Third loop Blues

[Sarah Ralston <ralston@AESOP.RUTGERS.EDU>]

Though Fling and I don't have the extensive experience with 
multiple horses that Heidi and some of the others that responded 
to this thread, I personnally am glad I took Fling in numerous 
CTR 25 and 30 mile rides and 3 day 100's before attempting 
our first endurance 50. As had been pointed out before,
especially for people just learning to pace themselves and their  horses,
the competitive trail rides, at least under the east coast ECTRA  system,
are great training rides. While Fling, like so many others,
is great at home on training rides (alone or with only 1 
or 2 other horses), when she gets in a group she turns into a 
racing machine (Gotta be first, Ma, Gotta catch up.) It took 
me quite a while to learn to control her "mind farts" and for 
her to accept that control. I perhaps could have done it in 
50's too, but, in hind sight, considering our early ride battles and
energy expenditure on both our parts, I would have had a lot 
more "pulls" on my record. In 7 years of competing with her, 
we only have 3 pulls-all at 3 day 100's, all after finishing 
the second day 40 miles, and only one for metabolics). 

Fling did not get third loop blues on her first 50, perhaps because 
we had already done four 3 day 100's. The increment from a 30 mile to
40 mile in one day was an easy step, so was the 40 to 50 step up.

We did get severe "third loop" blues at the OD 100-between Fitchetts
and Camp Roosevelt (25 to about 50 miles out) which I attributed 
to three things: We were heading farther and farther away from camp 
(as I said, she has a great sense of direction), we were alone and I got worried and depressed. That probably confirmed her conviction that I was hopelessly lost. She had never gone over 50 miles, but 
really perked up and was great on the last 50 miles of the 
ride, all heading north toward "home", and after I cheered up 
a bit (ah, the controversial glass of wine). She was fine 
even before we caught up with other riders just before dark, 
so the riding alone wasn't the total issue.

Rider attitude has an awful lot to do with it as does the
personnality of the horse-Fling has never complained about 
going back out, regardless of length of ride (well, at least 
once I get the girth tightened but that's another problem <vbg>).

So, I guess, IMHO, if the horse has a really forward attitude like Fling's, starting out on the CTR's or doing SLOW LD's is not going to "ruin" them for 50's, teaching them that they are "done" after 25-30 miles. Go ahead and wait til he'/she is ready for a 50-but you'll miss out on a lot of fun and socializing earlier on in your training! Plus, in my experience, it really helps the "go-getter" types like Fling to get them out in groups to learn to control their "emotions" before asking them to do a whole 50!

Sarah and Fling (Let's go back out, Mom-the other horses are leaving!)