Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

I agree with Susan.  Conditioning is so important, if you don't do it, you 
will find out during your first 50 that you didn't.  I do believe lack of 
conditioning is the number one reason some horses get into trouble doing 
their first endurance ride.  Sometimes, it's a hard lesson to learn when you 
discover you should have tested this horse more before your first endurance 
ride.  This is, also, a good way to find out if your horse is endurance 
material or if it is not; finding out at the ride itself is never fun.

I'm not sure if you can over condition your horse to get ready but I'm quite 
sure that you can under condition them.  I see it almost every time I attend 
a ride.  It kind of stands out.

Like the Boy Scout says, "Be prepared."

cya,
Howard (not a Boy Scout but believes in strong preparation before a horse's 
first 50)


> From: Susan Young <glenn218@xxxxxxxxx>
> To: ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: Re: [RC]   What if your horse hates to condition?
> Date: Thu, 22 Apr 2004 09:19:57 -0700 (PDT)
>
> I've got to disagree here.  If you want to trot and canter the majority of 
> a ride, you'd better condition that way as well.  If you walk 5 miles at 
> home and your horse recovers to resting within a few seconds, you can't 
> expect that after trotting 25 miles at a ride.  CRI is an excellent 
> indicator of how well the horse is recovering THAT DAY.  A little common 
> sense says that you've got to condition the gaits you'll use on a ride as 
> well.
>
> Aerobic conditioning requires the heart rate to raise to a certain point, 
> say 75%, and stay there for a period of time, say an hour.  By conditioning 
> aerobically several days a week, you are then preparing your horse to 
> safely do an endurance ride.  To ask him to do something different from 
> conditioning rides to endurance rides isn't fair.
>
>
> I dont think you NEED to condition the same way you ride a ride.  In fact, 
> I dont think you would want to.  You should be able to tell how well 
> conditioned he is by taking his p&r.  The point being that you need to work 
> him hard enough to get his heart rate up and know how long he takes to come 
> down.
>
>
> Susan [Young], The Wicked Princess of Pink
> Semper Obliquo (Always aside)
>
> Glenndale Grace Farm, Ft Gibson, Oklahoma U.S.A.
>
> "Ride on! Rough-shod if need be, smooth-shod if that will do, but ride on! 
> Ride on over all obstacles, and win the race!"         - Charles Dickens 
> (1812-1870)

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Far back, far back in our dark soul the horse prances... The horse, the
horse! The symbol of surging potency and power of movement, of action... 
~  DH Lawrence

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