Re: Re: Re: Long Slow Distance

["Sandy Bolinger" <bolinger@bigsky.net>]

Good points.. However, everything is relative.  In other words...taking the
phrase- understanding what a horse "can" do and what a horse "should"
do...and applying it to asking a horse to do a fast 100 miles...or in most
cases ANY 100 miles...illustrates the blurred lines defining what a horse
can do and what a horse should do.  Should any horse be asked to go 100
miles in a 24 hour period??  How much damage is done to the very best
conditioned horses competing at high rates of speed in 100 miles and /or 50
mile races?  Some horses hold up for many thousands of miles competing race
after race...MOST don't.  Apparently the fellow who took his young horse on
the Death Valley ride...and LSD'd   the whole thing...was experienced...and
believed he was doing right by his horse...did that horse experience any
more cumulative stress then the well conditioned horse who went fast for all
days of the DVE?  I doubt it.  We have chosen to participate in a sport in
which we are many times asking our horses to do more that they "should do."
The really good endurance riders are the ones who, when asking their horse
to do this sport, do everything humanly possible to take the best possible
care of the horses under the circumstances...Which means being educated,
experienced and never allowing  egos to override  horses' well being. The
really good endurance riders finish rides on happy, enthusiastic
horses..There's nothing like riding a horse the last few miles of 100 mile
ride who is still pulling on the reins and shying at moon-beams on the
trail!  There's nothing worse than finishing a ride on a horse that is so
tired he can barely do the trot out and is too tired to care much about
eating. I've been there and done both and everything in between, but nothing
made me feel more like a jerk and finishing on a really tired horse.  No
need.   Whelp---I've for sure had too much coffee this AM and better quit
while I'm ahead!!     Sandy

----- Original Message -----
From: Susan Garlinghouse <suendavid@worldnet.att.net>
To: <ridecamp@endurance.net>
Sent: Thursday, January 03, 2002 10:39 AM
Subject: RC: Re: Re: Long Slow Distance


> JMO, since I don't know everything that happened or what the young horse's
> background was, I can't automatically condemn the guy as a total imbecile.
> It sounds like he was working pretty hard to try to do what he could for
his
> horse.
>
> However, I'd be curious to know what his motivations were in trying to do
so
> much in one week with a new horse.  And, although the horse may have been
> chasing around his pen looking grat, I'm a little doubtful that some
damage
> wasn't done.  If there truly *wasn't* any damage, that doesn't mean there
> won't be damage if he did the same thing again a month down the road.
> Stress is a cumulative thing on the entire system (bones, tendons, muscle,
> visceral organs, immune system, everything), and it sure would be a shame
> for what sounds like an outstanding *potential* endurance horse to have a
> short career due to too much, too soon.  I just don't see any reason to
have
> done so much in one week.
>
> It sounds like the rider has the horse's well-being at heart, maybe he
just
> doesn't fully understand the difference between what a horse can do and
what
> he *should* do.
>
> Maybe we can focus on education instead of condemnation, eh?  It'll
probably
> do the horse more good in the long run and that's what matters, right?
>
> JMO.
>
> Susan G
>
>
>
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