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[RC] Book recommendation? - rides2farWhat I'm specifically looking for is something like a training guide.> I've been a runner for over ten years and have countless guides to running first marathons, etc., but haven't really found something equivalent for endurance riding. I know of a couple of books that have those, but they always made my horses lame. Then I met the people and found out they never follow those programs. Here's a little 6 week program I came up with all by myself: Week 1 Day 1: Read article about the Tevis Cup in ?Horse Crazy? magazine. Go to the barn and ride the hell out of horse for five ours. Day 2: Can?t walk without knees buckling. Take day off. Day 3: Trot five miles over hills. Take pulse, wonder what to do with it. Day 4: Getting bored with trotting. Gallop two miles up a mountain. Day 5: Horse getting hard to catch. Day 6: Ride six hours trotting and galloping. What Fun! Day 7: Call vet. Horse refuses to move. Week 2 Day 1: Switch grain to ?Ultra Horse 4000?, because it?s the most expensive brand made. Add a double scoop of calf manna and three brands of vitamins for good measure. Day 2: Get cheapest farrier in town to shoe your horse for $20. Use money saved to buy ?Wonder Boost? supplement. Day 3: Begin to ask for longer stretches of speed (don?t want to be labeled a slow-poke at your first ride!) Day 4: Horse has a new cute trick, crouches when you brush his back. Day 5: Small girth sore appears. Would heal with a few days of rest, but can?t spare that! Day 6: Ride in rain to test $75 rain suit. Day 7: Soaked saddle too heavy to lift. Take day off. Week Three: Day 1: Don?t slow down now! Trim two minutes off last week?s course time. Day 2: Ride minimum of two hours at a fast trot. Gallop one mile at finish. Save time by turning him out hot. Day 3: Horse colics. Vet looks surprised that your horse gets 12 lbs. of grain and only one flake of hay daily. He obviously doesn?t realize that grain comes in a much more convenient package. Day 4: Take it easy on recovering horse?leave off gallop at end of workout. Day 5: Saddle sore larger. Buy imitation sheepskin cover for girth, but no time off! Day 6: Front ankles look lumpy. Local hot hoof hero calls them ?Speed bumps? Oh Boy! Day 7: Tried to kick you. Must be feeling good! Week Four Day 1: Tax refund comes! Consider buying a better fitting saddle, but opt for color coordinated biothane tack, spandex riding suit and neoprene leg boots (even though he doesn?t interfere) Day 2-6: Ride hard, long and fast. No pain, no gain. Neoprene boots rub his legs raw, but they look so good with all your stuff! Day 7: Lock him in the stall. The sun fades his coat. Week Five Day 1: Make special pressure pad for girth sore to hold his insides inside. Day 2 & 3: Do lots of trotting in deep mud and sand. That way you don?t have to ride so long. Day 4: Both front tendons inflamed. Give him a little bute, but don?t miss your workout! Day 5: Vet suggests permanent retirement from competitive activities for this horse. He had the nerve to act as if it might be your fault! So much for your champion, must have had bad genes. Day 6: Entry form for the ride you planned your debut in arrives. Day 7: Buy horse from folks next door whose daughter went off to college. Week 6 Day 1: Ride new horse one hour to get the feel of him. Days 2-4: Rest Day 5: Travel to ride site. Day 6: Complete first 50 miler! Horse very enthusiastic for the first five miles. Nice to ride a fresh horse for a change. Squeaked through all the vet checks, coliced night after the ride, but not until after you got through the one hour check?yeah! Day 7: Other riders at awards breakfast don?t act very friendly. There must be a lot of jealousy in the veteran camp. From now on you realize that conditioning just breaks horses down. You vow not to waste time on it?just ride in competition. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 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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