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Re: [RC] moving up from CT to LD - heidiThe big problem that I have is when we get to a ride, they are so excitedthey want to run the whole time, and they do not relax into a moderate pace early on.What are some things that others have done to help teach pacing?<<< Starting them in Competitive Trail Rides (NATRC). If I have a new one who I think might get "race brain" from being passed a bunch by horses moving at many different paces, I start them in NATRC. Once they get their brains together, that they will go the pace *I* want, then it is much easier at an endurance ride to keep them focused at what I want to do, not what they want to do. I also like the 2 day format, asking the horse to go again a second day. What they did not learn the first day, often clicks with them the second day. As someone else stated (Heidi maybe) so much of where to start a horse, depends on the riders experience. Many experienced endurance riders can take a horse new to the sport, on a 50 mile ride as their very first ride. (and many prefer to do so) Riding the horse slow, using up the whole day can teach a new horse SO much about how to take care of itself, pacing etc. Well, yes, I was one of the ones who stated that I prefer to start horses on 50s. And the reason is basically the same as what you talk about in your first paragraph--so that they don't get race brain! With our green horses, we start as much as 15 or 20 minutes late, so that we are NOT passed by a bunch of horses. (Although I've had several riders from the SE tell me that the LDs race so hard there that if they go slow on the 50, they get passed by LD riders--and to that, I would say that ride management is not allowing enough time between the starts of the two distances!) By the time everyone else has pretty much left camp, we can take our green horses down to the start for a nonchalant start, and once they've gone 50 miles, they know that they are there for a long day. Within 2-3 rides, they are ready to start with other horses--and they look around with incredulity at the fussy ones, wondering what on earth is wrong with them, as we leave camp on a loose rein. And if 50 isn't far enough, then it's time to go further, instead of faster. If a horse is really talented, it is much better to increase the distance before one increases the speed too much--if they get to where they are doing 5-6 hour 50s and it seems "too slow" to them, then it is time to do 75 or 100, instead of doing faster 50s. 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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