Re: 3rd Loop Blues?

[Sue Brown <sbrown@wamedes.com>]

>milamj@agtelco.com writes:
>
><< Neither ride taxed my horse physically, but his behavior changed on the
>3rd loop in both rides. Friends warned me about the psychological let
>down there might be as you start the 3rd loop, due to only doing 2 in
>the past with LD. >>
>
>That's one reason I don't like to have my horses do LD's--I don't like to 
>"teach" them that the routine on an LD is what we are going to be doing in 
>competition.  You indicate that the problem was not as bad at your last 
>ride--you will likely be able to train through it.
>
>Heidi
>

This brings up a concern of mine since I've been conditioning an older
horse that I brought out of the pasture a couple of years ago where he had
been firmly established as Head Pasture Potato for several years.  I wanted
to start competing with him and was told that LD was the place to
start...learn the ropes and bring the horse along (up to) 50s gradually.
Now I read from different folks how it's not so good to ride horses in LD
because then they think they're finished and that those who have been
involved in this sport a while don't want to deal with the problems that
riding LD apparently causes the horse.

So what is the best way...especially when you don't know if a horse could
do a 50 yet?  (Howard says there's a *big* difference.)  What if the horse
is ready for LD but not for a longer distance...do you wait it out and not
compete in order to not give the horse the wrong idea about what will
eventually be expected of him?  What about the folks that only have one
horse and don't want to wait but want to enjoy the aspects of endurance
riding before the horse is ready to do a 50?  How many long term
competitors actually *do* wait until the horse is ready for a 50 before
they go to their first competition?

Sue (on my never-ending quest to do it all *right*. ;-))



sbrown@wamedes.com
Tyee Farm
Marysville, Wa.