I have a few questions about my horse's behavior at her first 50. She's did 3 LDs and 1 NATRC ride prior to this 50.
First of all she much better behaved in that she didn't buck <g> but she was so much stronger than when I first started conditioning her last year (of course that is the point of conditioning). The more fit she gets though the more competitive she is becoming. She sees other horses moving off and she wants to go with them...and race them. I have never raced or done more than a collected canter on this horse while at a ride. We have galloped but only when alone on training rides. The last LD she walked in calm and cool.
The last 10 miles of the 50 this mare wanted to run back to camp. She acted very herdy when seeing the horses I had been riding with go faster and head for home. This horse never used to be that way, and I'm wondering why she is changing. I do NOT want her to become a herdbound/buddysour type horse and want to stop this before it becomes a habit. I made her walk and slow trot...it was quite agonzing as the easy thing to do would have been let her run but I want this mare to keep her head and know I'm in control.
I train alone and with another endurance rider and this doesn't seem to be a problem on training rides. I've also ridden in group rides where leaving the pack was never a problem so why now? Is there something about a 50 that makes them insecure? I also noticed this ride she was more aware of horses coming and going from VC, and would stop eating or drinking and stare at a leaving horse. This mare USED to drink at every stop and constantly chow down.
Any suggestion as to what is happening in her little brain?
BTW she finished great..longest it took to pulse down was 3 minutes at VC3. She was down at all the other vet checks
