[RC] How can I tell when horse is ready for an LD? - sherman
My daughter’s horse was an occasionally ridden trail horse until
we decided to condition for endurance riding. We did our first 25 mile ride as
a conditioning ride in about 4 mos. We had boosted our frequency of
riding to 7-10 miles twice a week instead of every week or 2, never boosted our
speed up past 5mph average. Later we added a 15 mile ride weekly (sometimes 25),
and the 15 yr old mare completed her first very tough 50 about 8 mos. later. My
horse had the same regimen, didn’t complete his first 50 due to selenium
deficiency. It took a few rides to figure that out.
Kathy
Kathy M wrote:
I don't think it should take 2 years to condition a horse for
LDs. Yes, of course your first year on your horse's back should be Long
Slow Distance, keep your horse sane types of rides, but it sounds like you are
beyond that. I was told by someone that you can pull a horse that is kept
in pasture and be able to finish an LD without any conditioning. Maybe
they are just talking about Arabs, I dunno.
