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Re: [RC] Problems with electrolytes - Barbara McCraryI now have a horse that I believe is going to be very satisfactory for me. I no longer want a raving lunatic (well, I never WANTED one before, but it seems like I've had my share of them), and this one appears to have started well. We have done one 50 miler, his first ride, and he was well-behaved and had great vet scores. I started his training slowly for several reasons. He arrived here in CA from Montana, a bit thin and dehydrated, with a look of mild shock from the long trip. I turned him out to pasture for a week to recover and get used to a new place. When I started riding him, I walked everywhere for about 18-20 months, mainly because he was spooky and I wanted to stay on him! Also, he was a prairie horse and forests spooked him. Tall trees and patches of sunlight on the ground startled him. He had to cross creeks and wooden bridges and get used to dogs running into and out of the brush. Walking and climbing lots of hills obviously paid off. He is well-muscled now, he climbs hills briskly. Eventually, I had to ask him to trot and to lope and to keep an even pace on the trail. I have figured him for lazy a few times, but on his first ride I found that he was all business and progressed along the trail in a thoroughly professional manner. I've had him two years, he has just turned eight, and I figure by the time he is nine he will be hitting his real stride in endurance. IMO, there is no such thing as a 30-day wonder; the process of developing a good endurance horse cannot be rushed. This horse has taught me SO much, stuff I never discovered in 30+ years of endurance riding. Part of it stems from his being by far the smartest horse I've ever known, and part of it comes from this "voyage of discovery", working my way through his idiosyncrasies over the past two years. He wouldn't even accept me for the first nine months, and he tested me several times. Then one day he looked at me and told me that he believed he would keep me. From then on we were bonded, much like a person and a dog become bonded. This is very flattering....to have been accepted by a horse as HIS person. I keep waiting for the day that he might reject me, but it hasn't happened. He still snuggles every time I stroke his face and talk to him. I have loved few horses as I love this one. Barbara From: <heidi@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> To: <jonnij@xxxxxxxx> Cc: <ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Monday, May 31, 2004 2:26 PM Subject: Re: [RC] Problems with electrolytes But, IMO, the best thing for a horse like this would be to do the rides as SLOW as possible, using ALL the time allowed. The longer the horse is out on the trail, the more likely it will learn it has to eat and drink. If the horse is zipping through 25's, and getting done in few hours, it has not had time to realize it needs to eat and drink, and take better care of itself. It may be hard and tiring to rate a horse like this, but in the long run, it will pay off, as you will have taught the horse how to take care of itself on the trail. It will learn it does not know how long of a day this is going to be, and it better drink when there is water, and eat when there is food. If the rider gives in to its pulling and wanting to race, then when you move up to longer distances, I feel your chances of metabolic crashes have greatly increased. I am really liking the idea of starting horses on Multi-day rides, going slow, teaching them they need to conserve excess energy, as they might have to go again the next day. I'll know how well this works after this summers XP2004, with one of my horses that I am taking who has very limited experience on rides. I will bet the first day he will be very excited about the other horses on the trail, and want to GO. But he will learn to go slow, and not be allowed to set the pace. Setting the pace is my job........WELL said, Jonni! I've likewise ALWAYS preferred starting horses on longer distances, but starting with the understanding that it takes three years to "make" a horse or realize his full potential, so we have plenty of time to go slow enough not to do damage while teaching him that it is gonna be a loooooong time 'til sundown, so he'd better make the best of it and figure out how to make his life pleasant. ============================================================ Just because someone tells you that your horse isn't "fit" for endurance...doesn't mean it isn't, it just means your horse isn't fit to be "their" endurance horse! Go for it, you never know what you'll accomplish with that "saddle horse" or "trail horse" of YOURS! ~ Darlene Anderson - DPD Endurance ridecamp.net information: http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/ ============================================================
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