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RE: [RC] Fwd: RE: [RC] [RC] arabs, do you need one forendurance???Jennifer - Dave Smith** Low Priority ** --- Begin Message ---** Low Priority ** Thanks Barry for the input. I will figure out a mile distance and start calculating his walk/trot speed. What should those speeds be? As far as your other questions, I just purchased a heart monitor and am trying to record some base figures. Used it for the first time, yesterday. when his resting rate was 33-35 (altho it went up to 40-45 when I got on him.) I had him run a quarter mile plus up a grade where his rate when to 180. After stopping it went down to mid to upper 60s in one minute. He seems to like to work, his ears are up and he goes forward very willingly. He likes to stay with the mare we're riding with and she's a very willing horse. He seems interested in new places, so I don't think that will be a problem. He's a very balanced looking horse. A number of people have commented on that, often asking me what his breed is. He has fairly thick, dense bone structure with his cannon just below the knee measuring 8 and a quarter inches in circumference. Also fairly defined muscle. My riding instructor, an old cowboy who competes in team roping has always expressed admiration for him, calling him "athletic" and telling me he'd make a good cutting horse. As far as riding him, I love it. He is very responsive. A lot of "go". I rarely use my feet on him. To change gaits, I merely change my upper body action and he goes or slows, depending on what I ask for. I don't use a bit on him. I ride with a rope halter-hackamore. I originally thought I'd do that for about the first year of riding him and then graduate to a snaffle. But he responds so well on the hackamore, I don't think I'll put a bit into his mouth. But the jury is still out on that. He responds well to directions, usually a shift in my upper body will get him to turn unless he's really excited. We're learning to neck rein right now. He was very spooky when I first got him, but we've come a heck-of-a-long-way from those days. While he'll always be more spooky than many horses, he now pretty much spooks in place and is willing to go ahead if I urge him, despite his fears. I'm somewhat concerned about our relative size. I weigh about 205 and he weighs somewhere around 900 to 950 lbs.and stands just barely 15 hands (in the morning, at least) I'm working to bring my weight down, but that has been difficult since I quit tobacco about six months ago. Still, I'm slowly losing the weight and would like to get down to about 190 which is a bit more than my old football weight way back in my college days, but I think is doable. He has great feet. Fairly large for his size, revealing a bit of draft in his background. The hoof wall is about 3/4 inch thick and his soles are hard as rock. I don't think I'll ever shoe him, but might run him in boots when we start competing. Anyway, that's my boy, so what do you think? --Dave"ll cole" <bluemoonfarm90@xxxxxxxxxxx> 06/07/06 3:02 PM >>>Hi Dave, How fast is his walk? Measure off a distance and do the calculation. How fast is his working trot? With those to figures you can determine how much of each gait you're going to need to do to make the time limits. Are you seeing an improvement in his conditioning? Yes, they can indeed improve their speed at a walk and he probably will. As far as early endurance potential determination: 1: What is his resting pulse and how are his recoveries? 2: Does he like the work? (Probably the most important factor!!) 3: Does he have any health or conformation issues to overcome? 4: Finally, do you like riding him and can you make the adjustments needed, if any, to accomodate him? Good luck with him. I've seen quite a few awesome Mustangs in endurance. They can get it done. Barry Cole, Kansas From: "Dave Smith" <DSMITH@xxxxxxxxxxxx> To: <ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>, "Jo Rudolph" <jorudol@xxxxxxxxx> Subject: Fwd: RE: [RC] [RC] arabs, do you need one for endurance???Jennifer Date: Wed, 07 Jun 2006 10:14:14 -0700 ** Low Priority ** Newbie Questions: I have a four-yr old Nevada Mustang gelding, just barely 15 hh and about 900 lbs. Two months ago we began condition training, with a goal of riding long, slow distances about five times a week. Besides the general conditioning, I'm dedicating this riding season to help him become a good trail horse. So far he's doing well, learning to cope with trail "sppoks", hikers, dogs, other horses and bicyclists. I have two questions: first, the two horses we've been riding with have a significantly faster walking gait than my Hermano. The pattern that has developed is that in the walk, we fall behind the other two and then Hermano trots to catch up. We're able to stay with them in the trot and the occasional lope/canter, but not the walk. My friends tell me that if we keep riding together, he will develop a faster walking gait on his own over time. My question: is this true, or is there something I can do to teach him to walk faster? If so, what? My second question is: how does one know whether the horse one is riding is an endurance horse, or not. That is, do I have to wait until we're last in a number of long distance events to make that determination? Or is there some other method early on of knowing that he has or doesn't have what it takes? Any help in answering these would be appreciated. --DaveJo Anne Rudolph <jorudol@xxxxxxxxx> 06/07/06 9:35 AM >>>Note: forwarded message attached. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! 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