Events
Groups
Rider Directory
Market
RideCamp
Stuff
>Is that a function of distance conditioning in general or a function of a
>horse's system I wonder?
>
>Tina - pondering deep thoughts in AL
>hickst@nichols.com
Think of a ride as not one long ride but shorter rides (15 to 16 miles)
with rest in between. That is really what it is. In a 50 you will have
three or four legs. In a 100 you will have 7 or 8 legs. I tend to train
for recovery after a 15 to 20 mile ride. Then on a 50 you cad do the legs
a little faster using up the food quicker. On a 100 you can slow down
saving some fuel.
Multiday rides are somewhat different since you by staring feed at the
first vetcheck on the first day keep energy going into the system. The 12
to 15 hour "hold" seems to be adaquate time to replinish the fuel.
Probably as important to the physical condtioning is the mental
conditioning in doing longer rides. This is true for both horse and rider.
My first 100 was a fifty mile loop pepeated. After doing 50 miles the
horse was done - or so she thought. She was in great shape but she was not
the happiest camper around about going back out of the trial. We argued for
about 10 miles then for some unknown reason she said "oh this is fun" and
off we went never to look back.
As for me I always condition for a one day 100 and use 50's as part of that
program. If I do well in a 50 that is icing on the cake - if I don't top
ten it was still a good conditioning ride. (for Tina, this is basically how
Samm trained Embers).
IMO if a horse can do a 5 to 6 hour 50 on a good trail with good recoveries
and without any metabolic stress, then he is probably ready for a one day
100 and more than ready for a 2 day 100. To parapharse Jeannie Waldron
from one of her clinics - the biggest difference between 50 mile horses and
100 mile horses (one day) is metabolics.
Truman
Truman Prevatt
Sarasota, FL
Events
Groups
Rider Directory
Market
RideCamp
Stuff