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Re: [RC] What if your horse hates to condition? - Dyane SmithHi, Kristi, My older gelding was exactly like that. Near death on the way out, a colt on the way back, and a power mover at any competitive event. Dyane ----- Original Message ----- From: "Kristi Schaaf" <iluvdez@xxxxxxxxx> To: <ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Thursday, April 22, 2004 7:24 AM Subject: [RC] What if your horse hates to condition? Hi all - I'm trying to get my horse ready for a 50 by mid-summer. He's 14 and we've been together for 10 years and many many miles. He has 1000 NATRC, a few LD and countless 'pleasure riding' miles. He's been ridden both alone a lot and with other horses the entire time I've had him. For our conditioning rides, I try to vary our route and our terrain, and also vary loops with out-and-backs, but he still despises going out and doing the miles alone. I hope that he never TRULY becomes lame or ill when we're out riding, because he's cried wolf so many times that I wouldn't believe him. On the ride away from home, he 'gimps', is sluggish (I'm lucky to get his trot up to 6 mph) and he tries to convince me that he's very near death. I also haul him to trails away from home whenever possible, but then the trailer becomes his 'home' and he acts the same way. Whenever his little nose is pointed toward 'home' he becomes a new horse - very willing with a trot to die for (and to his credit he never gets out of control or anything like that). I've tried rewarding him by letting him graze for extended periods at the farthest point away from home, leaving him standing tied for awhile when we get home, etc. But, I think maybe he just doesn't like to condition (like the women who go to the gym but hate it). At an organized ride or riding somewhere new (but I've run out of new trails!), it's a different story; he's very willing to go down the trail alone. There is still a little thought in the back of my mind that physically maybe something is bothering him, but hubby thinks my horse is just pulling the 'master manipulator' stunt on me. Are some horses just reluctant to condition? It would be great to know if other distance riders encounter this problem, because then I'd quit worrying about it. There is no way that I'm overriding him, if anything, I'm not pushing him enough. Kristi __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Photos: High-quality 4x6 digital prints for 25¢ http://photos.yahoo.com/ph/print_splash ============================================================ People in Alabama swear by manure tea as an herbal remedy for colds. ~ Lisa Redmond ridecamp.net information: http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/ ============================================================ ============================================================ REAL endurance is your water freezing IN the cantle bags! ~ Heidi Sowards ridecamp.net information: http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/ ============================================================
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