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[RC] Conditioning/miles per week - Karenlol, well it's my secret conditioning plan. (just kidding) I have three horses and put them in a big field, about an acre, close the gate and let them run about. Sometimes I'll get a friend or my husband to help me, we each stand at one end and the horses go round and round, sometimes in a group, or a pair, or they split up. Usually they don't really need any human incentive, they know the routine now! They seem to have a lot of fun, and it gives them more regular exercise than if I were just leaving them turned out. We can hear them galloping around at night, so they do self-exercise a bit but when we do it in a group together I try to keep their heart rates up for anywhere from 25 to 45 minutes, making sure I let them cool out real good by trotting and then walking when they are done. I don't do this in place of anything else, just in addition to our regular conditioning program. It is nice to see how the horses move together, and compare one to another (their gaits, etc.), see how one (esp. the younger one) has progressed from not being able to keep up for a couple of years to now being in the lead <g>.On the reply from Karen I believe, she mentioned in her response about running her horses around in a group. I understand your conditioning routine until this statement. It also confused a newbie friend of mine so I said I would ask to have this statement clarified. Just what do you mean "running the horses around in a group". Karen in NV
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