Re: RC: Pavement

[CMKSAGEHIL@aol.com]

In a message dated Wed, 27 Jun 2001  5:16:34 PM Eastern Daylight Time, SunsetOvrC@aol.com writes:

<< I have read some materials that say a   
little bit of conditioning on pavement at the trot is ok and actually   
strengthens the bones of younger horses. So what is the concensous on   
trotting on pavement? Ok to do in moderation, or does it always do damage? >>

Like anything else, it must be conditioned for by starting out walking on hard surfaces, and eventually adding some trotting, as the bone remodels and is able to handle the concussion.  

I rode a 120km ride in Germany on a Danish horse a few years ago, and I swear, about 3/4 of the ride was on pavement or cobblestones!  (The one word I could understand that kept recurring over and over in the ride briefing was "Asfaltstrasse"...)  But hey, the horses had been conditioned to hard surfaces, and there was no more lameness there than I see at rides here.  I vetted their version of LD the following day, and saw very little lameness.  Certainly shock absorbing systems help--and there are several varieties out there.  But the main thing is to condition the horse to the terrain you are going to ask him to compete on--and if that includes very much pavement, then you need to work it into your conditioning program.

Heidi