Re: Beth Glace/conditioning

[Tivers <Tivers@aol.com>]

In a message dated 98-03-02 16:27:39 EST, fmechelh@c-s-k.de writes:

<< My question here is again: when a horse should be trained 280 km a week for
maximum performance, what's with the idea that 30-50 km (5-6 sessions) per
week is enough, and doing more results in overtraining ?>>

The Kenyan workouts given were those of their Olympic athletes--after years of
buildup. A horse, endurance or otherwise, would have to undergo extensive
conditioning to face 280 km of anything per week. The very first sign of
overtraining is loss of body weight. Next, slightly elevated blood CPK and
SGOT. Next, rising monocyte counts. When your monocytes go over 5% you're into
pretty stressfull work. At 15% monocytes it's time to take a month off.

> How can riding 30 km per week train the structural components like ligaments
and tendons, and beware of fatigue after 3/4 of a hard 80 km race, or fading
away because of glycogen deficit ?>

It can't really, but then competitive trail rides are not very
competitive--not many have the time to get in the conditioning. As soon as
it's possible to earn a living at the sport, then there will be incentive for
hard work.

> I read this recommendation frequently, even from very successfull riders,
but even this couldn't overcome my doubts. So do you have a clue ?>

One consideration is the rate of speed of the 30km vs the rate of the actual
ride. If the 30 km is taken at a significanly higher speed than the ride, it
will tend to overcome some of the conditioning deficit.

> One obvious answer to this dilemma is, more training increases risk of (and
likelihood for) injury. If this is the point, than the way out means no
training at all. The other answer is that multiplying the KM by 6 means that
every mistake is multiplied at least by 6 in it's effect, and therefore the
trainer must be much more carefully. >

You're right on the money, there--the shoeing and rider balance have to be
pristine. However, LSD toughens tendons and ligaments--when the Kenyans get
hurt, they don't stop running, they simply shift to LSD and away from speed
temporarily. 


>And since this is seldom reached, most riders have a bad oppinion of doing
more work. It's the same what I read in your book about thoroughbred racing.
These guys who think that a horse cantering 6 miles per day over the racetrack
must drop dead.>

Yeah, ask Ramey. He's taken some of his horses to the track for exercise and
popped the eyes out of the trainers gathereed around to watch--and if I
remember correctly, Ramey was tapering out at the time.


> In my environment a lot of people think that a horse that is ridden 100 or
120 km per week must drop dead. Even at a speed of 9-10 km/h (5-6 mph). Most
of all is just hacking. Many people don't have enough time to ride such
distances, and thats OK. But I'm quite sure at least my horses are fitter and
happier on a  120 km schedule than go 30. In fact, they go 45 on sunday
morning (maybe in 4-5 hours), then ask for a big lunch and looked and behaved
like they could go the same distance in the afternoon!>

Right, but remember what it took you to build to that kind of workload. Most
people aren't willing to do that--instead, they tend to double or triple the
workload--once--proving to themselves that it doesn't work. 

>> just fresh riding, trot and canter, no real strenous work or intervall
training here. This is reserved for shorter rides. Either long/slow, or
fast/short. The horse must be trained to be ridden for many hours, with
heartrates in the 120/140 area.>>

Yes.


> I personally would not like to ride 280 km per week. Even if I had the time
for.  But when the horse is sound, I think it should be capable of. That's
another issue: Many, if not most of performance horses are restricted in
training mileage because of injuries. So we have to train them not at what
it's best, but what they can stand to stay resonable fit and sound. That's OK
also. We all know this type of horses, but it's not an ideal.>

Agreed.
 
>On a horse treck, 400 km per week, at slow speed, should be no problem. This
also is a endurnace specific training.
 
 once I get the TrailBlazer, I read all of your articles finally...
 
 Thanks
 Frank>

Hope you like them!

ti
 
  >>