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Re: [RC] Dressage and Endurance - Zephyr ArabiansIs it possible that we can finally advance to the stage where I can ride with a loose rein at endurance rides and still remain in control? I do not want to fight her for 50 miles as that will just tire me out and piss her off. As she's gotten fitter and fitter, and she was no slouch before either, I'm finding it more and more difficult to keep her within my comfort zone. Hi Diane! I'm still pretty much a "newbie" to endurance with only 450 miles, but I'm not a newbie to dressage (as a training discipline, I don't show anything anymore) nor to trail training horses. What I find helps with this sort of horse (or any horse for that matter) is different tack for dressage/arena work vs trail riding. Particularly a different bit. In my case, I like to use a French Link snaffle for dressage/arena work and then something bitless (hackamore or sidepull) for the trails. My horses are used to working with little to zero contact on their faces out on the trails and all are easy to rate without using my hands (well... the start of their first or second endurance rides don't count <g>). As you and your horse develop your relationship this will all become much easier as well. I have a mare that back when we both were younger could be trail ridden all over the place in ZERO tack (not even a neck rope) -- and she was always pretty heavy on the bit in the arena (that was back when I used to show a lot). And I have a couple mares here now that I think could be like that as well if I put the time into it and wasn't feeling more mortal than I used to. <g> Another thing to consider if she's rushy and really in a hurry out on the trails is to spend a while just walking. Walk walk walk. They get to know that trail time is FAST time and it gets them excited and anticipatory. I had a mare who was injured when she and I were brand new to endurance (and doing LDs to get our feet wet) and during her rehab I took to trail riding her in just a halter & lead; she learned she could go as fast as she wanted: as long as she was walking. She already had a good walk, but that time really taught her to relax, as well as even further developing her walk. She did not go faster than a walk for literally 8-9 months, either in hand, on the lunge, or while ridden (and had no turn out during that time either). It was great brain time while rehabing the injury. She now does 50s from start to finish in a sidepull and we never have a fight about her speed, even though she's a very driven and competitive mare. For a while I was starting 50s with the bit in her mouth and she *would* pull and fight, but the second the bit came out the fight went away, I could see the tension leave her body. The bit seemed to be acting as a trigger to her; a cue to be in a hurry and to have contact (and then some!). I have a gelding who is a lovely dressage horse (dressage trainers seem to think I'm wasting him b/c I don't care to show anymore). But, he's a pull-pull-pull type in a bit on the trails. If I put a hackamore on him he settles right down to light-to-no contact. I'm not quite ready to trust him in a sidepull, though. He's been on 2 50s and on his second one (without the above mare as his babysitter) he nearly pulled my arms out of the sockets getting to the first VC. But, he settled right into his normal loose-rein behavor after that check, so I have faith he's got the brains to figure it out eventually. If nothing else, taking your horse on a 50 might put a damper on her over-enthusiam for speed. Or it might make it worse, guess it depends on the horse. <g> Good luck. ~Nicole Zephyr Arabians http://www.zephyrarabians.com KattWmn Web Design http://www.kattwmn.com __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 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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