RE: [RC] HELP - My mare is frustrating me - Chris Paus
it's not the HR that is the issue. It's the leg strength. My guess is that the HR zoomed up because her legs were sore, not the other way around. We have to walk a fine line between under and over training. And that line is different for each horse.
There may be something going on with the mare besides your conditioning program. I'd have her checked over well by a veterinary chiropractor. That would be my first step if this were my horse. I'd thoroughly evaluate saddle and tack fit and double check and evaluate it. Often we THINK saddles are a good fit and in reality they are not. I've had hind quarter stiffness on a horse becuase of a bad saddle fit. I didn't figure it out until the poor horse was so sore he started to lay down with me on him and a complete stranger told me, "your horse is sore, he's trying to get you and that saddle off his back."
duh, slap myself upside the head!
Thirdly, I'd have someone video tape my riding. Am I off somewhere? Is there somethign about my riding that is putting undo stress on some part of the horse's body. Often when my horses aren't performing, it's not them, it's ME. I need to get myself to the chiro. I'm unbalanced.
Do you have the mare on a good joint supplement? Try feeding her handfuls of BOSS... BLACK OIL SUNFLOWER SEEDS. they are chock full of vit E and other good nutrients, omega 3s, etc.
she may need more time off between conditioning rides. I've brought 3 horses along now in distance riding and it takes about 2 years to put a good base of conditioning on them. Unfortunatley, our first endurance horse is always our experimental model and the lessons we learn from that one we apply to the next ones.
good luck.
chris
"If you let a smile be your umbrella, then most likely your butt will get soaking wet." Maxine
> Date: Sun, 30 Sep 2007 07:58:57 -0700 > From: desertduty@xxxxxxxxx > Subject: [RC] HELP - My mare is frustrating me > To: ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx > > First 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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