H show kids to the sport.
I
mean, he would like the kids to do a small novice ride and thinks (and he's
right) that the kids would get to know their horses better, you know, read
their horses better. I know doing one isn't going to do it and that they
would
have to do many trail rides and who has time to do that and show every
weekend?
But, I've heard comments on how a show horse has a hard time going on trail
because it's too spooky for the horse, etc. because they are too conditioned
for the arena atmosphere. I had a mare who was coming along well at CTR's. I
entered her in a fun show and she tried to race around the ring to "catch
up" to
the other horses. Wasn't fun at all.
I was asked to help with this "project" and thought I'd get some feedback
before committing myself.
Thanks in advance.

Deb

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Black care rarely sits behind a rider whose pace is fast enough 
~  Theodore Roosevelt

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