 |
Re: [RC] Training to 'top ten' - Joe Longrides2far@xxxxxxxx wrote:'To top ten - you train at top ten speeds' Sorry, Angie, but I believe "To Top ten, you train at Top Ten speeds" is good advice. My bedrock principle of training is, never ask your horse to do on a ride what you have not done in training. Now, training for Top Ten or First Place is only done after the horse has a solid foundation, including a couple of years of endurance rides at mid-pack or slower pace. But once at that level, I condition at speeds at least as fast, or faster, as the speed at which I expect to compete. That includes difficult terrain and downhill. IMO horses are more likely to be lamed by being competed at higher speeds than the speed they trained at, than by proper conditioning. If you gradually increase your speed over hard or rocky terrain at home, then the horse will be able to handle it on the ride. There have been times I've been out riding with another endurance rider (training ride) and come to a downhill, and they've said "I'm going to walk down the hill, I'm saving his legs for the rides." And I've said "I'm sorry, but I need to condition for downhill, so I have to go on" and I've moved on ahead at competition speed. BTW, I've never had a career-ending lameness (or any career-ending injury) with any horse that I've brought along in endurance. -- Joe Long jlong@xxxxxxxxxxxxx =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 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!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
|