Thanks for posting this article to the list. There are a lot of
similarities in training regimes between human athletes and equine
athletes. One thing that is emphasized in this article that is definitely
similar between humans and horses is the level/hours/miles of training for the
desired goal.
I think that marathons and ultra runs are the closest thing endurance
riding has to a human sport. It is not just because these are all
distance/endurance competition but because in marathons and ultra runs
"completion" is a worthy goal and accomplishment. Just like in endurance,
most of the human competitors have a "to finish is to win" mentality or are
trying to set personal bests and have no expectation to come in first.
There are very few sports where "winning" isn't the only thing.
There is so much information on distance competition for the human athlete
that is readily available and is applicable to our horses. Some of this
material is for the elite athlete and a huge majority is for the
runner or cyclist that just wants to finish a marathon or a century ride. If one
can learn and understand some of the training theory for distance
running/cycling, it isn't too hard use this information in our sport.
Kim Fuess
AERC #6648
In a message dated 6/1/2007 7:52:48 A.M. Pacific Standard Time,
sharon.hahn@xxxxxxx writes:
I read this article in the NY Times about changes in marathon training
programs and thought distance riders might find it interesting.
Obviously one cannot compare human and equine training programs directly, but
I believe there are some parallels.
