[RC] The Criollo Horse--Endurance - Bruce Weary DC
I found this intersting blurb about the Criollo horse. Ah, to run on
grass and nothing else. Sure would relieve a lot of stress and tension
over drug testing. Dr Q
The Qualities of a Horse Built for Endurance
Multifaceted leisure horse, exceptionally sober
and hardy, the Criollo also has a bright future in endurance
competitions,
as we can see in the famous marcha of Criollos organized each year in
Argentina
by the A.C.C.C. The competition takes its inspiration from life on an
estancia.
All horses participating in the contest must be present 30 days before
the start. Without training or manipulation, strictly forbidden by the
rules, they spend this time together in a pasture. The goal is to
homogenize
the physical condition of the animals; the contest aims at finding
the horse with the best genetic disposition, not the best training.
Exceedingly
difficult, the contest consists of covering an itinerary of 750
kilometers
(470 miles) in 14 days, 53.5 km (33.5 miles) per day, without extra
food
or medicine. The horses feed only on the grass they encounter on the
Pampa,
and must carry 110 kilograms (240lbs)! Nutritional complements and
drugs
are forbidden. Each spring, around 20 horses take part in this
adventure.
The best horses contribute to the fame of the estancia that produced
them.
