Home Current News News Archive Shop/Advertise Ridecamp Classified Events Learn/AERC
Endurance.Net Home Ridecamp Archives
ridecamp@endurance.net
[Archives Index]   [Date Index]   [Thread Index]   [Author Index]   [Subject Index]

RE: [RC] Book Referral - heidi

Please Reply to: Roseann aramuse@xxxxxxx or ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
==========================================

What's the best book(s) for someone wanting to get into endurance?  On rider 
and horse conditioning?

We have a 24 year old Arab who used to do endurance.  Rock solid old coot who 
knows his stuff---been a few years, but he's definitely the bionic horse.  
Can he be brought along again to do some 25'ers?  If we ask him he'll say 
"yes, and how about tomorrow?"


Hi, Roseann..  :-)

Don't let his age stop you from doing some 25s.  Given that he is a
healthy old coot, he'll probably be healthier yet for the having a job.
I do think you're right not to expect him to go back to his former
glory at that age, but given his history, just some regular riding to
leg him up a bit would probably be all he needs to go stroll through
25s mid-pack or so.

FWIW, I'm getting a junior started this year.  She has her own horse,
but the horse is a 23-year-old Arab/QH cross (who looks just like a
wiry little old-fashioned Arab that just happens to be a color that
Arabs don't come in...) and I had my doubts as to how much she'd be
able to do on her own horse.  I initially offered to let her ride her
mare on one ride to "see how it goes" with the notion that she would
then ride one of ours.  Well, the darn mare got about 200 yards into
her first ride and had this epiphany that she had FINALLY found out why
she was put on this earth and has bopped through three LDs in the Top
Ten (not by our own intention--just rode our own rides) and one 50
rather farther back in the pack with fabulous CRIs, ears up and eager,
and never an off step.  Now this is a 23-year-old who had NEVER done
this before!

I'd say just take it one mile at a time and see how the old boy does.

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!!

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=