Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

It's been hot and humid here all summer...and our horses are usually less than enthusiastic about moving out vigorously after 8-10 miles in the 90+ degree heat.  And I can't blame them...it's totally miserable...like riding in a sauna.  We still do 12-17 mile conditioning rides, but we do take it easy on them...they can get overheated just like we can.  We take walking breaks, do lots of sponging, etc.  My husband and I did a 50 the weekend before last...both of our horses were all fired up and moving out just fine for the first 25 miles...then when it warmed up and got hot, they slowed down some...and we let them.  Heck, *we* feel really wiped out and sluggish from the heat and humidity, so they probably do too.

 

Dawn Carrie, East Texas (currently about to be soaked by #$%@ tropical storm Humberto)

 

On 9/12/07, Mike Sherrell <mike@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Right now I'm trying to figure out when he gets sluggish 10 or 15 miles into a ride on a summer afternoon in the high 90s or more,  if it's because he's hot, tired, or lazy -- i.e., how insistent I should be about speeding him back up. Sorting out the factors is complex, but I think cool weather will help give me the answer.

 

Regards,

Mike Sherrell
Grizzly Analytical
707 887 2919; fax 707 887 9834
www.grizzlyanalytical.com

-----Original Message-----
From: Susan [mailto: glenn218@xxxxxxxxx]
Sent: Wednesday, September 12, 2007 1:24 PM
To: mike@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: FW: [RC] Teaching rearing

Obviously he'll rear.  You probably still want to teach him the cue so he'll do it when YOU want him to.  He'll do all sorts of stuff if you ask him...which may help you get him past scary or stupid things.

 

Sure...why go through a tub of water when you can go around?

 

BECAUSE I SAID SO, THAT'S WHY!

 

Now, the horse is in control thinking for the rider.  Most of what we ask a horse to do, especially in an arena, is stupid.  But, if I want my horse to jump a liverpool instead of going around it, that's what I want.  I'm the one with the oposable thumb so I call the shots.

Mike Sherrell <mike@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Thanks. I'm getting scared, though. I may just go with trying to teach Traveller to bow.

 

He has reared a couple of times, notably when I was trying to get him to cross a 8 foot square tub of water in the trail course -- he was right, it was stupid to go into it when there were obviously two easy ways to go around it. So I figure he and I know how to rear without a crash. But he is self-willed enough to start rearing in situations where now he would balk, at least until I talked him into going ahead.

 

I haven't decided for sure yet, so please do send Mary Downey's email address.

 

Regards,

Mike Sherrell
Grizzly Analytical
707 887 2919; fax 707 887 9834
www.grizzlyanalytical.com