Re: Type A horses/good or bad?

["superpat" <superpat@gateway.net>]

Thanks for that observation, Debbie. I have been riding my mare, Engelita,
(1200 miles so far) in 50's, 60's, and an 80 thrown in. (1st hundred coming
up at Sun River), and she never drinks before abut 16 miles. I have tried
many protocols to entice her to do so, including playing with
click/training, and she just is  not interested in water until the magic
mile post. But she is like the energizer bunny...keeps going and going
and....
So maybe I will relax a bit and do the best I can but allow her some space
to be her own individual self, drinking when she will. I will keep
experimenting, though.
Pat Super

----- Original Message -----
From: <DebiG54@aol.com>
To: <ridecamp@endurance.net>
Sent: Wednesday, June 14, 2000 8:00 AM
Subject: RC: Type A horses/good or bad?


>
> In a message dated 06/14/2000 10:05:27 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
> CMKSAGEHIL@aol.com writes:
>
> << I think it has to do
>  more with an equine equivalent of a "Type A" personality--where the horse
is
>  giving himself adrenaline and hyping himself up--and I don't think that
is a
>  good thing in this sport.  That constant "revving of the engine" (pardon
the
>  vehicular analogy) depletes all manner of things--lytes, energy,
etc.--and
>  "washes the horse out" before he ever hits the trail. >>
>
> Heidi:
>
> Forgive me for jumping in here, but I beg to differ with your thoughts
above.
> I don't think a wired horse should be so easily dismissed.  You just never
> know...
>
> I've always described my wonderful horse, CBS Redman, as being an ULTRA
"Type
> A" personality.  His whole career, he wasted enormous amounts of energy
being
> nervous in the trailer, being nervous at the campsite, being nervous
> EVERYWHERE.  He would exhibit nearly every counterproductive behavior to
> completing a successful endurance ride in one piece.  He would often pass
> mucous covered manure upon reaching the campsite--not a good sign--or he'd
> have the runs.  He never ate or drank well before a ride.  Very
frequently,
> he would be at a race for two days and never drink a drop of water inside
his
> pen.  He almost never drank during any race before going 25-30 miles.  And
he
> would rarely eat until he'd gone about 50.  He was just too wired, too
"Type
> A." He was always gazing down the trail, ready to go again.  I learned to
> quit worrying.  Even as he aged (he's 18 now) he mellowed very little.
>
> And yet, his record has been remarkable.  He not only has been first or
> second in nearly all his completions, but he had more best condition wins
> than race wins.  My point here is that all horses are individuals.  Some
> horses do, indeed, lose too much of themselves when they're too wired.
But,
> like almost everything else in this sport, there are no absolutes, no
rules
> that apply in all cases.
>
> Another note...my mare, Saizahra, that I've been campaigning the last few
> years, has another issue that, at first, worried me sick.  She will not
> urinate during a race.  She has completed and won 100 mile races without
ever
> urinating.  And that includes the Old Dominion a few years ago, where her
> ride time was over 15 hours!  We were on the trail over 18 hours and she
> never urinated.  I used to wring my hands over it and try all the tricks
to
> make her go.  She just wouldn't.  I finally quit worrying.  Not urinating
> never affected her pulse or anything else.  Go figure!
>
> My point is, these horses can defy many of our preconceived notions about
> what's "ideal."  I would hate to see someone eliminate a prospect just
> because he wasn't stoic or had some other aberration.  You just never
know!
>
> Debi Gordon
>
>
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