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Re: [RC] Re:starting an older horse - put on the miles - heidiHi heard Kerry Ridgeway, DVM say once that you only had until a horse was 10 or 12 to harden the bones, tendons and ligaments. After that you could only harden the muscle, and otherwise you got what you got. I had that experience with a really talented Witez II bred gelding that we didn't get until he was 12. He had been out to pasture and done mostly ring work. He loved trail riding and won his first CTR. By the time I was ready for the open division he was having soundness problems. I managed to finish my first 50 on him with rim pads, but I wonder what he could have been if he was conditioned earlier in life. So put on those miles now! I'm not sure I buy into that theory. I've started my share of horses in their teens and went on to a long and very competitive career with one, and never had soundness issues with any. Nor have I seen that to be a pattern when vetting rides, among horses that I know have been started late in life. It is true that all tissues age, but I've seen a lot more horses broken down from overriding too soon than I've seen break down from starting late. Heidi =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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