Ridecamp: Re: [RC] Jobs and Training (Time off between rides)

Daniela,

Re your excellent question below on time off between rides, I have no fixed
rule of thumb.
But rather I try to assess how the horse looked,
how tough the course was, particularly on joints and soft tissue, etc. ,
how much weight the horse lost,
how long the trailer ride was, etc.   When you do your final completion
exam, ask the vet her/his opinion.
Also assess the horse for the first few days after the ride.  And use P&R
recoveries at the end of a training
ride to tell you whether to give more rest or not.  After a 100 I would say
10 days is a minimum, usually
I wait until  at least the 3rd weekend after a 100 before a serious
workout.  And add another week
if a really tough ride like OD or Vermont.

Note that terrain makes a big difference in rest needed as well as the
fundamentals of the horse.
Back east where we seem to have a choice between sand - very tough on a
horse (e.g. Carolina 100,
Florida rides), hard roads with downhill pounding (e.g. Vermont 100), or
rocks made for billy goats
(e.g. Old Dominion 100), I give my horses more rest than when I lived in
Ca. where the footing was
frequently more favorable.

Some specific examples to illustrate.

In 1992, when Drubin was 9 years old and in his prime, I actually did 9
1-day 100s in one year as well
as a 2-day 100 and one 75.  And the 100s were not slow (7 wins, 1 second, 1
third in the 1-day 100s, 5 BCs, several course records).
Drubin had 100% completion during that period. These 100s were mainly in
CA, NV, and Oregon and the footing was usually quite good.
Several times I did 100s three weeks apart with minimal conditioning in
between and once just two weeks apart.
One week after coming back from the Nationals that he won, we let him free
run with us for the first time. He was moving
with the same floating way of going that he started the season and caring
about the same weight. And he gleefully
led us all day.  So that was a real high for me to know he looked so great
at the end of the season.

But now Drubin is 19 and so I will give him several weeks off after any
major competitions as he like me has lost some
of his spring and the joints need more rest.

In 1992 my wife's horse was 7 years old.  We did about half of the 100s
together.  Her horse needed more rest as
he did not hold his weight as well and needed a couple of weeks to get his
weigh back to normal after a tough 100.
(Drubin by contrast held is weight very well - but he is chunky 14h1
horse).  In retrospect we probably should have
asked less of her horse that year.  He continued to compete successfully
for quite a few years (first alternate to the
World's in '94) but ultimately developed soundness problems so he is now
retired at the age of 17.

And I give my current 10 years old Super more rest than Drubin.  He is not
as compact so I am being more careful.

Stagg Newman

_________________

Hi Stagg,


Funny enough your program is close to what I did in the couple of months
where my McKinsey job overlapped with my endurance riding... I am a strong
believer in smart training instead of empty miles (same applies for my own
triathlon training by the way) and being short of time defenitively teaches
you to become "smart'.


Anyhow, a quick question: What I am struggling with is " giving my horse
time off' after rides. I apply the 1 day per 10 miles rules (you seem to be
giving them more time off?), but I am also unsure what 'time off' means. Is
your horse in pasture and roams around? We paddock board our guys, so
during their time off I hand walk the or turn them out in an arena-
however, that is as time intensive as riding itself (need to drive to the
barn, get changed from work etc.). Any tips and tricks to keep them happy
during 'time off' without handwalking them???


Thanks for your help and happy trails


Daniela Mielke


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