Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

I NEVER post on ridecamp as I've entered and completed a grand total of ONE 
50 mile ride.<g>  But I do feel I have a bit to offer here.

I competed quite successfully at Novice CTR's for a few years on a great 
mustang gelding.  He would doggedly jog/walk mile after mile and never 
complain.....but faster and further was not his cup of tea.   I wondered 
about Open pace and wondered secretly to myself about endurance and how much 
fun it looked like, but thought maybe it was unfair to a horse to ask that 
much of them.  I honestly never considered it "abuse" but I wondered if 
maybe those endurance riders that said their horses loved it as much as they 
weren't maybe deluding themselves a bit.

Then I kind of fell into ownership of an Arabian mare <now no 
flames.....there are other horses that LOVE the miles, this was just my 
first so hush>.    She and I had a steep learning curve after my coldblooded 
mustang but the sheer power of this elegant mare was overwhelming.    I 
actually sit here tearing up trying to write about how much she LOVES the 
miles.....the trail....just GOING.   I constantly feel I am letting her down 
at CTR's as I am your average chunk-chunk couch potato and my mare has 100 
milers in her veins.   Our one 50 miler was 30 miles of lovely human/horse 
bonding and 20 miles of me just sitting there trying not to die while she 
did all the work.   She saved my butt that day and has before......probably 
will again when I get my nerve up for another.

In my ever so humble opinion, the real abuse would be to ask this mare to be 
kept bubble wrapped in a stall <like she was when we got her>, riding 
endless circles in an arena, never letting her do what Mother Nature 
intended for her to do.......which was to put the miles behind her at a 
ground covering trot.    Yes, maybe it would be abuse to ask my lazy mustang 
to go fast for 50 miles.....he COULD do it, but he would hate it.   But 
there are some horses that were meant for the trail......

Kim in Arkansas


> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: afwaldrip@xxxxxxxxxxxx
> To: ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Sent: Sunday, March 19, 2006 10:10 PM
> Subject: [RC] Abusing Horse
>
> Okay,  I will probably get alot of feedback on this post.  I am fairly new
> at endurance riding.  I have competed in about 8 rides in the past 2 
> years.
> I competed in the HEart of the HIlls ride this weekend.  It was to be my 
> 2nd
> 50 mile ride.  I live in the Dallas/Fort Worth area which is a pretty flat
> area.  After completing the 50 miles I was pulled due to lameness.  The
> terrain was a lot rougher than I had thought it would be and then add the
> fact that it rained.  But, anyway, when I arrived back home my husband
> accused be of abusing my horse by riding such rides.  I have an arabian 
> mare
> she is a little over 14 hands but she is pretty stocky. I am a heavyweight
> rider and my husband feels that it is abuse to ride her even 25  miles.
> Have any of you ever been accused of abusing your horse because you ride
> endurance.  I take very good care of my mare and I think we were just not
> ready for the terr ain this weekend.  Does anyone have any feedback that I
> can pass along to my NON horse husband who just sees a money pit in the
> barn.
>
> AW in Fort Worth


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