ridecamp@endurance.net: [endurance] In the beginning...

[endurance] In the beginning...

Kathy Myers (kathy_myers@collagen.com)
17 May 1996 08:40:11 U

I think the "You choose the speed and let the horse choose the gait"
thread got just a bit off course (tongue in cheek). If everyone can
calm down a bit and remember WHY we talked about this in the first
place...

Look at the post from Joe Long and take some things to heart. Also,
Becky Hart's comments from, um, well... a few years ago now. Back in
the days when I got to do a couple rides while still a puppy... I
remember quite clearly THE THOUGHT was that trotting was easier on
the horse and the horses legs. This is THE WAY IT WAS. If you wanted
to complete well, you had a horse that could trot up a storm. After
all, cantering was too much pressure on those front legs...

And *then* someone challanged that thought along the way. I was not
in endurance during those years (rats). But it sure is a shock
coming back into it now. Let the horse choose the gait. In other
words, "It's OK to canter. Just not too fast. Actually, it could
be easier on the horse".

That's it. It's a big change from the absolute belief that trotting
was ALWAYS easier than cantering. And changing a basic "rule" like
that takes time... which is why we have these discussions. I want
to know WHY??? Prove it! (Not really, I believe you all now, but
it WAS a shock to my little brain.)

We are not talking about training here. We are not talking about
unruly horses when we say "Let the horse choose the gait". We are
simply saying "It's OK to canter"... just not downhill, thank God.
That one would have sent my etched in stone pea-brain into a coma.
Good heavens, my old NATRC friends used to glare at us for Trotting
downhill...

So please don't take this thread out of context. All it means is
for those of us who remember the TROT ONLY belief, now we need to
reprogram that in our minds. For those of you who do not have to
"re-learn" this, thank the Joe Longs and Becky Harts for sharing
their years of experience with us. ( and Trumans.. where is
Truman??? Get the man a MAC!)

Other shocks to my system... Heart Rate Monitors. WHAT? What happend
to "Plaster your hand in front of his girth behind that elbow and
hope he doesn't move around too much and use your free hand to time
off 15 seconds." Wimps. ;-) AND THIS: What happened to Jeans
and English Saddles??? What's this Riding Tights and special fitted
endurance light weight modified Mecleland stuff??? WIMPS! ;-) If
you don't take skin off the insides of your knees then you're not
a REAL endurance rider... The REAL ones have perminant SCARS. ;-)
And back then people rode the horse they had. The smart ones had
Arabs. Now everyone has an Arab. What? What happened to your
backyard Quarter horse friends??? So now I guess I have to try and
beat you some day with my next TB ... or maybe I'll try a Standardbred
... heh...heh...heh.

Hey... and what's this internet stuff anyways?

:) - kat
in No. Cal and Magnum the TB ex-racer with a "take it slow from now
on" old football injury.