Endurance and Dressage

[Cheryl Newbanks <horsetrails@inficad.com>]

I've been thinking on doing endurance on Blue while the weather is nice and 
then when it starts hitting over 100* we will start doing dressage.  But I 
am not sure how to combine the two without burning my buddy out.  I don't 
want to get to level 3 or anything, just want to learn to ride more 
efficiently and hopefully Blue will learn a few things too.  So I guess my 
question is to those of you who lay off their horses from endurance because 
of the winter weather how long does it take to bring them back to 
competition condition?  I would just work on dressage in the summer on Blue 
and compete endurance on my other horse Kodi who tolerates the heat better. 
 Also Blue wouldn't be that out of condition if I was still doing dressage 
while I wasn't doing endurance.

I wonder how I would incorporate his dressage practice into our 
conditioning routine?  I thought that I'd do my mileage then come back and 
practice dressage afterwards.  Mainly due to the fact that it would get 
Blue past the point of thinking that when he gets home he's done.  And 
maybe that would help him with leaving the vet check at the 25 mile point, 
hopefully he would start to think that he isn't done until I say he's 
done!!!  That would be an added benefit. <VBG>!


                                  Cheryl Newbanks
~~~           ~~ ^ ^        SW Region
~~~\      _ ~~/ /\ /        Buckeye, AZ
       (   ) __    ) ' '        horsetrails@inficad.com
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