Re: Long Slow Distance

["Heidi Smith" <heidi@sagehillcmk.com>]

> The idea with LSD is to apply stress, then allow the time for the body to
> react to it by getting stronger...in small increments...three 50's
> straight allows no time to react, only time for stress to build up to the
> breaking point.

Angie is correct about this--back-to-back rides defeat the purpose of LSD.

That said, I WILL say that when one does the first 50 on a horse depends on
a lot of different factors.  One is the maturity of the horse.  (I've
forgotten the age of the horse that the DVE discussion was about, sorry.)
Another factor is the horse's innate capability.  And a third factor is what
the horse has done prior to being started under saddle.

I agree with Angie that riding until you "feel something" is too late.  The
damage is done.  Nonetheless, I've incorporated an occasional 50-miler into
the "LSD" regimen of a few horses, and have no regrets.  But--every one of
them was mature (actually, I think the few I've done this with have been in
their early teens), every one of them was an Arab of proven endurance lines,
and every one of them had spent the better part of its life turned out, and
had a degree of fitness before even being started under saddle, relative to
what the majority of horses in this country have.  And yes, Truman, every
one had good back conformation and had already demonstrated that they could
carry me comfortably with a rounded back.  Good back conformation is hard to
find in Arabs (actually, in many breeds) today, and I think that is far more
important in carrying a rider's weight than any magic number of miles.  On
the occasions when I've done this, I take extra time at checks, I dawdle on
the trail (not necessarily going slow all the time, but varying the gait and
playing "training games" so that the horse is not overusing one muscle group
for any lengthy period of time), I take my own "checks" when I think the
horse needs a physical or mental break, and I've never had one of these even
indicate post-ride that there was any difficulty.  Is it something I'd
recommend for every horse?  NO WAY!  But part of being a horseman is knowing
your horse, and knowing his capabilities (or lack of capabilities) at any
given time.  There simply is no magic formula for that.

In thinking back, I can recall three older broodmares with which I've done
this--all in their teens, and all of which had been running in the Idaho
mountains most of their lives.  One actually didn't do a 50-miler, come to
think of it--she went to a 20-mile novice CTR (and she actually had the
least time under saddle at the time, so the shorter distance was
appropriate) where she placed 4th in a field of about 25 horses, and
certainly met the concept of "fit to continue" at the end, as she was
dragging on the lead, wanting to go back out with the regular "open" horses
on the next loop.  Not a one of these mares showed the slightest discomfort,
nor did any question what we were doing--unlike the horse that Angie
described, all three acted as if they'd been let out of a cage, and were
absolutely tickled to be out doing something.  I used to call the older
broodmares starting endurance careers my "bra-burning women's libbers".

So back to the original topic--should this be the norm?  No.  But don't
discount the knowledgeable person who occasionally does it, judging that for
that particular individual horse, it is time.  There simply is no one
schedule or routine that fits all  horses.

Heidi