Re: RC: where to get ex-racehorse arabs?

["Truman Prevatt, PhD" <truman.prevatt@netsrq.com>]

The problem with this discussion is there is not correct answer. Which sport of
endurance are we addressing. Are we addressing high mileage, are we addressing
multidays, are we addressing a winning record at short endurance races (50's),
are we addressing a winning record at longer endurance distances (100 miles), are
we addressing multidays, are we addressing just going out to finish and have a
good time or are we addressing a winning record at the FEI levels? Not all the
sports mentioned above are the same nor do they necessary required the same
horse. A center fielder and a shortstop are both baseball players, but the
requirements are different and a good center fielder doesn't make a good
shortstop and visa versa.

At the upper levels - winning at larger races and running at the FEI levels
requires speed. Doing 12 hour 50's for 2000 miles a year has its own requirements
but speed isn't one.  If you look over the years the horses that stood in the
winners circle at rides in the SE you will find a lot with previous racing
experience. There are a lot of people in the SE that are doing well with off the
track Arabs - and there are a lot of horses that couldn't make it on the track
with good homes to endurance riders. So just what are the "endurance breeders"
breeding for an and which category are they addressing?

LSD can be put on any horse at any time, even after they have been on the track.
As as far as speed and speed training, most human runners at any distance wish
they had more speed and do some speed training. Speed is not bad and neither is
some training for speed - even if you are just going out to smell the roses. Some
day you might end up in the front and smell blood and it is sure nice to have a
bit of tactical speed:-).

Truman

Lif Strand wrote:

> At 09:26 PM 1/10/01, DESERTRYDR1@aol.com wrote:
> >One advantage of an ex-racehorse properly conformed and with a good
> >temperament and without injuries is that they have been conditioned, so
> >you are not starting completely from scratch
>
> No, you wouldn't be starting completely from scratch, but you would be
> starting with a horse that has been conditioned for *completely different
> sport* and has probably NOT received any LSD work.  So why not start with a
> plow horse?  Or a roping horse?  Doesn't the quality and kind of base put
> on an endurance horse matter?  Or are we going back to the concept of
> endurance as a non-specialized sport in which "any old horse will do".
>
> I'm not actually against ex-racehorses for endurance, I'm just FOR riding
> horses that were bred and conditioned for endurance, not some other
> sport.  I have never received any answer to the issues I've raised in the
> past few days.
>
> Lif Strand
> Quemado NM  USA
>

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