Re: Horses

[Chris Paus <paus@micoks.net>]

Star has to be my all around horse. He's the only rideable equine in the
pasture! We are taking equitatino and jumping lessons as well as training
for distance riding. And sometimes we play around the three barrels in my
pasture....

(You will note that almost every reference I have ever made to long-range
riding, I call it "distance" riding, not endurance. Certainly don't want to
ruffle any feathers!!)

I think mixing disciplines keeps a horse from getting bored.


At 06:40 PM 3/15/98 EST, Angstmufin wrote:
>In a message dated 98-03-15 17:42:01 EST, you write:
>
>
>cadair@prodigy.net wrote:
><< You know Heidi, when I first got into endurance, one of my mentors (who
> shall remain nameless) was adamant on the "fact" that a good endurance
> horse should be saved to do solely endurance rides. Well, you can
> condition. That person was so disgusted about me taking my mare on pleasure
> rides, camping on the Flattops, playing with cows that s/he direly told me
> I was ruining my horse (I loved it - ruining my horse, isn't that a switch?
> And I can't help but laugh when I talk to pleasure riders who worry that
> endurance riding will ruin my new horse.). Yes, my mare pigged out
> everywhere, drank everywhere, and took endurance in stride. 
> Cathy
>  >>
>
>How can a horse be properly fit and bomb-proofed while still not being dead
>bored if all they do is endurance?  My 15-y/o Welsh section B (great breed
for
>endurance!!) also does Gymkhana and pleasure, plus he's teaching my little
>brother (8 y/o) to ride, and he's won 10 championships in Hunter Pony and
>preliminary dressage.  If this pony was not a gymkhana pony, pleasure pony,
>hunter pony, dressage pony, and schoolmaster, he most certainly would not be
>an endurance pony!  A tip for those who want the ultimate conditioning
>plan--explore the horizons of riding!  You may think that learning
lower-level
>dressage and jumping won't help.  However, the skills in such sports are
>essential for distance riding!  Training your horse to do some light gymkhana
>or reining will sharpen both of you up, and will seriously come in handy for
>those split-second on-trail emergencies.  (sharp, steep turns, sudden boulder
>to avoid, etc.)  Ground work is also a big help in bomb-proofing.  Long
>pleasure trail rides are mini-endurance rides in themselves.  So give
yourself
>an edge in endurance and do something other than endurance!
>Sara
>
>
>