Eating, Conditioning, Novice gadgets, bloodlines (long)

[Farafix@aol.com]

Happy Holidays Ridecampers,

Catching up on RC, my 2 cents worth on a couple of subjects.
Eating on trail:  After Kadance+/ (over 3000 CTR & endurance miles) did her 
first 50, she started eating every chance she got as soon as the ride started 
--- grabbed grass at steam banks when we stopped for a drink, grabbed at any 
leaves that stuck out into the trail. She taught her son the value of eating 
early & he copied her behaviour before he started doing the longer distances. 
 They both like to go, and Tempo, since he's a stallion, esp likes to be with 
other horses & go down the trail (never know who might be ahead) --- but they 
take great care of themselves, getting right down to business at the pit 
stops eating & drinking.
How many new fangled gadgets does a novice rider need?  When I started CTR's 
about 10 yrs ago I thought it would be right up my alley as trail riding was 
all I ever did.  Boy did I have a lot to learn!!  The one thing I did do 
right was to get enough LSD on my horse so I didn't kill him.  My 1st 25 mile 
CTR was more like 35 miles (RM error, which does happen!) & as I didn't know 
how to pace, I just kept going & going & was one of the few riders to make 
the time window (set for 25 miles).  I did an endurance pace at my 1st 25 
mile CTR!  I didn't know anything about electrolytes, hadn't clipped my very 
hairy horse, but fortunately there was a lot of water on the ride & I had 
conditioned the horse pretty well and he was a tough old guy, so he come out 
pretty well.  I quickly learned my saddle didn't fit him too well (so started 
the Great Saddle Search that Never Ends), my riding was pretty lousy (so took 
several yrs of dressage lessons which were very helpful).  Oh, & on that 1st 
CTR my new truck broke down so I had to hitch a ride home for my horse from a 
total stranger (since I didn't know anyone there!!).  The fact that a 
stranger kindly gave us a ride & my horse & I survived hooked me on the 
sport.  You don't need all the fancy gadgets to get started, but you do need 
to do your conditioning homework for your horse.  This sport forces you to 
improve your horse(wo)manship in a lot of ways --- saddle fit, nutrition, 
conditioning, etc., etc. and you are free to experiment and use whatever 
works for you & your horse --- no stuffy rules about what kind of saddle or 
horse or type of clothes the rider has to use.
Conditioning:  Start slow & work up gradually.  Started Tempo at 2 1/2 yrs 
old and did nothing but walking (about 10-15 miles a week over 3-4 sessions) 
until he was 3, then started adding trotting & cantering & work on hard 
surfaces in VERY SMALL INCREMENTS.  He's now 6 & quite fit, and I try to get 
up to 50 miles a week (usually hit 35 to 40) over 3-4 sessions a week (most 
rides are about 12-13 miles long, with maybe a 20 every other week).  If the 
ground isn't too muddy or slick, I keep up a steady trot with some cantering 
and trot uphill (my terrain is gently rolling, so uphills only take a minute 
or 2 to get up).  I don't clip in the winter to try to get his heartrate 
elevated a little (the cold weather & a fit horse don't drive the heartrate 
up much, esp if I have to take it easy because the ground is slick).  I don't 
use the heartmonitor much at home now because I know I have to keep going to 
get it up to even 120 on this terrain in the winter.  I use it religiously on 
rides.  I back off before an upcoming 50, giving the horse at least 4 days 
rest before.  Horse gets a week off, free run in a pasture, after a 50, and 
maybe some light (90% walking over 5 mi) riding (more for his mental state as 
he's a stallion) a week or so after a 50.   I've sometimes done 50's 2 weeks 
apart, but next yr I will give at least 3 weeks apart, with maybe a 25 mile 
CTR close to home 2 weeks later as conditioning before the next 50.  2 weeks 
was probably a little too close as Tempo goes at a pretty good pace on the 
50's, and the 50's are tough around here.
Endurance bloodlines:  Pretty is as pretty does.  I'd go first for the 
conformation and personality.  Kadance+/ has a lot of Crabbet, some Al-Marah 
& some West Coast that I guess would classify as CMK.  A line to *Witez II 
and her maternal sire line is Spanish (known for substance, bone & laid back 
temperament --- she has all 3).  I bred her to a Crabbet/Polish 
(*Serarix/*Caliope) cross stallion to get Tempo.  Someone mentioned that 
cutting horse lines make for good endurance horses & with my 1 rat study I 
have to agree --- Tempo has 2 paternal brothers that were top cutting horses 
& boy, is he ever agile on his feet!!!!  Really works off his hindend, lovely 
canter, and is very good downhill.  Kadance+/ has 3 IAHA National CTR top 
10's and I think 6-7 50 mile endurance top 10's & is still going strong with 
her new owner.  Tempo has an IAHA National CTR top 10 and 6 50 mile end top 
10's (over 1200 miles), so I think it's safe to say their bloodlines may have 
some merit --- but you will also find their bloodlines in halter horses that 
I wouldn't touch with a 20 foot pole.  As someone said --- it's how the lines 
were bred that are crucial.
Off for another week skiing, so will catch up with y'all when I get back.  

Nancy
Md


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