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[RC] HELP - My mare is frustrating me - susan cooperFirst of all, I am new to this, have only done one 30, and this is the first horse I have ever pushed beyond being just a pleasure trail riding horse. I have been bringing her along slow, and cardiovascularly, she is in great shape! Her working HR's at a forward trot are between 120-130, plummetting to 70-80 within just 3 minutes of stopping. Walking in between trotting, my HR alarm will go off (it is set for 60-I need to lower it). But a short 1 1/2 minute gallup which brought her HR to only 154, had her front legs puffy the next morning. I know tendons are the last to strengthen, but, come on, a short gallup where her HR didn't even get up? Then, the other day, I took a long, easy, 12 mile WALK with a couple of other horses that aren't even conditioning, and my mare cramped up one of her rear legs. The first time it happened, I thought she stumbled or stepped in a hole. She held her rear leg up for a moment, then continued on like nothing had happened, so I discounted it (but kept it in the back of my mind for future worry!). Then not even a mile later, she did it again with the same leg, so I hopped off and walked her home (we were close, thank goodness) and watched her stride carefully and that leg was striding just a hair shorter than her other one. I got her home and gave her a good massage with my battery operated hand massager she likes and she leaned heavily into it on that hind quarter. But she was not tender to the touch anywhere on that side from her hip, haunches, hamstring, stifle, hock, lower leg, pasturn. So why did my "in condition" mare cramp up and the out of condition ones not? At what point in conditioning can I gallup her for short bursts, and not expect her legs to puff up the next day? When am I not going to feel like a complete idiot in all of this? Susan in NV Nevermore Ranch http://users.oasisol.com/nevermore/ ____________________________________________________________________________________ Yahoo! oneSearch: Finally, mobile search that gives answers, not web links. http://mobile.yahoo.com/mobileweb/onesearch?refer=1ONXIC =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 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!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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