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RE: [RC] re: any horse can do 25, etc. - Catfish DanielsHi Cindy: I WOULD have agreed with you up until this past weekend when I took a superbly conditioned young gelding, new to the sport to the Malibu Ride here in the PS region. He came fresh off the race track after two years of racing, and I had spent a good amount of time putting him into my own endurance training program consisting of 8, 13, and 24 mile training loops which he does with great ease, and acting and moving like a perfect seasoned gentleman. This horse looks and is in phenomenal shape. This past weekend was the Malibu Ride - his first endurance experience. Having a conditioned horse is one thing, getting him used to the sport and keeping him calm is another. Approximately 3-4 miles into the ride, even though we were towards the very back of the pack, he was so hyper that he was foamed all over and literally dripping like a wet rag. A complete wash-out. His heart was racing a million miles per hour. At the first vet-check I was forced to do a Rider-Option pull after only 14 miles because after an hour his heart rate was still jumping around between 60 and 80 bpm. The vets all checked him out and although he seemed a bit dehydrated due to all the sweat he had lost, he ate very well and had strong gut sounds. Metabolically he was doing very well actually. He was young and acting stupid - the exact words from the vets - prancing around whinnying and wanting to do anything but calm down. So, I agree with you that most horses that are ridden a reasonable amount would indeed be "fit enough" to complete a 25 miler, but I have learned that there are many more factors involved in getting a horse thru a ride and getting him to meet criteria at the vet check. Catfish DBL Realtors -----Original Message----- From: ridecamp-owner@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:ridecamp-owner@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Cindy Collins Sent: Tuesday, May 18, 2004 8:28 AM To: ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [RC] re: any horse can do 25, etc. Just fyi-`When I say that any sound horse can do 25 miles, I am saying that physiologically, many of my friends who ride their horses regularly whether it be in dressage, eventing, trail riding, etc. could take their horses and walk, trot, (and canter a little) through a 25 mile ride within the 6 hour limit with no problems or harm to their horses. I am not talking about some "cowboy" pulling a fat horse, that hasn't been ridden in months, out of the pasture and "over and undering" the horse through a 25. One of the reason so many of us "old timers" detest 25 milers is because that's the type of behavior we believe 25 milers bring out in folks...it is because doing 25 miles is within the reach of almost any sound horse of any breed. There is something about bumping up the distance to 50 miles that becomes "endurance" and only a relatively few horses can go that distance. (Remember, we're around endurance horses constantly and we get a skewed view of horse flesh...our horses are exceptional at distance). So, some local yokel is less likely to try a 50, but may try a 25 miler on a whim with no education or preparation. Getting angry at folks for stating the truth is silly. But, most of our arguments here are just that! Cindy ============================================================ We are talking about all the tools we can use to keep our horses safe and alive at the rides. Training/conditioning is one of the best tools available. It makes us better horseman and women, it benefits our horses and could quite possibly be the key to preventing most crashes. ~ Lisa Salas - The Odd Farm ridecamp.net information: http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/ ============================================================ ============================================================ The two best drugs to have in your kit are Tincture of Time and a Dose of Common Sense. These two will carry you through 99.999% of the problems associated with horses and endurance competition. ~ Robert Morris ridecamp.net information: http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/ ============================================================
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