Julie,
I could not resist commenting on your post. I agree with you comments 100
percent. Some horses are born to do the job well given their genetic makeup
and physical abilities. I would add two more factors to the equation, one in
regards to the horse and one to the rider.
First, when evaluating an endurance prospect there is one almost
unmeasurable attribute that, in my opinion, is equal the the wieght one
should give to conformation, physical ability, and breed. That is what is
between the horses ears. In your post you say
>they have more heart than the average<
and
>they thrive on hard work that will break other horses
>down.
I would call it competativeness.
The horse's desire to compete willingly; to go down the trail mile after
mile and ENJOY it while travelling at a competetive pace is invaluable. The
best horses compete on their own, looking down the trail for their next
"victim" to pass with no prompting from the rider. The rider is truly the
"coach" here, helping and pacing the horse for the best finish. In our
experience, this "mental ability" can compensate for flaws in conformation
or physical makeup in many cases.
I have yet to find a way to evaluate this important characteristic in a
horse. The only way I know is to look in the horses pedigree and see how
the horses close relative or sire and dam have done and hope it is passed on.
The second factor is the rider. You yourself are an excellent example of
how a knowlegable, patient, and competative rider with some brains and sense
of strategy can get the most out of horse after horse over the years. I
have lost track of how many competative horses you have had but I'm sure it
is at least ten. Twenty Tevis Cup finishs and three (is that right?) Haggin
Cups are testament to true horsemanship. I have discussed this topic with
some (Dave Nicholson and Phil Gardner are two who come to mind) who give the
rider the most weight in the horse-rider team, reasoning a good rider will
always get the most out of a given horse.
One only need look at all the "one horse wonders" who have participated in
the sport over the years only to find they cannot do well on their
successive mount. Many become finishers only or drop out of the sport all
together. (I know, "To Finish is to Win", but we are talking about
competative horses here!)
You made excellent points and I for one am always sure to read your comments
as I value your opinions and experience.
Rick Stewart DVM
Bethlehem, PA