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Re: [RC] Top five endurance horses-appys - Barbara McCraryMy Arab gelding came from a ranch in Montana, bred by a man whose grandfather bred remount horses. I asked him once WHY he was breeding Arabs in Quarter Horse country. He said, with a tone of voice that hinted of knowing something that no one else knew, that he found out that Arabs didn't get tired when they worked cattle all day and he could ride the same horse the next day, too. He must have had a lot of courage to buck the trend in cattle and QH country. My gelding is no halter horse, but he has good legs and feet, lower respiration than I'm used to, and terrific pulse recoveries. He also has a lovely disposition and was calm at his first ride. I have yet to see him tired, but I suppose it could happen. We'll see soon, as we're going to a 5-day ride in a couple of weeks. Barbara ----- Original Message ----- From: <heidi@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> To: <palouselady@xxxxxxxxx> Cc: <ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Monday, May 31, 2004 11:23 AM Subject: Re: [RC] Top five endurance horses-appys Heidi..........................That is soooooooo true. Not every horse is bred for the purposes of distance riding. Not every person is into distance riding. I guess it would be a very boring world if everyone liked the same things.Yes, it would be. However distance riding is a sport that brings out the best in general riding qualities, no matter what the horse's purpose, and far too many breeds are going to show horses that are unrideable for durn near anything. The Saddlebred that the modern Arab show horse resembles is likewise dysfunctional--his prototype was a good cavalry mount, but General Lee would not have gotten three days into his campaign on the modern version. The dysfunctional show QH is worthless as a ranch horse. Etc. Distance riding is a "generalist" sport--a horse suitable for riding in virtually ANY functional situation can "do" endurance even if he doesn't excel at it. And horses that can "do" endurance can also go out and cut cows, do dressage, jump fences, or whatever. I've always maintained that there are two disciplines that are basic to all other disciplines--those being endurance and dressage. If one approaches fitness from an endurance viewpoint and optimizes training from a classical dressage standpoint, one will improve ANY horse--even if one never sets foot on an endurance course or in a dressage ring. JMHO, but it seems to me basic to the nature of a horse that he should at least have the biomechanical structure and the metabolic capability to complete rides and the trainability to do basic dressage if he is to be a successful riding horse at ANY discipline. That doesn't mean that he has to go DO those things--but if he doesn't have the CAPABILITY to do them, he won't make much of a riding horse.... Heidi ============================================================ REAL endurance is reading the LD vs. Endurance thread/debate every 3 months!!! ~ Heidi Sowards ridecamp.net information: http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/ ============================================================ ============================================================ Common sense should also be a part of the decision making process. If you see someone who doesn't have any, hand them your tool box. ~ Lisa Salas - The Odd Farm ridecamp.net information: http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/ ============================================================
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