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RE: [RC] Newbie with a Concern - heidi larson

Here in the Pacific Northwest I rarely see the body type you described, 
however, just got back from a ride and there was one horse that was either 
really old or????????  Since I don't know anything about the people or their 
horses and since we have a geriatric type (is missing some teeth) I understand 
how difficult it is to keep weight on certain horses while still maintaining 
overall health and flesh.  My stepdaughter's horse is a hard keeper but is not 
a horse that goes to many rides, just a couple per year, we have to build him 
back up after each ride and at his age and condition, it takes longer in 
between.  I hope the horse I saw was just doing an LD and I hope the vets took 
time to talk about nutrition, but generally speaking most horses I see are fit, 
healthy looking, pretty muscular and prepared to do the job.  It's pretty rare 
in our neck of the woods to see what you are describing.  Or maybe I just don't 
get to enough rides?

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heidi larson


--- On Sun, 9/28/08, Ginger Bill <orrinandginger@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

From: Ginger Bill <orrinandginger@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: RE: [RC] Newbie with a Concern
To: "ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Sunday, September 28, 2008, 6:32 PM
I have a real good friend that rides endurance in the CT
Region. At every ride the Texans show up with their lean
mean horses and they really kick A-------. My friend is from
Missouri and she said that most people don't stand a
chance as those riders from Texas ride all year round and
they come to win and win they do. My Arabs are too heavy and
are constantly having to be cut back. I have never had a
skinny Arab and I never do well in competition. My goal is
to just get it done. I just like my horses on the hefty
side. Ginger

Date: Sun, 28 Sep 2008 12:28:13 -0400> From:
tprevatt@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> To: janeenesings@xxxxxxx> CC:
ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Subject: Re: [RC] Newbie with a
Concern> > The trend 15 years ago used to be "run
'em lean and mean." That trend > started to
change as some found their horses tended to do better with a
little more weight. Then the pendulum seem to swing the
other way. Today > I think you see more of a variety. You
sure don't see as many overly > lean horses as we
used to.> > In reality I think the issues if the
optimal weight is dependent on a > lot of factors and it
is going to vary from horse to horse. You hear > human
athletics all the time comment that they have an optimal
weight. > That optimal weight may appear to others to be
"skinny" or it may appear > to be
"fat" but it is what works best for the particular
individual. > That's something each rider has to work
out.> > I know when my mare was in her prime I could
not keep the weight on her. > At one point I went to
three feedings a day. She was on pasture 22 hours > a
day. The only time she was up was when she was eating her
rations. I > was adding calories any way I could from
alfalfa to corn oil to even > cracked corn and rolled
barley added to her feed. She was lean but not > too lean
and I never had a problem with her. She 28 for 31 (50 mile
plus > starts) and 6 for 7 in 100 mile starts. She
wasn't really skinny but > given her lean lanky build
and height to start with I am sure there were > people
who thought I was starving her.> > My advice is to
start out slow and learn everything you can. You have >
some good vets in Texas - ask them. They will be happy to
give you their > advice. However, at the end of the day
you need to find the optimal > weight for your horse. It
will be different for your horse than my horse.> >
Truman> > Janeene wrote:> > Hi,> >>
I just attended my first endurance ride this weekend
(the Texas > > Tango), and I had a great time as a
volunteer. The ride was > > well-organized, people
were extremely helpful and friendly, and it was > >
just an overall great experience and it definitely motivated
me to get > > more involved (I'm planning to do a
25 at next month's Armadillo). > > Here's my
concern: the number of what I consider "skinny"
horses I saw > > at this ride. Now, I know that human
marathon runners are lean and > > sometimes downright
skinny, but, if I had seen some of these horses in > >
someone's pasture, I would have called a rescue to
report neglect. To > > be fair, the top riders and
their horses were not guilty of this; for > > the most
part, their horses looked lean, but in good flesh and >
well-conditioned. The first-time riders seemed to all
have horses in > > good weight. There were, however, a
very large number of horses that > > just looked
downright underweight (ribby with toplines prominent and
hipbones protruding). What is up with
this?&nbs p; Is it due to > > overconditioning?
Underfeeding? Stress? I really am getting hooked > >
with this sport, but I want to do right by my horses. I
would love to > > hear some feedback from you
guys....> >> > Thanks in advance!> >>
Janeene in Central Texas> >
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-- > > “The surest way to corrupt a youth
is to instruct him to hold in higher > esteem those who
think alike than those who think differently.” >
Friedrich Nietzsche> > >
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Replies
RE: [RC] Newbie with a Concern, Ginger Bill