Re: Oregon Dunes Weather

[vanhove@unavco.ucar.edu (Teresa Van Hove)]

Lucy writes:
> 
> oooh, I just thought of another place where there is some
> sand - right down by the river. Should I go down there, and
> make him walk up and down the river bank, and up and down the
> dune-like hilly bits? or will this little extra be wasting our
> time? I can't see it making much difference, unless we went
> down there twice a week and walked up and down on it for
> an hour. Can't see Provo agreeing to that boring regimen...
> he'd think it was even worse than working in the arena.

      If your arena is reasonably deep, that is good for some
 "sand training."  You just want some work in a soft surface to
 train the muscles and ligaments/tendons.  It is quite a bit
 different than traveling on a hard packed trail or other firm
 surface.  I use local stubble fields for my "sand training".
 Perhaps you could try doing some pattern work to liven up
 arena time.  Gymkhana, western horsemanship, dressage - probably
 doesn't make too much difference - just anything to focus on
 "turn here, leg yield there, instead of just going for so many
 minutes.   (you might not want to carry Gymkhana to the full-speed
 level of competitions but the patterns can be useful)

Teresa (this will be the winter I take dressage lessons instead of
        just thinking about it)