is horse ready for 25?

["Sullivan's" <greymare@jps.net>]

I would be interested in comments as to if my now 5 year old might be ready for a slow, very easy LD ride the end of May.

 

I'm perpelxed somewhat becuase it seems some people take a horse, put 6 months conditioning on it, and do a 50!  Some have also mentioned feeling that you could pull just about any horse out of a pasture and do a 25......so, given statements like that, I might think this horse is ready......and she MIGHT be, I would just like opinions.

 

I  bought her first of November.  She was broke to ride at three and a half, and then ridden sporadically until I bought her, at age 4 and a half.

I started immediately with ponyin her out, walking flat, starting at 45 minutes.  I got her out 5 days out of every week (really), just walking, then adding some short, slow jogs after a month, and then starting walking up some hills, and varying sorts of terrain.

 

Lately, she has been doing some 8-10 mile rides with no problems, never had filling in her legs, and we have increased the hills.  Longest ride we did has been 12 miles; it was somewhat hilly, and it took us 3 hours and 15 minutes.  She came back a little tired, but drank and ate well, and went into her pasture that night bucking and galloping around.

 

I am pretty sure I could keep getting her out, and easily do am 18 mile ride, and assuming no problems there, a relatively difficult 20 mile ride, which I think she could do slow.....in the next 5 weeks before the 25.  I would plan to take the whole 6 hours, and it's relatively flat with good foting (Camp Far West).  By the time the ride rolls around, she will have a very solid 6 months conditioning.

 

Now.......is this ENOUGH base for a horse this age? 

 

On one hand, knowing the ride, I think she would have no problems........BUT, if my daughters other horse was sound, I would not even be thinking of taking the 5 year old.....I would continue just doing 2-3 hour rides, this first year........and not do that much distance.  Then I would think of trying it next year.

 

So, interested in comments.  Would I be rushing this mare, or am I just too conservative?.  I am interested in long-tem soundness, and my gut feeling is just to mostly do walking this first year, including lots of hills.  But, to finish CFW 25, we would have to do some trotting......

 

With my daughters horse we had planned on at least two years full conditioning before even trying a 50.....given all her various boo boo's. still aren't there yet.  I did a very slow conditioning program with her, and her first ride was a hard 28 mile LD two years after we got her. She did great and got runner-up best condition.

 

So, comments on the 5 year old? 

 

\thanks, Karen