Home Current News News Archive Shop/Advertise Ridecamp Classified Events Learn/AERC
Endurance.Net Home Ridecamp Archives
ridecamp@endurance.net
[Archives Index]   [Date Index]   [Thread Index]   [Author Index]   [Subject Index]

[RC] trotting - Spottedracer

So MANY people seem to think that they MUST maintain a strong, steady trot to compete.....

Granted, I do NOT ride arabs... nor 'trotting' horses for that matter (though I trained/rode/competed with 'trotting' breeds for 15 years - prior to switching to gaited breeds because of health reasons...)  But I've DONE rides at a 'steady speed' and have also done rides going 'fast/slow - fast/slow'

ALL of my horses have looked better AFTER doing the rides with a fast/slow - fast/slow pace.   They are able to recover inbetween those fast spurts, and relax. Mentally, they've also done MUCH better this way.. 

Since I want to go from 'turtles' to 'midpack' maybe even 'top ten'  in 2007 (if I'm mid-pack or top-ten... will depend on if I'm on spunky Ginger - or laid-back Hope and Dakota....)   I'm doing timed gallops 2X per week on each horse... By the time I enter my next ride (Natchez or City Slickers) - I'll have all three horses up to 40-55 minute gallops (approx 14+ miles)... I'm going SLOW with this - Started with two 5 minute gallops with 5 minute walk inbetween. Each month I add 5 minutes to each session. Builds the wind up properly... We do warm up each training session - with a 3 mile 5-7mph Runwalk/Rack....

After discussing 100's with Truman - I feel that this is the proper way for my horses to work... I want these horses to always COMPLETE - and to be my mounts for 5-10 years..
***So you DON'T have to trot the entire time! Feel your horse out, and see WHAT works best for him/her... If he/she is just fine cantering the majority of it - let him/her!
- LP