RE: Fw: Endurance

["Steph Teeter" <step@fsr.com>]

Maria and Claudia,

It sounds like you haven't done endurance yet. It
isn't for everybody, but if it is for you - you will
know it right away, and become totally hooked like
the rest of us. Believe me - this sport is not
about winning, money, glory - there are much easier
sports out there for those that are just interested
in that. For 99% of us the horse, and the trail, are
what it is all about. Even if we set our sights on
winning it is still about the horse and the trail.
Otherwise, we would pick a different sport.

And as far as supplementation and 'artificial' racing.
I think that once you've done a few rides, you will
realize that you just cannot fake this sport! The
carbo charge is just another food source - really
no different from feeding grain or another readily
available energy source. It is not a magic potient
and won't make a horse do anything it isn't capable
of already. I've always felt bad for the horses
having so little opportunity to eat - to fuel up
during a ride. This is their opportunity to grab
a snack. It is no more un-natural than dosing them
with electrolytes and probiotics. Will it give
a horse an edge over the competition?? Maybe
a little... maybe a lot ...maybe not enough to
worry about. I think Ti will have a lot more information
on this a year from now. But - the chances are, that
a metabolic 'edge' will make less difference in the long
run then factors such as skill, strategy and
determination of the rider, and the 'heart' and natural
ability of the horse.

All the talk of glucometers and gadgets- it's interesting,
there is some good science and research going on -
some in the name of 'improving performance' - some
in the name of 'protecting our horses'. It pretty
much boils down to the same science however
you look at it. There is certainly romance in the
sport - we all have those moments and those rides -
and know that 'this is what it's all about'. But
sooner or later we also have lameness to deal with,
or have or see a horse that needs treatment for
exhaustion or dehydration (and btw, it's not usually
the front runners whose horses need treatment). And
I believe we have a responsibility to understand
the biology of the sport. Yes - it's about the
horse and the trail, but we still have to understand
and respect the needs of our horses in terms of
fuel, water, electrolytes and conditioning.

Of course there are plenty out there that excel on just
a good diet and common sense conditioning.
And there are probably great horses that have
excelled on poor diets and haphazard conditioning
- just because they are truly great horses, superior
atheletes. And there are probably great horses out
there that never got a chance because their riders
didn't really understand the principles of conditioning
and over/under did it.

Most of us that are blathering away about science
and carbos and gadgets are driven by curiosity -
and enough science in our backgrounds to be dangerous.
(no offense to the DVM's and real scientists out there :)
And a willingness or interest to try something
new, just because it makes sense. It's not a substitute
for the horse and the trail, just another facet.

Well, that was a little long and preachy. Just go do
a ride - you'll know right away what it's all about.

Steph (momentarily grouchy to be missing the Death Valley
Encounter this year....)

----------------------

 Dear ridecamp members----we have/had been very interested in becoming
involved in endurance riding, thinking that it was a competition primarily
against the trail, and "all" it required was common sense
conditioning (lots of long hours and wet saddle blankets) of horse and rider
and common sense riding (knowing and understanding your horse and yourself).
But from what we are reading on ridecamp, it requires state-of-the-art
equipment and monitoring and supplements out the kazoo.   We are fast
losing interest in this so-called sport and feel like the motto SHOULD be
changed to "To Win is to Win" (else why the emphasis on getting more out of
the horse).   Or---are there indeed riders out there who compete and compete
well without all this "stuff" we have been reading about???

A second concern we have, as breeders of Arabians:  If horses continue to be
supplemented and raced "artificially" (in our opinion, humble as it is),
will this evolve into a generation of horses that cannot compete and compete
well without the supplements, etc.?

 Maria Wallis
My Golden Farm
 and
Claudia Provin
Provin's Promises
Breeders of CMK Arabian Horses



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