Re: Endurance and Dressage

[Susan Evans Garlinghouse <suendavid@worldnet.att.net>]

Hey Cheryl,

This is my experience with combining dressage and endurance.  A year or
so after I got Cato, we badly needed to address some control issues and
I went into full training with Heather Bender.  Cato got schooled by the
trainer three days a week, I had a lesson on him three times a week and
he was long-lined once.  After the initial schooling, Heather would
start sending me out onto the trail after our lesson to practice what
we'd just been doing in the ring---bending, stretching, shoulder-ins,
etc.  Lots and lots of circles and bends around bushes and trees and
things.  They weren't high mileage trail rides but still hard work for
both of us.  After six months, we entered the Sunland 25, which started
right there at the equestrian center.  My instructions were that I could
go as fast as I liked, as long as Cato stayed soft, round, obedient and
under control (and his HR stayed within bounds).  Even the 25 at Sunland
is pretty tough, lots of elevation, and we did it in about 3 hours,
looking really good at the finish and easily capable of going on. 
Cato's HR never hit 200 even cantering up some pretty steep grades
carrying a Hwt rider, and his recoveries were super.  This is NOT about
going fast at an LD, just an indication that you can keep a horse
reasonably fit doing ringwork, with just a little aerobic work on top. 
Cato went right to doing fifties and finished a 50 mile ride almost
every weekend throughout the spring.

Anyway, I think dressage is a terrific way to keep your horse working
during the off-season.  Just my own experiences, your mileage may vary.

Susan G



Cheryl Newbanks wrote:
> 
> I've been thinking on doing endurance on Blue while the weather is nice and
> then when it starts hitting over 100* we will start doing dressage.  But I
> am not sure how to combine the two without burning my buddy out.  I don't
> want to get to level 3 or anything, just want to learn to ride more
> efficiently and hopefully Blue will learn a few things too.  So I guess my
> question is to those of you who lay off their horses from endurance because
> of the winter weather how long does it take to bring them back to
> competition condition?  I would just work on dressage in the summer on Blue
> and compete endurance on my other horse Kodi who tolerates the heat better.
>  Also Blue wouldn't be that out of condition if I was still doing dressage
> while I wasn't doing endurance.
> 
> I wonder how I would incorporate his dressage practice into our
> conditioning routine?  I thought that I'd do my mileage then come back and
> practice dressage afterwards.  Mainly due to the fact that it would get
> Blue past the point of thinking that when he gets home he's done.  And
> maybe that would help him with leaving the vet check at the 25 mile point,
> hopefully he would start to think that he isn't done until I say he's
> done!!!  That would be an added benefit. <VBG>!
> 
>                                   Cheryl Newbanks
> ~~~           ~~ ^ ^        SW Region
> ~~~\      _ ~~/ /\ /        Buckeye, AZ
>        (   ) __    ) ' '        horsetrails@inficad.com
>        //          \\
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