Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

> From: Dbeverly4@xxxxxxx
> Subject: Re: [RC]   Maryben's Impressive Record
> I've started two young horses in LD because they were  really 
> inexperienced campers in large groups of horses and they didn't 
> believe  in drinking away from home (quite unlike their owner). So 
> for these horses just  getting used to being in a ridecamp, a ride 
> start and the hecticness of  P&Rs WAS the training issue.  Sure I 
> can ride 25 miles to condition my  horse but I haven't yet found a 
> way to camp with a 100 other horses so they  learn to deal with THAT.

This is a very valid point for some people, depending on their 
"lifestyle".  I start my horses in 50s.  But, the entire year 
preceding their first ride, I make sure I expose them to the camping 
situation.  I camp with them, with friends or in public places (or at 
backcountry horsemen campouts).  I go to rides and ride drag (and 
have the vet do a vet check).  The ride I co-manage has a 
"trail-marking" party weekend two weeks before the ride; we went to 
that and marked/cleared trail for a couple of days.  At home, I 
practice riding with other horses as much as possible ("we" still 
aren't very cooperative about staying behind, tho!).

If you cannot do that, I can see where a couple of LDs might be in 
order (or CTRs).  I would much prefer to do the "camping thing" 
without ANY competitive stress, however--any bad habits learned might 
be hard to get away from.  I think when a horse enters its first 
ride, the "trail" should be its only stressor--not trailering, not 
camping, not crowds; it should be comfortable with all those things.

terre 


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