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Re: [RC] {RC] conditioning and then some fun - Truman PrevattLynne Glazer wrote:T, tell me why you think an endurance horse basic skill is flying changes? Respectfully, I disagree. Even in dressage, that is hardly a beginning movement. And while I fully support the goal of a rounded back, I think it is not a basic either, since the spinal vertebrae don't completely close for years after most of us have started riding (ref Deb Bennett, from the feet up so the top ones don't close till 8!) so the young horse doesn't even have the necessary strength to maintain that sort of frame for the length of our events. The ability to move forward without one's head in the air and without a hollowed back, there is a happy medium. Leg yield, oh, yes. Turns on haunches and forehand, indubitably. A good "whoa" would be nice.You can get away with a horse that doesn't have the ability for flying changes if you riding in wide open country. However, on tight wooded trails if the horse does not have the balance, agility and coordination to perform a flying lead change you could be in big trouble - both your knees and your horse. If the horse doesn't have the skills, then your options are limited. Flying lead changes BTW are much easier to perform I find on the trail than in the ring. As far as "rounded back," where did I say the "overly" rounded back you sometimes see the the dressage ring. For an endurance ride a flat to slightly rounded back would work fine. The horse, however, has to be able to round his back sufficiently to be able to comfortably carry his rider. A horse will a flabby belly and hollow back, tires quickly, bashes his front legs and if he were mine would not be on the trail because it is an injury waiting to happen. This is especially true as the rider weight goes up. A tiny hiney can get away with a lot of things that a HW can't. As far as turns on the forehand and haunches - there is a reason my mare used to be able to fly in the woods at the old War Eagle ride while other riders found themselves either threshing through the woods or wrapped around trees, she went rounded could perform a flying lead change on every other stride if necessary and could fly around tight turns off her haunches. People can start and ride what they want - that's their option. I like my horse to have the basics well in hand before I do a 50. LD's and CTR's are good to help ingrain the basics. For me the basics are being able to round the back and carry the rider comfortably, turn on the fore hand, turn on the haunches, side pass easily from side to side and flying lead changes. My horses all get dressage lessons during their early training and all get enforcement of the training on the trail. As far as 8 years old - if you check my record you will find I have never ridden a horse on a 50 that was younger than 7 years old. In fact Misty was 10, Stormy are 15, Dan was 8 and the Jbird was 7 going on 8 in a few months. My body is too important to take a horse out there that doesn't have the basic skills to keep both of us safe. Heck if your horse can do all these things, you don't even need a whoa ;-) . Truman
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