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RE: [RC] [RC] pacing & ride times? - Katrina Mosshammer

<< the example assumes that you are riding forward at a minimum pace for 10.5 hrs and never stop or pause to give your horse water, let him graze for a minute, take a break other than vet cks, etc. >> 
 
I'm the world's worst about time management in the vet checks.
 
Mom and I just did a 25 this past weekend. We had to check the horses in in the morning so we ended up leaving @ 15 mins late in the morning and then we were @ 15 mins late leaving the vet check. We walked at least half of the last loop and we still came in with 20 mins to spare.
 
The first ride I did on my new mare last year was also the first 50 I had done in 11 years, so I was terribly out of shape. We did a 17 mile loop had a vc did an 8.5 mi loop did a trot by did that loop again and had another vc then repeated the first loop. I was dying after the first loop, could barely walk after the the second loop. I ended up taking a 30 min break after my trot out just to get my legs working again. managed to make through the third loop and left after the second vc with close to 5 hrs to do the last loop. My legs were mush so we walked about 90% of that last loop and still finished with 15 mins to spare.
 
This spring I did the 50 at this same location and was much better prepared physically. Mom was riding our 4 yo on his first 25 so I actually left with her and the 25's almost 35 min after the 50 start. This time we did the 17 mi loop 3 times. I came in off of the second loop and was overheated so I laid down and took a nap and left about 30 mins late on the last loop as well. I was pleasantly surprised when we finished with a little over an hour to spare.
 
I've never been over time. I've come close but never over. A large majority of the people that I've seen over time the horse could have made it in time but the riders were riding cautiously and probably underestimated their horses capabilities. That said I would much rather see riders that underestimated their horse's capabilities than overestimated them.
 
Katrina