Ridecamp: RE: [RC] [RC] Owyhee - small report

At 10:13 AM 11/05/2002 +0100, you wrote:
> - vets : vets in the US tries (well this is what I noticed) to help you
> bring your horse to completion. Agreed? In Europe, they watch you.

Yes, that is generally the case.  :-)

> - crew : you don't have any crew - horse (shit I forget the word you use for
> that) ... keeper??? Volunteers at the vet stops. No bottles, no cars
> following the horses

Nope, most of us don't have crews.  This year, I was lucky and did have my 
husband come to help at three of the rides -- all one day 100's.  I've done 
all of the multiday rides by myself.  They are usually farther away and 
require more time off.  I don't mind going by myself, it is easier at rides 
like Steph's with one basecamp.

> [LIESENS Leonard (PRESS)] I was not aware of that. How many? The ones
> running in the front?

Actually, not all horses going fast were the ones that thumped.  I've never 
had a horse thump, and have rarely seen it at rides, at least it seems rare 
when compared to the # of rides I've been at and seen it happen.   I think 
I saw more horses thump at this ride than I've seen combined before.

> [LIESENS Leonard (PRESS)] No that I remember :-) Were you the one dressed up
> as Cruela?

Yes.

> But I don't agree that the canter will lead to a lame horse, if well
> practiced, with a horse able to change his legs, with elastic gaits, with a
> gentle and slow canter (11MPH or +- 103 straides/min)

I wasn't meaning that they'd be lame.  Just that many riders (how can I say 
this).....well, heck a lot of them don't know a diagonal let alone about 
changing leads.  You are right, an 11 mph canter would be wonderful if you 
conditioned your horse to hold it there for lengthy periods.  I tend to try 
not to let my horses trot over 10 mph (usually 14.5 is about the fastest I 
allow).  Most of the rides that I do don't have the type of terrain and 
long nice footing sections like the Owyhee ride had.  my other horse (he's 
getting real close to 6000 miles) does canter quite a lot.  They are 
totally different.  One is a trotter, and the other a canterer.  I like the 
differences in them.  The junior that rides one likes it a lot because she 
can canter most of the time while I trot on the horse that would rather trot.

Last summer, I learned that I can cool and recover Rocky down a lot by 
going to a canter, versus a trot.    It may sound weird, that you can go 
from a trot to a canter, and even be going faster, and it's better for the 
horse.  But, it was.  I couldn't do that on most rides though.

Happy Trails,

Karen
in NV



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