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[RC] Time between 100 mile rides - shermanI respect your opinion, Kim, and you have much more experience than I do, however, I think of all the horses that do the multi-day rides all season, and Little Big Man that did nearly every day of the Great Santa Fe ride, and I think Joe might be right. As you said yourself, the back to back 100s cannot be done by the average endurance horse ?without proper preparation? and that may be the key along with very careful scrutiny of the horse in the few days after the 100 (repeating Heidi's advice here). I suspect there probably are many more horses out there that could do 100s with only 4 weeks of rest in between ?with proper preparation? and as long as there were absolutely no questions about the horse's health and readiness. Kathy 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 =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- 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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