RE: [RC] LD and 50 Mile Horses - Differences? - Susan Cushing
I have a perfect example of the difference between a LD and 50 miler. My Icelandic, Lappi. He can and has gone 50, but it is a really long and hard day. The breed is not made for this work. His recovery is longer than any Arabian, it is the breed. Thicker muscles, short neck, LOTS of hair, pony legs higher standind heart rate, just to name a few issues. He is a great guy, he knows and likes his job, but the longer mileage is tough on him. I have had a lot of help on rides from fellow riders sharing ways to help him through a ride. Especially if it is hot and humid, it is a rough day. He is much better suited for LD's. We are the last to cross the line by a large margin usually. He can hold the speed for a while, but in the end his body heats and is much harder to cool. It is just not fun after a while. Eight to ten hours to do a 50 is a long day. He is a blast for LD's and is starting to hold his own and come in in the middle of the pack at times with them. He has even top tenned in a few and come close to best conditioned. I can not skip a beat in my training. We work hard every week to do this sport, and for him he does it well, just not compared to an Arabian. He has only been pulled once, it was 90+ degrees with very, very high humidity. He just could not cool at the last loop in time(mile 35)-he had enough in him and plenty of time to finish, but 30 minutes was not enough, 35-40 minutes would have been enough. He looked better than a number of the horses that went out on the last loop, but it was not to be. Yes a lot of LD's can do a 50, but not all are made for them. Susan Cushing
