ridecamp@endurance.net: Re: Starting the Young Horse

Re: Starting the Young Horse

CBell6006 (CBell6006@aol.com)
Fri, 12 Dec 1997 23:29:34 EST

There have been some excellent posts concerning a training schedule for
prospective endurance horses. IMHO, no serious distance work should be
started till the horse is 5 years old. I like to see a horse compete in
Competetive Trail for at least a year. (However, I can understand why some
of you people who only have NATRC rides are reluctant to do this). Here in
Florida we have wonderful Competive Trail rides sanctioned by SEDRA (which was
modeled after ECTRA) that are done at 6 miles per hour and are judged strictly
on conditioning and soundness. This puts a wonderful base on a horse,
without the urgency to race. The 3 day 100's in CTR are also great
preparation for the future Endurance horse. They can be very physically
demanding on both the horse and rider, without the addition of speed. Speed
(as in Endurance Races) should only be added after a thorough base of long
slow distance has been accomplished, and Competitive Trail is a great place to
start.
I have done strictly endurance for the last three years, but am very thankful
for the knowledge I gained and the solid base my horse received from two years
and 500 miles of Competitve Trail.
Remember there have been a lot of great endurance prospects that will never
get the chance to prove themselves, because of the combination of "too young,
too soon, too much, too fast".

Cindy Bell
Wameco (LOVES endurance, but learned MANNERS from CTR!!!!)

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