Re: My LD experiences

["Dyane Smith" <sunibey@sisqtel.net>]

Karen,
That would be exactly the way I think you should use LD.  It's also a great
idea to do schooling exercises when they won't listen.  I had been leaning
toward doing 50's but I may try your system on a 25.
Dyane
N. Ca

----- Original Message -----
From: <guest@endurance.net>
To: <ridecamp@endurance.net>
Sent: Monday, November 01, 1999 7:29 AM
Subject: RC: My LD experiences


> Karen Standefer kstandef@teleport.com
> I've read tons of posts over the past couple of years regarding Limited
Distance.  And, I've listened when friends told me there is no reason to do
LD.
>
> I believe that each horse is different and possibly some horses don't
learn anything by participating in LD rides their first year, but mine
learned how to be an endurance horse this year by participating in LD's.
And, also, each rider handles LD rides differently.
>
> One year ago, at age 5, I put my gelding under saddle for the first time.
We spent the winter and spring legging up and doing very slow conditioning.
In my opinion, he didn't have enough time on his legs/tendons to do 50 mile
rides his first year.  And, he was a bit immature mentally.  So, we used LD
rides as an opportunity to teach.  If he wouldn't go my speed, then I'd take
him off the trail and we'd do exercises until he decided to go my way.
Sometimes we used up over an hour of ride time doing this, so we'd come in
middle to end of the pack.  I also used this season to get him relaxed,
eating and drinking well before moving him up next year to 50.   The first
several rides the horse never ate or drank and his vet scores were not too
great.
>
> Well, the first ride we spent 30 minutes trying to "start" the ride after
a controlled start.  He was wheeling, bucking, everything but moving
forward.  The subsequent rides all got better.  By the next to the last ride
of the season, he was walking flat footed at the start, eating and drinking
like a fool and getting straight A's on his report cards.
>
> So, the last race this year, I moved him up to do a 50.  The horse was
incredible!  He drank at every single stop, went my speed, ate like a pig
and got all A's on his report card except for two A+ for gait and impulsion
both on the vet-in and on completion.  I know that had I started him out
doing 50's next year and not done LD for this first season, we would have
had to contend with all the same issues next year except they would have
been on 50 milers where he could have gotten into metabolic trouble from not
eating or drinking.  As it is I have a very sensible horse who knows what
it's about now and that I can trust to take care of himself.
>
> I have a second horse that I'll be bringing along this next year and we'll
do it the same way again.  Maybe it won't work as well for
him..............who knows.  But, my bet is that it will.
>
> Karen
> Rafiq (who thiks he's all grown up now) and
> Kazan (who hasn't a clue!)
>
>
>
>
>
> Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net.
> Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/RideCamp
>
>


=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net.    
Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/RideCamp   
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=