ridecamp@endurance.net: Re: [endurance] Endurance & Dressage

Re: [endurance] Endurance & Dressage

Truman Prevatt (prevatt@mail.lds.loral.com)
Thu, 11 Jan 1996 10:14:23 -0400

Cross training is very beneficial to any sport - equine or human. But
endurance and dressage are fundamentally different sports. That is a two
edged sword. This difference makes dressage training very beneficial to
the endurance horse and also makes LSD training beneficial to the dressage
horse.

But the difference in the demands of the sport (and the taste of the
judges) dictate different types of horses. Much of the specalized muscle
development of an upper level dressage horse is vastly different that that
required for an endurance horse.

While one horse might be able to do fairly well in both sports, I don't
believe that he will be outstanding in either. Marathon runners lift
weights and defensive linemen do a lot of running but don't expect a
marathoner to record a lot of sacks. On the other hand, doing a good
dressage test has it own rewards as does finishing a 100 mile ride - so it
depends on your expectations and goals.

Truman

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The race is not always to the swift, but to those that keep running.

Truman and Mystic "The Horse from HELL" Storm
and Danson "The Demon in Training" Flame

prevatt@lds.loral.com - Sarasota, Florida
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