I think you can train a horse for the Tevis down here, if you have the
time. We have one thing, year round which gives our horses somewhat of an
advantage, heat and more hear. I think the Carlos's (Crespo) horse had some
advantage in dealing with the OD heat. Talking with several people that
have done both, if your horse can do the OD, it can do the Tevis. Also
training in sand is very benifical for mountain riding - so Ocala or
Brooksville will help.
The one key is getting out of FL some for training in the mountains. I
think the biggest factor is adapting the hooves to the hard surfaces. So
any place with hills and rock will do, Eastern Tenn and Western NC, being
very good and and lot closer than the West. When Doc Meyer went to the OD
some years ago, he went to Tenn for two weeks before. He told me the
hooves turned from our normal soft, to rock hard in a week. Doc was
leading the OD at 70 miles, but probably went out a little too fast. He
ended up 10'th.
BTW, how did you guys fair in Erin.
Truman
>Hi All,
> I'm a South Florida rider whose dream is to ride the Tevis. I've
>come to the conclusion that I can never train enogh here in Florida, and
>for my first attempt at the Big T should lease a California horse, or at
>least one that has completed the Tevis before. Any of you readers have any
>leads for me on this, so I can start planning early for 1996? I'm used to
>Arabs, use an Orthoflex endurance cut-back saddle, and am a middle weight.
> Thanks for any help. Let me know if any of you are coming to rides
>in south or central Florida--I'd like to meet you.
> Laura Causey, Big Pine Key, FL
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The race is not always to the swift, but to those that keep running.
Truman and Mystic "The Horse from HELL" Storm
prevatt@lds.loral.com - Sarasota, Florida
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