Re: Conditioning Miles

["S. Brown" <sbrown@wamedes.com>]

>Bob Morris wrote:
>>Question comes to my mind?? Why do you need to know the distance you ride
>>in conditioning?
>>So, if you want a true measure of conditioning go to a time basis. Quality
>>time will give much better results than measured miles.
>
>Sure, Bob, if (And a big IF) you have a lot of miles under your
>saddle, and you have been doing all your homework.  However,
>from the way the question was asked, I assumed that the questioner
>was a beginner.  For a beginner, there has to be a place to start.
>Counting miles and time is a good place to start.  Sure, a nice
>easy 5 miles of flat track is not the same as 5 miles of tough
>hill climbing.  But if you have never measured out 5 miles, it may
>seem like 10 miles, and then you are really kidding yourself, and
>cheating your horse.  When that new rider goes out for their first
>25 mile ride, they will learn what the true miles are like, and then
>what?

You are right, Wendy.  When I enter my FIRST competition (that *does*
qualify me as a beginner ;-)), I want to know that my horse and I will be
able to handle it.  I'm not 20 (actually, will be 50 on the 16th! ;-)) and,
altho I'm very active and pretty athletic (not necessarily extremely
talented but I have a lot of persistence <g>), I don't want to find out
that what I *thought* was a comparable distance to the competition distance
isn't even close.  I live in an area that has SOME trails that are flat,
but most of what I've ridden on involves some fairly steep stuff.  It takes
quite a bit longer to navigate that terrain than it does to cruise on down
the road -- especially for my greenish horse who is learning how to ski on
mud, cross creeks without jumping, and climb hills without bolting.  So,
mile for mile, navigating the steep stuff and picking my way thru hilly,
wooded trails, is going to take me quite a bit longer.  When it comes time
to enter the competition, I want to know that we are prepared and that we
have been completing distances that are not so far off.  I *hate* being
poorly prepared for anything! ;-)  I also hate being a beginner, but I
can't do much about that!  I can *at least* be prepared and have a rough
idea on how many miles we can comfortably finish...but only if I can figure
out how many miles I'm actually doing in the time I'm out now.  If I go in
well prepared, I won't be a beginner for long! ;-)

Sue

sbrown@wamedes.com
Tyee Farm
Marysville, Wa.