mileage/conditioning

[Wendy Milner <wendy@wendy.cnd.hp.com>]

>From: Suzanne Mounts <mountss@usfca.edu>
>I have been a bit perplexed as I watched the mileage debate.  First, let me
>say that I do not think that twenty-five mile rides are endurance rides.  
>The part that has perplexed me a bit is seeing statements to the effect that
>"any horse could be taken out of the pasture and ridden twenty-five miles."
>I have heard such statements for years, and although I did not quite take
>them literally, I assumed they were not too far off from the truth.
>

I think the statement that is closesr to the truth is:
You can take most horses out of a pasture, that have been ridden
regularly but not necessarily in preparation for an endurance ride,
and ride them in a 25 mile ride - with a rider who knows how to
bring a horse along that might not be in the best condition.

>I think my half-belief in these statements was part of the reason I was
>surprised by the reconditioning program suggested in the Whole Horse
>Journal.  The modified version of that program was suggested for a horse
>that was "fit last season" and had as little as a "two month vacation from
>work." According to the article, Benson, who obviously knows a lot about
>endurance horses, suggested starting with extremely brief workouts and
>taking at least six weeks to get to very moderate levels (hour of walking
>and trotting).  
>
Think not of who wrote this, but rather who the audience is.
I would not tell a "backyard" rider they could just go out and do
an endurance ride.  Particularlly if that rider every used the word
endurance *race*. That 2 month vacation might actually be a 6 month
enforced stall rest or small run (12x20 feet).  Benson knows a lot
about, not only endurance horses, but also about the "average" horse
owners.

I think that we become a bit miopic when it comes to horses and owners.
I, at least, forget that the majority of people who have horses keep
them at a stable, ride them at most once a week for an hour or so,
and generally don't have the best ability to ride.  For these people,
that 20 minutes of walking daily, is the right thing to do.
For the Maggie's out there with a bunch of horses in a large hilly
pasture, you can take a horse out of pasture and ride a conservative
25 miles.

--
Wendy

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  Wendy Milner                     HPDesk:   wendy_milner@hp4000
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