Re: Beginners Conditioning Questions

[rides2far@juno.com (Angela C. McGhee)]

On Mon, 12 Jan 1998 11:36:00 -0500 "Snodgrass, Bonnie"
<snodgrab@ncr.disa.mil> writes:
>     Here where I live in southern MD the terrain is pretty much flat. 

>     
>     1- Can I get my horse fit enough doing only one long training 
>     ride a week?

DearBonnie,  the question we need to know is, are you telling the
absolute truth about how much you ride?  The problem is, that those of us
with quite a few miles are all lying about how much we ride.  You sound
like you're conditioning about like I was on my first horse.  I rode 5
days a week and he went lame before his first ride.  
>     
>     2- Starting around March I'll trailer once a week up to the 
>     mountains for real hill work. I could probably get in about 4 of 
>     these training rides (18-20 miles) before the No Frills. Will 
>     this plan be fair to my horse physically?

This should put you well ahead of most of the 25's and some of the 50's.
>     
>     This mare was not just a pasture ornament before I bought her. 
>     She evidently had lots of trail miles with previous owner but did 
>
>     have a slack year just before I traded for her. She came from a 
>     hilly region and seems competent and comfortable on steep hills.

I used to manage the Tennessee 25,50 & 100.  I watched a horse from the
flatlands of South Carolina win the most mountainous 100 in the
Southeast.
>     
>     3- I can ride 6 days a week if I want, typically ride 5 times. I 
>     am right now doing a fairly moderate ride on Sat and a long ride 
>     on Sun with Mon and possibly Tues off. Is this a good weekend 
>     plan (my feelings) or can I put in two long rides on the weekend?

My guess is that if you don't overtrain, you'll do great.  By the way,
I'm assuming you don't plan to loose your mind and take off with the
idiots up front. 


I can see now that I need to hurry up and publish my book.  I have an
article in which I translated all these training programs you read into
laymans terms.  I just can't reprint everything.  :)

Angie McGhee  Who has done everything wrong AT LEAST once.

     
>     Any advise appreciated. Please post to entire list if possible as 
>
>     I know there are lots of beginners out there with the same type 
>     of questions.
>     
>     Bonnie Snodgrass
>
>