Hi Alice,
Just a comment from what my dressage trainer used to do---we didn't go
out for twenty miles, but Heather did regularly take her upper-level
horses out on the trail. That included her FEI horse, a $100,000 German
import Hanoverian that regularly pulls high sixties and even low
seventies in Prix St. George. I questioned it once and she said in her
opinion, a little trail work did wonders for keeping the horses from
getting ring-sour, taught them to ignore goblins in the bushes,
therefore bomb-proof at shows, and was good conditioning for body and
soul. Granted, we didn't going thundering through the undergrowth and
we didn't go all day long, but it was still a longer and harder workout
than what many "trail riders" would do! Heather made it onto the
short-list for the Pan Am Games that year and is considered a strong
contender for future Olympics, so I guess a little trail work didn't
hurt too much. Anyway, just throwing in a story.
Susan Evans
>
> At least that's my two cents quickly.
> alice
> At 02:18 AM 1/8/97 -0500, you wrote:
> >I am posting an opinion which may be viewed as either idiotic or stupid. I
> >am a new subscriber and have read the copious notes regarding the dressage vs
> >trail or otherwise training technique. It seems to me that we are getting
> >overly sensitive regarding the true abilities of horses (particularly our
> >own). Getting back to basics would suggest that (1) not all horses are
> >created equal, (2) not all riders are created equal and that we look for
> >sound conformation in whatever breed or sex that we are considering. When
> >all is said and done, we are left with the bottomline which is ability,
> >soundness and heart. You cannot MAKE a horse a winner; you may help him/her
> >but in the long run nature will cull according to natural selection. We, as
> >riders, are there to guide and assist, not to create and I feel it is rather
> >conceited to assume that we are responsible for our horses achievements,
> >regardless of breed or discipline.
> >
> >JTWRIGHT!67
> >
> >
> *****************************************************************************
> Alice Steinke
> Willie (15 pound 3 yo red wire), Lacie (7 yo schnauzer mix), Sandy ( 6mo
> cocker puppy)
> Turbo, the cat
> Hannah and Chester, the horses
>
> If I ruled the World, Every Day would be the First day of Spring.
> *****************************************************************************