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Re: [RC] Newbie Question - rides2far

well, this is exactly what I wanted to know. I got my kewel GPS 
started> today and started watching our speed to see what he does now.

I was 

trying> to get him to trot slower ...his most comfortable trot is

around 7.5 

mph .. so you are saying no, dont go slower? 


I wouldn't. 7.5 is a very nice speed. There will be times you have to 
walk up or down a steep hill or over rocks and that will cut your average
speed down considerably. If your horse trots 7.5 mph you may average 6
mph once you're through stopping to pee, adjusting stirrups, etc. The
cavalry considered 7 mph the ideal long distance pace. 


Do they go that fast and 

faster for 50> miles? 


You've got 12 hours. Take out about 2 hrs. tops of holds and that leaves
10. You could go as slow as 5 mph, but the winners will do it at well
over 10 mph on many courses. 



What is the average speed of an average endurance rider?


7 mph usually gets me middle of the pack. I go that pace a lot unless I
have a reason to want to go fast. I seldom try to go slower than that.

Is 

it alot
of changing gaits or mostly trotting at a steady speed?


When I first started out my horse would go 10 mph at a trot the first 12
miles, then do well to trot 6 mph the third loop, then pick back up to 7
for the last. It was partly my inexperience, partly the type horse he
was. My next horse held a more steady pace but the first loop was usually
fastest. They just have so much impulsion when they start and I think
you're wasting their energy & yours to fight them too much. I like to
just let them go forward so long as they're trotting. Once my horse
relaxes after the first loop I let him canter some just to break the
monotony for both of us and change muscle groups. He's relaxed then and
doesn't think I've given him permission to "run" like he would at the
start. I'm not much of a fan of trying to hold a perfectly steady pace. I
let my horse walk up hills and if he'll be sane about it I'll let him
move out pretty well at a canter in between those hills if there's lots
of them. He can *run* at a lower heart rate than it takes to hold a
little trot up a long steep hill.

Angie




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