From: Dennis Ginn
Sent: Tuesday, August 14, 2001 9:51 PM
To: ridecamp@endurance.net
Subject: RC: Endurance trainers
Well, well,welll,
I wound up on The Horse Interactive (I think it was a link from a post here) , and read the aarticle on "Cross Training". It was really an article about artificial means of exercising a horse.So, at the end of the paragraph about reasons to use one it says"Many endurance horse trainers use the treadmill with this goal in mind"(that is, building up muscles in the horses back)
Sooo, after all this talk to us newbies about LSD, putting in miles, etc., ya'll Endurance Trainers are putting the horse on a treadmill, havin' a cold one, watchin' Jerry Springer on the barn T.V. , and tryin' to keep a straight face when you see us at rides worrying about how many miles are proper for our horses' condition!!!
We are on to you all now, and as soon as Howard gets the $60,000 together to get one, and figures out how to get the 12 inches of sand and Dance Line on the treadmill at the same time, well, look out Val, that Saddlebred will leave you in the DUST! <G>
Now that "Happy Trails" has a new meaning,
Yours in Jest,
Nancy Ginn
This is funny! I really enjoyed the idea of putting 12 inches of sand on the horse's treadmill so he'd feel right at home. And when I'm not riding, I do watch Springer. As a student of the human race, I'm always curious as to how low we can go. Jerry brings it all home for me.
I do know my gal Val has a treadmill. And I know a couple of other riders who have them also, but I think owning this piece of equipment is extremely rare. The riders who do have such things also pull into ridecamp in a motor home that's worth more than my house, barn, horses, cars, and boat put together. And I'm purty sure the woman from North Georgia, who doesn't even own a television (I can't imagine life without HBO and the Sopranos), doesn't own a treadmill for her horse.
The one chance I did get to ride with Val was very disappointing to me. She left me in the sand (we don't have any dust down here), and to this day I don't know how she did it. Dance Line can usually keep up with anyone on that first loop. Val is traveling at a speed that surpasses anything I've ever seen before. And if it's due to using the treadmill, it might be a great idea if you have the bucks. Personally, I think it's just great training on her part and the ability to condition in the mountains and in the flatlands. She bought some land in Florida last year, realizing that you can really let it rip down here. All my Florida friends are still trying to catch up to her; nobody has yet.
cya,
Howard (my wife's asking me who this Nancy is. She doesn't believe me when I tell her I have no idea)