Improving Ridecamp/ from Angie

["guest@endurance.net" <guest@endurance.net>]

Angie McGhee Rides2far@juno.com
Karen, Your questions are very good and it would be wonderful to see the answers from the "really great" riders. Unfortunately, none of them will admit that they know they're part of that club.  So...I'm going to drop your standards to "Those us who have done this a fair amount, on a regular basis" How's that?

1:  How do you start young horses with conditioning?

Depends on the horse. If I'm starting pretty much from scratch I ride with people whose horses are in comparable shape. You have to avoid riding with riders and horses who are on YOUR experience level instead of your horse's or you'll be tempted to train too fast. When I change horses, I usually change riding pals too. It's kinda sad when a friend retires their fast horse and sort of tells us, "See ya later" as they drop back to train with some slower folks.  For a new horse I ride more often, longer, and slower.  I'll try to be sure and ride 3 or maybe even 4 days a week.  I don't emphasize speed, but do hills and distance.  I'm willing to complete a 50 miler after 90 days of this. Complete is the key word there.

2:  What is your conditioning program for 50 mile rides?

Usually 3 days a week. 2 short rides around the neighborhood, some hills, high heart rates, about an hour or an hour and a half. Then a 20 mile or so ride on the weekends. Around here the footing is rocks on top of rocks so it's hard to do much speed but we trot when its safe. Lots of climing.  Even hurrying 20 miles will take 5 hours time we do our warm-up, cool down, walk the rocks and down the hills.

  100 mile rides?

I train less now than ever. The stages in my horses's training were: Stage one: completion of 50. Trained long hours
Stage two: Picking it up a little: Train faster, higher heart rates. Start getting a few top 10's. (after 2 years) Stage 3, completed a 100. Suddenly my horse decided to get fast on 50's. Started going for top 5 on 50's. Now it suddenly seemed like I spent more time planning REST than planning training. Once the season starts the races are BIG training rides and everything in between is rest/ repair/ take inventory/ then go again. I mostly just ride him to stay loose. At this point the season seems to get longer and longer, so I only conciously "train" during long periods of no races...middle of summer and middle of winter.

3:  What is your general feedng program?  What do you feed before, during and after hard rides?

So simple it would make Susan G. sigh.  He gets a 3-lb. coffee can up to the next to top line (below the brim) morning and evening most days. It's a basic 10% protein sweet feed. The feeding AFTER a ride I fill it to the top. The week after a race I fill it to the top for a few days, then taper back off before I begin riding again.  He also gets all the Tifton 44 Coastal Bermuda that he'll clean up. I have a rotten pasture that he can pretend to graze on.  He gets no feed supplements, won't eat free choice loose white salt. Has a red salt block that lasts forever.  I give him just enough beet pulp to keep him used to it for rides, but he isn't crazy about it and has no problem holding weight so I seldom bother with it. I also give a few bites of alfalfa now and then coming into a race so his gut will be prepared for all the stealing of hay at the ride. >eg<

4:  What supplements and electrolytes do you use on conditoning rides and competitions?

He only gets electrolytes during competition unless I ride on a REALLY horribly hot and humid day in the summer, and even then I just usually let him graze more often. He gets home made electrolytes (Ridgeway recipe) one dose pretty much every hour during competition.

5:  What strategies do you use for cooling?

I am the world's best sponger. >g<

  How do you cool after hard rides?  Do you ice legs?
      Do you poltice and wrap legs?

No.

6:  How do you train with your HRM"s?  At what range do you consider anerobic with your horses?

I used one long enough to get good at guessing. Now I'm usually irritated with those who ride with me who are always calling out numbers. More than once I've told them they were wrong, and guessed their horse's pulse....we stopped fast (it was the top of a hill causethey were bragging that their horse was 98 and I said, "No, he's about 145, but will be 120 before we can get it". We hopped off and took it and I was right.  My horse will break down to a walk at 180, then be willing to try to trot again when he drops below 160 (climbing a mountain).  I don't know what HR Kaboot travels at, but I can tell when we're over his "comfort" range.

     How long to you hold them there? 

Till the next patch of rocks.

> What ranges to you stay between?

The Appalachians and the Rockies >g<

7:  Saddles, tack etc?

Biothane halter bridle/full cheek snaffle w/running martingale or English hackamore (which he thinks is strong!) OF Biothane Breastcollar, Ortho-Flex Express saddle/EZ Ride stirrups with cage/mohair girth/OF crupper/light nylon reins.

8.  What do you look for in an endurance prospect? Is size important?

Yes, nothing over 14.2 or I can't get on without help. >g<

9:  Do you lay off your horse after the season? 

Yes, one month. it's time to shop for Christmas and wait for all the nice weather to get over with so I can start training in the really horrible wet/cold/mud. December is just too nice, it would make me soft.
 
10:  What is your preferred plan for day before the ride?.  Do you ride your horse out on the trails the
     Friday before the ride? 

Yes.  It seems like it would help avoid tie-ups (so far so good) and I have to shorten my stirrups. I never believe how short they need to be for his competition trot until he shows me. 

> What if you arrive late and can't get the horse out the day before the ride?
    How do you warm up the mornng of the ride?

Usually warm up 30 min. I would hope for 40 if no ride on Friday. I walk 15 minutes, then alternate walking and trotting for 15.

11:  How do you deal with tie-up, thumps, dehydration, other metabolic problems?

I've had no tie-ups except one borrowed horse once. I believe in lots of hay, cut grain for trailer ride, get them out on the way and walk them, keep them moving, no stalls, long warm up, and once you start, still drop down to a walk now and then. I really get on some people's nerves sometimes refusing to get going for so long.

12: Favorite rides, positive changes in the sport?

There are so many. Sometimes it's management, sometimes it's just the trail. Hahira is special because they treat you so well. Biltmore because you see people from other regions, Liberty for the food, camp, marking and WATER, Million Pines for the hospitality, it's hard to name one I don't like. I hate it when I have to choose between them because of the date. War Eagle was always one of the best, but I had to miss their ride this year. :-(

13:  My favorite question:  How did so many of the early riders complete ride after ride without the
HRM, custom electrolytes, improved tack and advanced endurance research?  How did so many of you ride 100 miles in tennis shoes and english stirrups??!!!

What you don't know won't hurt you. I did my first ride in jeans with bandanas tied at the ankles (ala Punky Brewster) an English Saddle and cowboy boots. I don't remember anything except that my stomach cramped from the excitement.

Like I said, I do not consider myself to be in the ranks of the folks you asked for advice, but if nothing else, maybe some of you slackers won't feel so bad when you read my program. >g< By the way, Kaboot just went over 2000 miles and I lak 120 hitting 3000. I hope to get a 100 in in a couple of weeks, but may have to borrow a horse a week later to hit 3000 this year. :-D
Angie