Re: RC: 3rd loop blues

[DreamWeaver <karen@chaton.gardnerville.nv.us>]

(note: this post I actually meant to send to ridecamp---unlike the last
one <sorry>)  
At 08:31 AM 07/06/2000 -0500, you wrote:
> Now Karen it's not nice to suggest that to us
> poor schmucks who live in
> regions where that's not an option :)

How many regions are there that don't have any point to point
rides?  Or that don't have at least the vet checks out of camp?
(just curious)   

> To the original poster, I'd just keep going to
> 50s till he figures it
> out. Sounds like he's getting better just from his first to his
> second
> 50. 

Now this is where I'm going to insert my foot <G>  {open
wide}  I read that the person asking about the horse stopping and
looking back towards camp on the last loop did their first 50 in 6 hours
and the second one in 4:25.  Is this NORMAL for you guys? 
Where are you anyhow?  I don't know very many people that would take
a horse on their second 50 and go that fast.  I looked up my horses
on-line and in over 6000 miles I haven't done any rides in 4:25 or better
(well, except for 25 miles).  Are the trails that much
easier/flatter or something?  Shorter?  What is the
difference?  {yeah yeah, go ahead and tell me my horses are just
really slow}  :P  

> On the same note, to those of you doing 100s
> regularly, do you find this
> happans more or less on 100s - not 3rd loop blues but maybe 5th or
> 6th
> loop blues - or for Karen, maybe it's the 5th leg of a point to point
> <g>.

Most of our 100's don't have that many loops.  Many are point to
point, (we really don't have that many 100's tho) or you at least have 50
or 60 miles of it out of camp with one or two more loops and always vet
checks out of camp (with maybe some in, but there are always out
checks).  I've been lucky in that I haven't experienced with either
of my horses them not wanting to go or not being strong and happy to trot
forward willingly at the end of a ride, at any distance be it 50, 100 or
250.  I have no idea why that is, I think it is just they love what
they do and hopefully I've done my homework right and never taken them on
a longer distance that they weren't fully prepared for.  They even
take off on last loops out of camp when the other one (I often bring them
both along to multiday rides) is left in camp screaming for them. 
Once they get on the trail, they just GO.  

I've always been of the opinion that if you under-ride your horse on the
first half, you'll have enough horse on the last 5 miles to do whatever
you please (or 20 miles, be it a 100).  If you run out of horse in
the second half, or last loop...you simply rode too fast in the first
half.  Simple.  

Happy Trails,

Karen
in NV
& Rocky, 2,915 miles 
& Weaver, 3,255 miles
http://members.xoom.com/ridephotos/