Re: RC: Re: pace in endurance

[BMcCrary27@aol.com]

In a message dated 04/03/2000 10:24:35 PM Pacific Daylight Time, 
gesaeqfx@pe.net writes:

<< Here goes:  Walk the up
 >hills...walk or easy trot the down hills....long trot whenever possible.
 >Get off and lead on the steep down hills to give them a break.  On long
 >stretches of semi flat trail I trot med to extended trot for appx. 15
 >minutes and then I walk for 5 minutes. (the old cavalry routine).  I walk
 >thru bad footing (except on Nevada rides :-D not much choice there)
 >Basically I trot where it is safe and walk where it is not.  Nothing is
 more
 >dangerous than boogying thru bad footing on a leg weary horse.  Keep as
 much
 >extra fuel in your horses tank as possible.  I feed carrots, apples,
 cookies
 >etc. throughout the entire ride.  Take a little extra time at the water
 >stops to make sure they rehydrate themselves.   Use common sense and dont
 be
 >in a big hurry to finish.  

Exciting to read this, as it is exactly the way I chose to ride last Saturday 
while taking a 5 year old gelding through his FIRST endurance experience.  I 
entered him in the SASO 25-miler and rode just as Gesa described.  I had no 
previous experience in taking a youngster through a LD ride, but it just made 
sense to me.  He came through with flying colors, acted pretty much as if he 
had been on a 7 mile training ride at home, except for the time on the trail 
and the heat (high 80s).  I took 5 hours to do the 25 miles and was extremely 
happy with his attitude, his metabolic scores, his behavior, and the 
experience of watching him learn.  He had never seen so many horses in his 
life, yet he was not unduly excited.  His worst concern was hearing other 
horses come up behind him on the trail at a trot or canter, and he even got 
over that in the second half of the ride.  It must be self-preservation, as 
he has been subservient to an alpha mare for most of his life.  She considers 
him dirt under her feet, so he is fairly humble and well-behaved around other 
horses.  But he ate and drank EVERYWHERE.  I was one happy owner-rider.

Barbara