ridecamp@endurance.net: re: [endurance] warmups

re: [endurance] warmups

idj3q@tva.gov ("idj3q@tva.gov")
Tue, 2 Jul 1996 15:02:33 -0400 (EDT)

> There has been some good discussion out there re warm-ups but we are
> not talking dressage here, but endurance. At home, I can ride on the
> bit in the indoor and I can keep him in frame on the trail, but a
> wired horse before the ride does not particularly want to hear about
> those lessons ( that's why they give you an hour to warm up before
> driven dressage)

> John and Sue Greenall
> greenall@vermontel.com
>

Most everyone knows how hard it is for the horse to see ALL THOSE OTHER HORSES
go galloping off at the start of a ride. One trick that I have used with a
green horse is to walk for 3 or 4 minutes in the opposite direction from that
of the ride to allow the pack to get out of sight - or at least get a ways
away from us - before we start out. Over the time needed for completing a
50-mile ride an extra 5 or 10 minutes doing this really doesn't matter. That
allows us to have an orderly, sane start and it is more like a training ride
to the horse. I like for us to set OUR pace rather than going
semi-out-of-control for the first few miles with the pack. After the horse
matures - and has completed several rides - he can begin to learn to start
with pack without things getting too out of hand.

****************************************************************
Dave Bennett - Ben Amil & Southern Rock
Chickamauga, Georgia
e-mail: idj3q@tva.gov
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