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> > > Conditioning and training go hand in hand.  I can't
> see how a horse is going to be conditioned and not
> trained at the same time.>>
While it does require a minimal bit of training to go down the trail,
one sees horses with no more than that minimal training competing at
rides quite frequently.  If you can saddle and bridle the horse, get
on, and have a little bit of gee, haw, and whoa, that horse can be
conditioned.  But that is a darn far piece from being trained.  The
high number of running martingales on endurance horses points out that
their degree of training probably does not match their degree of
conditioning.

Training (at least to me) means a suppleness that comes from being
attuned to the barest hint of leg aids or the least bit of flex from a
finger on the reins.  Training minimizes spooking (not sure who wrote
the above quote, as I am answering it second-hand, but I am reminded of
Truman and his contention that Arabs are spooky--very common when they
are conditioned but not trained, but not common at all in trained
ones).

It is certainly possible to condition and train at the same time--but a
great many riders don't do it.  They just go out and ride their loops
and watch their heart monitors, and never take time to work on things
like suppleness, transitions, circles, etc.  

Most of the top endurance riders understand this--many do dressage as a
training discipline.  But a whole lot of folks just riding down the
trail don't.

Heidi


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