I have a real good friend that rides endurance in the CT Region. At every ride the Texans show up with their lean mean horses and they really kick A-------. My friend is from Missouri and she said that most people don't stand a chance as those riders from Texas ride all year round and they come to win and win they do. My Arabs are too heavy and are constantly having to be cut back. I have never had a skinny Arab and I never do well in competition. My goal is to just get it done. I just like my horses on the hefty side. Ginger
> Date: Sun, 28 Sep 2008 12:28:13 -0400 > From: tprevatt@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx > To: janeenesings@xxxxxxx > CC: ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx > Subject: Re: [RC] Newbie with a Concern > > The trend 15 years ago used to be "run 'em lean and mean." That trend > started to change as some found their horses tended to do better with a > little more weight. Then the pendulum seem to swing the other way. Today > I think you see more of a variety. You sure don't see as many overly > lean horses as we used to. > > In reality I think the issues if the optimal weight is dependent on a > lot of factors and it is going to vary from horse to horse. You hear > human athletics all the time comment that they have an optimal weight. > That optimal weight may appear to others to be "skinny" or it may appear > to be "fat" but it is what works best for the particular individual. > That's something each rider has to work out. > > I know when my mare was in her prime I could not keep the weight on her. > At one point I went to three feedings a day. She was on pasture 22 hours > a day. The only time she was up was when she was eating her rations. I > was adding calories any way I could from alfalfa to corn oil to even > cracked corn and rolled barley added to her feed. She was lean but not > too lean and I never had a problem with her. She 28 for 31 (50 mile plus > starts) and 6 for 7 in 100 mile starts. She wasn't really skinny but > given her lean lanky build and height to start with I am sure there were > people who thought I was starving her. > > My advice is to start out slow and learn everything you can. You have > some good vets in Texas - ask them. They will be happy to give you their > advice. However, at the end of the day you need to find the optimal > weight for your horse. It will be different for your horse than my horse. > > Truman > > Janeene wrote: > > Hi, > > > > I just attended my first endurance ride this weekend (the Texas > > Tango), and I had a great time as a volunteer. The ride was > > well-organized, people were extremely helpful and friendly, and it was > > just an overall great experience and it definitely motivated me to get > > more involved (I'm planning to do a 25 at next month's Armadillo). > > Here's my concern: the number of what I consider "skinny" horses I saw > > at this ride. Now, I know that human marathon runners are lean and > > sometimes downright skinny, but, if I had seen some of these horses in > > someone's pasture, I would have called a rescue to report neglect. To > > be fair, the top riders and their horses were not guilty of this; for > > the most part, their horses looked lean, but in good flesh and > > well-conditioned. The first-time riders seemed to all have horses in > > good weight. There were, however, a very large number of horses that > > just looked downright underweight (ribby with toplines prominent and > > hipbones protruding). What is up with this?&nbs p; Is it due to > > overconditioning? Underfeeding? Stress? I really am getting hooked > > with this sport, but I want to do right by my horses. I would love to > > hear some feedback from you guys.... > > > > Thanks in advance! > > > > Janeene in Central Texas > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > Find phone numbers fast with the New AOL Yellow Pages > > <http://yellowpages.aol.com/?NCID=emlweusyelp00000001>! > > > -- > > “The surest way to corrupt a youth is to instruct him to hold in higher > esteem those who think alike than those who think differently.” > Friedrich Nietzsche > > > =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= > > 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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