Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

Here is a question I have not seen discussed on Ridecamp (Although I 
suspect it is SOMEWHERE in the Archives).

Conventional Wisdom is that after a ride you rest a horse one week for 
every 25 miles they were ridden at an endurance ride. Of course that 
depends on the general underlying "base" conditioning of the horse.  A 
horse's first year at 50's needs a bit more time.  A horse that has 
been doing 100's for a year or two can get by on less rest.

THE QUESTION: Why the extended rest?  What is the particular 
physiological issue? It is obviously not muscle.  Humans don't need a 
week off after a marathon.  A couple of days, maybe; not a week.  
Studies of human conditioning  generally show that one day off for 
every day exercised is optimal.

So what is it about horses that needs more time?  Is it tendon or leg 
related? Following the "conventional wisdom" of giving least two weeks 
off for each 50 miler, my horse blew a tendon in his 178'th endurance 
mile.  He is fine now, although we are back to LD's until next season.

At the PNER convention two years ago, one of the speakers questioned 
the conventional wisdom that rest was needed after a ride.  Some 
thought he was talking about stalled horses.  If you stall your horses, 
you obviously need to give them some light exercise the week after an 
endurance ride.

Are there any equine physiology experts out there that can shed light 
on this issue?

-Paul L.


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