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> I was wondering if anyone had any comments on big (as in over 16 hands)
> horses in endurance.
My Arab gelding is 16H (way to big to keep getting down to open gates!)
and my husband rides a TB/QH cross at 15.3 1/2H. Rocket, the grey arab
is "chunky", a typical easy keeper who usually carries an extra 50-100
lbs on him despite our best efforts. Major, the dark bay (read black)
TB/QH is a lean horse with good abdominal tone even when on vacation
form work. He is NOT the typical chunky QH.
>
> I was just wondering if anyone is out there competing on big horses and
> doing well in 50's, multi-days and/or 100's. "Doing well" does not
> necessarily mean Top Tens every time out, I'm actually more interested
> in high mileage horses. Are there any problems you're having that you
> associate with the size---increased lameness, foot problems, trouble
> dispersing heat, etc? What breeds?
Major <cannot> dissapate heat well at all. He comes into a check
panting, and needs 5-10 minutes (at least) to come down to criteria even
if he is in excellent shape. We have to choose cool weather rides and
ride him conservatively. While he looks more TB than QH, and his muscle
mass is sleaker than Rocket, he pants and holds heat. We aren't sure
how much is related to his breeding and how much to his unfortunate
choice of color. He road foundered about 9 years ago when he was worked
heavily on hard clay surfaces in training. He has some rotation of P3,
but with careful shoeing continues to go sound and compete in 50
milers. SHOCK TAMER PADS have been a god-send for him!
Rocket, the big 'ol lug that he is, comes into a check cooled out and
heart rate down to criteria. He's is grey vs black, but he is so
heavily built compared to Major! He is crabbet and polish breeding,
calm & sensible, eats & drinks anything. WHen I bought him, he'd been
injured in a pasture accident. The right forequarter had started to
atrophy from lack of excercise and his right front foot had contracted &
become upright. He has recovered muscle mass & tone quite well with
suppling excercises and work. His foot is another story - good farrier,
frequent shoeing, and work to improve the foot's contact with the ground
for stimulation during our off season. He has non-articualr ringbone in
that leg that has calcified and offers no problems with lameness at this
point. His unaffected feet/legs are fine. He is a middle of the pack
to upper 1/3 in his races, but would prefer to go faster. I like to
watch the scenery too much for him to compete at full speed. We
generally come in as one of the first 2 or 3 HW at our rides. He
competes in 50's and 80's.
The tall horses are a pain to get on & off of for the umpteenth gate to
open, and the overhanging branches all seem SO much lower! My future
horse will be a light colored Arab gelding, and around 15 H!!!
Linda Flemmer
Blue Wolf Ranch
Bruceton Mills, WV
Home of the gazillion gates in the countryside
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