[RC] Time between 100 mile rides - Joe Long - FXLivestock
I realize that I do not have the 100 mile experience that Joe Long has, but I would never agree that many horses can do 100s two weeks apart. There may be that "one in a million" special endurance horse (like Joe's horse) that can do 100's every two weeks or even do two 100s back to back. But most of us, including myself, do not own that kind of horse. I really don't feel that giving a horse a month between 100s is overly conservative. In fact, in most cases, I feel it is the minimum time a horse should have between 100 mile events. Sometimes, the cumulative effect of conditioning and competition (stress) doesn't show up immediately after a competition. Just because a horse doesn't look stressed doesn't mean that the body doesn't need time to rest and recover. Sometimes this stress will show up in the next competition very subtly such as the horse being dull or sometimes it may show up more dramatically as a metabolic or physical distress. Sometimes ill effects from choices early in a ride season are cumlative and begin showing towards the end of the year. I feel that rest and recovery is a necessary part of successful competition.
I think most endurance riders would agree and the 100 mile completion statistics definitely support that 100 mile rides, even when ridden conservatively, are not something that the average endurance horse can do without proper preparation. In my opinion, part of that preparation is adequate rest and recovery between competitions. Just because a horse "can" do back to back 100s doesn't mean it is in his best interest for competition he is doing now or for his future as a competition horse.
Kim Fuess
AERC # 6648
I've completed over thirty 100's, and I believe that "conventional wisdom" tends to be overly-conservative on this point. Some horses may need four weeks or more to recover after a 100, but many can come back and do another 100 in two weeks if they haven't been over-stressed at the first one. Some can do 100's one week apart, and not just two in a row, but three or even more, with no ill effects.
