Re: RC: the Derby

[BMcCrary27@aol.com]

In a message dated 5/2/01 2:33:49 PM Pacific Daylight Time, 
polaristhewonderhorse@hotmail.com writes:


> With the derby coming up I can't help to think that I have never
> seen an thoughbreeds in endurance at all.
> Does anyone know why?


There have been a few TBs in endurance, but mostly in the past. Thirty or 
more years ago, many of us started endurance on whatever we had; in our case, 
QHs.  But, like others, we soon realized the Arab horse had body and muscle 
type to excel in this sport. I remember Matthew Mackay-Smith saying once, in 
a lecture, that TBs have good muscle type for endurance, as they have both 
slow and fast twitch muscle.  But "the Thoroughbred's cross to bear is his 
feet."  What Matthew meant was that TBs often have shelly hooves that just 
don't stand up to the burden of endurance riding. And we all know, "no foot, 
no horse."  There are, of course, a few Arabs that also have shelly hooves, 
and it's a royal pain to deal with.

Barbara