Subject: Re: [RC] Returning to
competition after foaling
> Thanks so much for sharing that story about your mare,
Heidi. I > "needed" to read that, because I've always had a
prejudice against > mares and older horses starting
endurance. > > I've been told that mares excel at multi-days, and
after my experience > riding Suzy Kelley's mare at Turkey Trot I now
believe they can do 50's > awesomely. But what about 100s?
Any differences in style of doing > 100s?
Females are the
survivors of any species. They are the ones who have to have the
metabolic efficiency and the survivor instinct to survive tough winters, to
know where there is danger, etc. in order for the species to survive.
Males have to be bigger and stronger and more aggressive in order to pass
on their genetic makeup, but once they impregnate the females, they can die
off. The females have to survive the tough times, bear the young, and
nurture the young long enough for the next generation to become
established.
In endurance terms, mares in general are more savvy, tend
to eat and drink better, tend to make survivalist choices (let's NOT jump
off that cliff!), etc., which translates into them being biologically
actually better suited to 100s and multidays than their male counterparts,
gelded or not. Certainly there are LOTS of individual differences, and a
good gelding will outperform a poor mare. The trade-off is that mares
(in their biological role of being survivors) also can be somewhat
opinionated--they don't survive without having some definite thoughts about
what is and isn't good for them. Many people find this
objectionable--I personally find it rather fun to deal with. I've not
had the opportunity to campaign many mares, as I've usually been busy
riding the stallions, but I've found the ones I've ridden to be a real
delight.
I've become a bit spoiled the past couple of years riding some
of Michael Bowling's geldings--it IS nice to be able to take three geldings
out of the portable corral at a ride and lead them all to water at the same
time <g> which can be "iffy" with some mares, and simply isn't an
option with most stallions. But that aside, for sheer heart and guts
and metabolic capability, mares are a very much overlooked resource for
endurance riders.
In the out-and-out sprint on the track, bet on the
boys. But the longer the distance and the tougher the course, the
more the mares
shine.
