Karen Sullivan Questions

[Jim Holland <lanconn@tds.net>]

Karen, I'm no expert, either.  I think many of us hesitate to answer
questions like these because it's different with different riders based
on your riding background, how you learned Endurance and how you
approach the sport.  I was fortunate enough that at a time when I did
not have the time/knowledge to do my own thing to be "associated" with
an excellent Endurance rider who not only taught me what I needed to
know, but hooked me on Endurance and Arabians forever. Since I shared
riding her horse, I kept my mouth shut, did it her way, took a ride when
I could get one and soaked up every thing I could.  I crewed at every
opportunity. (The most IMPORTANT thing I learned was that the only thing
worse than a female Endurance rider is a WET, TIRED, and IRRITABLE
female Endurance rider) :)  She not only was well respected in the
Southeast, but had three national championships in Competitive Trail.
(According to her, too easy)  Now, I do things my way, but I learned a
lot.  I also listened to everything everyone else said/did, then made my
own decision.  I have had a great time with Sunny...and used everthing I
learned along with a zillion things HE taught me.  As Julie Suhr said,
(and excuse me, Julie, if I misquote since I don't have the article in
front of me) "You are humbled by the feeling of indebtedness to your
horse, yet you feel 10 feet tall because you are so proud of him".  She
was referring to completing the Tevis, but I think this feeling is
universal to many Endurance riders.

1:  How do you start young horses with conditioning?

Long, Slow, Distance and patience.  I did not trot Sunny DOWN a hill
until he was 4...then gentle hills.  I trotted him UP every small hill I
could find.  Time in the saddle....lots of all day rides out there
seeing things, doing things....and most important, practicing "Whoa",
collect, sidepass, back, turn on fore/hind, leg yields around trees,
crossing creeks, putting your head down, "tailing" up hills at both a
walk and a trot, clearing trail, standing quietly without grazing on the
shrubbery, ground tieing, not getting excited when other horses leave
you, controlled trot down hills, (collect, slow down and shorten your
stride), and lots of trailer rides, even if it is only down to the
grocery store.

2:  What is your conditioning program for 50 mile rides?  100 mile
rides?

I always give Sunny two weeks off between 50 miles rides.  I may trail
ride, but no hard riding.  I haven't done a 100 on him yet.  I'm
sneaking up on it.  We've done a 60. (4th place) and I will do 75 at
Hahira this fall. Hopefully, next year at age 8, a 100.  I plan to give
him at least 3 weeks off after a 100. If I can do at least a 50 every 2
weeks, I do nothing more than jog around the farm or trail ride up the
mountain for a couple of hours about once a week.

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

I don't change my feeding for rides.  I feed a "handful" of Omolene 100,
a "handful" of cracked corn, a "handful" of stabilized rice bran, 1/2
Ounce of Sup-r-Hoof supplement and a double handful of soaked (overnite)
beet pulp twice a day. I give him a 1/2 pat of alfafa once a day as a
treat.  I want him to have a little "padding" over his ribs.  He needs
that to "burn" during the ride to prevent lactic acid buildup. (This is
a whole new topic)  He's out on lush pasture all the time.  During the
ride I give him anything he will eat...a choice of Alfafa, coastal
bermuda hay, fescue hay, and a slurry of cracked corn, beet pulp, a tiny
bit of omolene, apples and carrots at vet checks.  
 
4:  What supplements and electrolytes do you use on conditoning rides
and competitions?

I use LyteNow the night before, at the start, and at every vet check.  I
do not electrolyte on conditioning rides.

5:  What strategies do you use for cooling?  How do you cool after hard
rides?  Do you ice legs? Do you poltice and wrap legs?

I do NOT leg wrap or poultice.  I want the heat OUT, not kept in.  I use
a cooling "gel" that has witchhazel and other "feel cool" stuff in it
below his knees/hocks just as a "feel good" for him.  He will drop his
nose and just relax into a tired little puddle when I rub his legs with
it. I am considering ice boots if I can figure out a way to keep them
cold.

