I think one of the VERY BEST, and often overlooked things we can do for our
horse is to NOT start them under saddle too young. By "under saddle" , I
mean anything beyond light arena or pasture riding, teaching the horse to listen
to your seat and legs. In my training, a horse is not taken on the
road or trail or "worked" in the arena until it is at least the
actual calendar age of 4 and I prefer 4.5. Then they need at least 2-3
years of gradual "work" to build tendons and bones AND mental maturity (I use
the slower, shorter CTR events for this ). Only after that do I believe
that we should be adding more miles and speed. So, not until at least
the age of 7 do I think horses should be competing in or preparing for
"endurance" (50-75-100). Using LD's for the initial training is also
within my parameters but I like the mental training that NATRC offers to a
horse.
Without the initial foundation of adequate skeletal and emotional maturity,
aerobic conditioning can be a mute point.
Karen Everhart MEd President Rainbow Meadows Rescue and Retirement,
Inc. www.rainbowmeadowsranch.com 620-725-3402
Owner/Operator Horse Calls - Equine Management Solutions Centered Riding
Instructor Distance Horse Conditioning and Training www.horsecalls.com 316-648-5082
I'm going to suggest a little game. Let's show
what we know to ourselves, and more importantly, to any newbie lurkers (or
veterans, for that matter) about measures we take to reduce risk to our
horses in an endurance ride.
