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Re: [RC] Alternative Ride/Race After-care - Roger RittenhouseNot as much as you think - just looks busy. I do let him veg out for a while after we get back. He needs to nap I dont do my post race stuff all at one time. the process goes on over a few hrs.- and I have a patten that I have been doing for years. I do things while visiting, doing business and getting myself cleaned up and fed. Biggest thing I do make sure is he has hay and water and I DO NOT feed large amounts of 'grains'. Max at one time is a one pnd coffee can of oats- or large handful of the mixed grains per hr. I have found with this horse , he REALLY wants to take walks and seek out grass and other stuff to eat. This is great leg therapy and keeps the guts working. This is all part of the team support obligation. He agrees to carry me around a trail at 220 pnd for xx miles in xx hrs. I agree and am obligated to find and correct any damage done and most import insure no latent problems crop up and cause him harm. I keep my horses for a lifetime and many miles. Even if some of the maintainance protocol appears silly or wasted, I think it all adds up to keeping them sound and feeling good. If nothing else it insures I interact with my horse - read the signs and know or listen to him better. This horse LIKES the attention, others I have want me to fix them up and GO AWAY. Everyone has their own method. rr *********** REPLY SEPARATOR *********** On 6/17/2003 at 11:37 PM rides2far@xxxxxxxx wrote: Wow Roger, You always make me tired with all the stuff you do. >g< I remember sitting with Joe Edwards, who is a minimalist and just watching you at a ride once. Joe sat there in his lawn chair and was just exhausted from watching all the stuff you did. Then he said it was like parking next to a drug dealer with people knocking on your trailer at all hours and you selling them baggies full of powdered substances. >eg< For those of you who are thinking, "Oh my gosh, I have to do all that?" Here's my routine. Finish ride. Put horse back on the picket line and give him some privacy for awhile. I try to sponge him off & clean him up right when I finish the ride before it cakes on, but once he's on the line I leave him alone. He doesn't want groomed. Make sure water & hay are fresh. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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