Re: ponies in endurance

[Sue Brown <sbrown@wamedes.com>]

>I compete in the Uk on a Welsh Cob ( think giant welsh mountain pony and
>youll get a good image of him). When I had the time  to get him fit enough
>two years ago he coped happily with 40 and 50 milers and won a speed trophy
>for the fastest time at one ride beating amongst others an Arab that went on
>to come third in the UK Arab Marathon race.
>

I have an Arab/Welsh Pony mare (10yo, 14h) who will be starting some LD
this year.  Darby looks like a small warmblood and has amazing full length
horse strides...can outstride Blaze (15h) in the trot at any time!  She
carries a full size adult and takes up your leg so she doesn't look
outsized.  She's awesome on the trail and even assuming some lead position
occasionally now (and learning NOT to do a spin on the haunches at
everything her little Arab brain deems questionable!! <vbg>)  She'll go
thru creeks willingly, truck right on thru recently logged areas with lots
of slash, jump logs across the trail pretty gracefully, and so on.  So far
I'm impressed with her progress...hopefully she'll do okay.  She's had
about 18-20 months of dressage and small amount of jumping (which she
loves...heard that's the Welsh part) and a boatload of ground manners
(which she needed!)  We're now working on her conditioning and
sure-footedness in the foothills just north of here.  She's cute, too ;-)
and may end up being the most "competitive" minded one I own...certainly is
showing those signs on the few outings she's had. ;-)  She has her first LD
competition at the Fish Follies in a couple of weeks.  Hasn't camped out
yet, but the others have, so she should be okay.

Sue  

sbrown@wamedes.com
Tyee Farm
Marysville, Wa.