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From: Patti
Email: patti_carey@iimak.ccmail.compuserve.com
My husband and I began competing in 25 and 40 mile CTRs this summer; he with his 7 y.o. Arab gelding, me with my 5 y.o. Belgian/TB mare. I mainly do dressage and was just 'going along' for the conditioning and for fun. Well, fun I had, and my mare actually won the novice division of a NATRC ride in the fall. I was thrilled. She is a very easy-going mare, has good solid legs (!!) and has no problem with the distances, dehydration or soreness. She is, however, very tough to keep fit! I was not happy with her level of fitness til the NATRC ride, and even then thought she could be more 'buff.' We worked first on long slow distance stuff, then did lots of hill work (which is easy where we live) and then did interval training at trot to canter to trot. This mare is also a very easy keeper, so finding a balance between work and feed isn't always easy. I realize that this mare won't ever have the pulse recoveries of the Arabs simply because of her bulk, and that CTRs in the heat pro
bably aren't a good idea, but I'd sure appreciate any advice I can get on keeping her fit. (We have our horses at home in New York state, have no ring, but can access an indoor arena once or twice a week. We live on a dirt road, and have trails.) THANK YOU!!!! Patti
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