6:  How do you train with your HRM"s?  At what range do you consider
anerobic with your horses? How long to you hold them there?  What ranges
to you stay between?

I used a HRM during the first two years of LSD with Sunny.  I tried to
work him between 150 and 170 for at least 20 minute periods. When he was
six, I started cantering and galloping to drive his heartbeat to 200,
then rested until it recovered to at least 64.  As he gets more and more
fit, you will notice that it's harder to drive his pulse to 200. I
couldn't get him there on the flat just prior to his first 50. (He never
did any LD rides)  This is in addition to the 20 minute periods.  When
he was 7 and the summer prior to his first ride (1999 Biltmore) we rode
15-20 miles every other day for two months at "speedplay" rates....that
is, as fast as the terrain (mountainous) would safely let us go.  I do
not use an HRM at rides. (I don't want to know!) :) At Hungry Buzzard, I
raced for 1 1/2 miles to the finish DOWN a hill and UP a hill...after a
20 minute walk back to camp, an immediate CRI was 64/60.  He will ALWAYS
be down to 64 in a vet check if I can walk him at least a 1/4 mile.  I
attribute that to mountain training and the technique above.  Sunny
KILLS 'em in vet checks because of his recoveries.  When we did Biltmore
in the fall of 1999, it was so flat Sunny thought he had gone to
heaven...he thought he was supposed to gallop on anything flat greater
than 100 yards.

     
7:  Saddles, tack etc?

I tried a Sportsaddle and a Big Horn with Sunny. The Sportsaddle rubbed
his loins because his back is so short.  The Big Horn didn't fit him and
caused pressure points on his withers because he is narrow and downhill
there.  I bought a custom saddle from Steve Gonzalez made from a mold of
his back.  Best money I ever spent. I think I could ride on the flat
without a cinch once I got in the saddle.  I ride Sunny in an Arabian
S-Hack.  I can ride him around here with nothing...but he's very
competitive and pulls on me pretty good during the first loop...but
never out of control.  All my peripheral stuff is biothane.
 
8.  What do you look for in an endurance prospect? Is size important?

Short pasterns, short back, good feet, level topline, around 8" cannons,
and above all else, a laid back, calm, people-loving disposition. Small,
compact horses recover better than bigger ones and are less prone to
suspensory problems...if your size/weight is not an issue.

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

Yes...Sunny is an outdoor pasture horse and I don't want to blanket or
stall him.  To do winter rides would require me to bodyclip.  Besides,
we clear trail, schmooze with other riders, and trail ride in the
winter.  Trail riding is a great relaxant for an Endurance horse and
Sunny loves it.
  
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?  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?

If I get there early enough, I will ride backwards from the finish line,
but just for an hour or so at a walk or jog.  I am saddled and ready to
go half an hour before checkin on ride day.  I walk for about 20
minutes, jog a couple of minutes, and give Sunny "work" such as
sidepassing, backing up, turning, etc. just to get his mind on me
instead of all the commotion.  Studies have shown that warmup....any
warmup...is beneficial to the horse's performance in eventing.

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

Never had any of those with Sunny.  I am so bonded with him that he lays
his ears back when my farrier gets between me and him.  I know what he's
thinking before he does...when he feels good, when he doesn't, when to
slow down, etc.  Sunny is always a B on gut sounds at first vet check,
doesn't eat till the second one....after that he's usually all A's.  You
just kinda learn what's "normal?" for your horse.

12: Favorite rides, positive changes in the sport?

Old Dominion, Big South Fork.  More knowledge of horses, better tack,
more concern for horse's welfare.

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??!!! 

Most of this was before my time, but you do what you gotta do....that's
why it's called Endurance.  I have crewed where I had to wet my rider's
tights with warm water in order to get them off her legs because she was
so raw from a saddle which was good for the horse, but not for the
rider. She also had shin splints.  You just suck it up and get it done.
(Sorry...my Marine Corps background resurfacing) :)

Hope you find this useful.

Regards, Jim Holland  AERC 4074