Long term conditioning

["Claudia Provin" <provincmk@fanninelectric.com>]

I am glad y'all have brought this subject up.   I, too, run my colts in groups in a relatively large pasture, and have also been told how well "personalitied" they are.  

 

My question regards this----since I have been reading (Dr. Deb Bennett) that horses' back mature even more slowly than I realized, I am not planning on "breaking" colts until they are four.   I have also been reading about the time needed condititioning.   I am wondering if a set amount of "forced" exercise on a regular basis would held in the conditioning phase before the horse is trained.  What I have in mind is simply going to the pasture and chasing them about for a period of time.   Do you think this would help and do you have any input as to length of time, frequency, speed, etc? I am wanting to raise horses for the endurance market.

 

Claudia - Provin's Promises