> Hi everyone
> We had bought two Arab pinto geldings this last fall. They had pretty
> much been raised in box stalls and small pens. They were small and
> underdeveloped.
>
> Well we turned them out in over 40 acres of pasture with hills. The
> first day they were out they ran, and ran. One of them came up slightly
> lame. I have never dealt with horses like this. All the horses I have
> ever worked with have always been raised in the open. They have put on
> weight and developed over the winter so I have started to train them to
> ride. They are 3 years old and around 15 hands.
>
> My questions for you guys is how much should I ride them. I started the
> one riding out on Sat. I rode him 2 miles and on Sunday I rode him 4.
> And he was tired and poky. Last night I rode him another 2 miles and he
> had energy for about a quarter of a mile and then he was played out. I
> would like to do some easy trail rides with him this summer and maybe a
> 12 mile competitive with him in Sept. How do I get him in condition?
>
> I am training a 14 hand part arab filly right now who is three and I can
> ride 10 miles and it takes the first 8 miles to get her to settle down
> into a walk. I raised this horse. This is what I am use to, I am not use
> to these terribly out of shape young geldings that were raised in
> confinement. So I really need some help here. What kind of program
> should I use to condition these geldings? How many miles in how many
> days? What can I expect from them?
>
> Lynette