Re: RC: 3rd loop blues

[Jerry D Milam Jr <milamj@agtelco.com>]

DreamWeaver wrote:

 (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,

I tried slowing my horse down the first 50 on the first loop and we were
both miserable. I even left 10 minutes after everyone started. It was not
a thing I want to repeat. My horse may have been a little tired on the
last loop, but hardly out of gas. He just didn't see any point in going
fast anymore.  It was a mental thing, I'm sure. I agree with Angie
that he is getting better about that attitude. It was nearly as bad the
2nd 50. Fly is a GO horse and likes it that way. I never have to MAKE him
go.

Yes Karen, our 2 rides in the MW region in IL specifically is fairly flat. The first ride was 300 ft elevations and the 2nd was maybe 150 or 200, tops. A lot of wide open fields too. Fly vetted out with all A's and 1 hr after we finished he was lunging himself in his pen as other event riders were leaving and coming in. He couldn't wait to get out there again. Silly horse.

Thanks for your ideas
Happy Tails,

Susan and Fly Bye (110 LD, 100 endurance miles)