re: 1st LD

[Teresa Van Hove <vanhove@ucar.edu>]

> This might be a darn stupid question. But here goes.
> If I have never done a 25 mile ride with my horse in all my training
> rides, is it a bad idea to enter one next month?
> Should I try to do one on a training ride first? We have worked upto 12
> miles or 2 hours up until now. Please advice.

I think a good rule of thumb is that your horse should be able to 
comfortably, consistently work one half the distance you intend to
ride at an event.  So you should be OK at your current level

As with all such rules it does not fit every situation; I would 
not ride 25 miles on your own the week before your LD; but if 
your event is 2-4 weeks off, you might want to try increasing 
your max distance to somewhere around 15-20 miles before then;
it wont hurt to have your horse more fit than neccessary to 
finish. 


Cheers,
Teresa and Grey Moun, and Shady Lady