RE: High Mileage Horses

[Steph Teeter <step@fsr.com>]

Great question! I can't wait to hear other responses.

 >> What did you do differently in regards to your regular maintenance regime
with the horse? 

 Minimal conditioning in between events. Almost all non-competition time
was pasture turn-out.

  >> Did you do anything to help maintain weight? (on the horse, not the rider) <g>

Rest, free choice pasture and hay, fat supplement in the feed - oil, beetpulp, LMF feed.

 >> Any supplements that you feel really make a difference? 

It's always impossible to tell what *really* makes a difference, but I used an oral GAG
supplement (plus a round of injectable Adequan at the end of the season), yucca, and
MSM for joints.

 >> What is the best thing that you did that you think helped the horse achieve
this many miles in one year?
 
Go slow or moderate during competitions - and lots of rest in between.

 >> What is the biggest mistake that you made?  

Speed - not many horses can do speed *and* lots of miles. I allowed too
much speed at the end of the season (on a REALLY fit horse!) and he
developed a splint. 
 
 >> I've been given lots of advice.  Some of it is:  most horses can't do that
kind of mileage without encountering some problems by the end of the
season.  OR: all those miles will cause the horse to get arthritis at an
earlier age.  

I think season after season of high mileage is bound to take a toll on the 
horse's joints... certainly the Trilby's in the sport have perfected the formula
for longevity (btw Trilby walks almost all of her 2000 miles each year). 
I think alternating years might be a good strategy - follow a high mileage
year with a low mileage year, or maybe just fewer, faster rides. If you look
in the yearbook, there just aren't that many horses with 5000+ miles - sure
some can do it year after year, but probably most can't. With a good eye - and
maybe x-rays or ultrasounds at the end of the season, a person can probably
make a pretty good judgement on a particular horse - whether they weathered
the season well or not. Sometimes it is months later that problems surface
though - enlarged joints and arthritis. 

With XP2001 looming in the future, it will be very interesting to see what
individual strategies are regarding high mileage. Can a person do the whole
2000 miles on one horse??? And if so, at what price...

Steph


 I know there are several horses that have completed high mileage season
after season...and still look just great going down the trail.  

Happy Trails,

Karen
in Gardnerville
West Region
& Weaver
& Rocky