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RE: [RC] Riding Too Slow - heidiFrank - I've never quite understood the 'going to slow is just as bad' thing. The only circumstances that it might apply to would be if the saddle/tack doesn't fit well, and every minute in the saddle contributes to pressure or pain. Or maybe going too slow, for too long, just plain old wearing out the joints or causing enough small stresses to equal one big one. The Trilby's and Les's have pretty much proven that a horse that does slow miles, can usually do a LOT of miles. I'd say that going as slow as Trilby does takes a REALLY exceptional horse! Yes, a horse CAN go "too slow" and be more stressed than if he sped up a bit. Can't begin to count the number of times I've advised riders at the back of the pack to do just that, and their horses have looked MUCH better post-ride as a result. Each horse has his own "optimum" speed. And while going a lot slower may be less of a stress than going too fast, it is nonetheless harder for him than going his optimal pace. At each gait, he will have a speed at which he is most comfortable, and that is the speed that should be used. (Actually, Trilby has tended to pick horses with outstanding walks, and does utilize that gait a lot--so in a sense, she is still following this rule...) We have a good "slow coach" babysitter horse whose optimal speed puts him in at around an 8-9 hour 50. We use him to start and pace our beginner horses. But by about their third ride with him, if they have any aptitude for the sport at all, it is simply time to "move on"--to just lengthen out their strides a bit to what is actually more comfortable for them. Their recoveries improve, their CRIs improve, and they look better post-ride. While it isn't always a good parallel to compare horses to mechanical things, consider going too slow to be on par with lugging your engine all the time... Heidi =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 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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