> I have a 12 yr.old Saddlebred and 1995 was his first endurance
>season. He has successfully completed 2 25's 2 35's and 3 50's.
> However, we were pulled from 3 rides (all 50's) for metabolics.
>We were going SLOW at all of them. He developed thumps at his first ride
>at about 43 miles. (There were over 20 horses pulled for metabolics at
>the same ride so I didn't get too upset, the humidity, and conditiones
>were horrid, he recovered in about 20 minutes
>after I pulled him) Then the next weekend he did a 25, then the next a 50
>then another 50 and on the 5th ride we pulled for an "eratic heart rate",
>at about 40 miles.
-snip-
>Laura Szeremi-Trouse
>VET2B
>szerelk@mail.auburn.edu
I am new to distance riding, (just 2 seasons), my first year, we entered
and completed 4 rides. The advice I had from seasoned riders and books/
articles I had read suggested riding one ride per month the first year.
That may sound too conservative, but I didn't want to overdo it. My
advice was also not to do 2 rides back to back (on consecutive weekends).
You said you entered 10 rides your first season, completing 7. 10 rides
sounds like a lot of rides to me for 1st season, but as I said, I may
be too conservative. But I wonder could this have anything to do with
your horse's metabolic problems? Then again, your season may be much
longer than ours...
Jude Hall
Hall@cc.denison.edu
whose last ride was in October....