Mystery and I did a long ride last Sat., lots of hills, around 18
miles is my guess. Sunday, I rubbed him down, warmed him up, stretched
his muscles, and took him for a short ride at a local park we train at
(he is bored there.) He wasn't sore on his back, or lame. He was just
unwilling to go...didn't want to trot. I got the impression he was
just sore all over. So 3 days of rest later, a short ride at the same
park, he is willing and able to do what I ask (trot the loop). My
conclusion is he was just plain sore on Sunday from the tough ride on
Saturday.
My question is: for those who do long rides, especially the 3 day
rides where the horse may go 25 miles day one, 30 the next etc...is it
normal for a horse to be so sore the next day? Could this be an
indication I am pushing him too hard? We've been doing these types of
rides every week for the past few months, although Saturday's ride I
think was a bit tougher than usual.
When you do a 25 or 50 mile ride, how much time off do you give the
horse between the next ride. Do you check the horse the next day for
soreness and do stretches, rub downs or light exercise to work out the
kinks?
Last possible factor (question)/ he's been moved into a large paddock
and taken off the pasture this last month. So, he now gets good
quality alfalfa hay and oat hay, plus I've given him Ovalene 200 when I
ride (not everyday). The paddock is large and mostly sloping so he
gets exercise. Could an increase in the protein amount have an effect
on how sore he gets from exercise?
Thanks to all,
Kimberly (&Mystery the Morab)
Petaluma, CA