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RE: [RC] Riding Too Slow - heidi

Frank - I've never quite understood the 'going to slow is just as bad'
thing. The only circumstances that it might apply to would be if the
saddle/tack doesn't fit well, and every minute in the saddle contributes
to pressure or pain. Or maybe going too slow, for too long, just plain
old wearing out the joints or causing enough small stresses to equal one
big one. The Trilby's and Les's have pretty much proven that a horse
that does slow miles, can usually do a LOT of miles.

I'd say that going as slow as Trilby does takes a REALLY exceptional
horse!  Yes, a horse CAN go "too slow" and be more stressed than if he
sped up a bit.  Can't begin to count the number of times I've advised
riders at the back of the pack to do just that, and their horses have
looked MUCH better post-ride as a result.

Each horse has his own "optimum" speed.  And while going a lot slower may
be less of a stress than going too fast, it is nonetheless harder for him
than going his optimal pace.  At each gait, he will have a speed at which
he is most comfortable, and that is the speed that should be used. 
(Actually, Trilby has tended to pick horses with outstanding walks, and
does utilize that gait a lot--so in a sense, she is still following this
rule...)

We have a good "slow coach" babysitter horse whose optimal speed puts him
in at around an 8-9 hour 50.  We use him to start and pace our beginner
horses.  But by about their third ride with him, if they have any aptitude
for the sport at all, it is simply time to "move on"--to just lengthen out
their strides a bit to what is actually more comfortable for them.  Their
recoveries improve, their CRIs improve, and they look better post-ride.

While it isn't always a good parallel to compare horses to mechanical
things, consider going too slow to be on par with lugging your engine all
the time...

Heidi



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Replies
[RC] Riding Too Slow, DVeritas
RE: [RC] Riding Too Slow, StephTeeter