Re: RC: Arab or TWH/or any other breed/P&R criteria

[LSimoni197@aol.com]

I wonder?  Many breeds of horses can go long distances, even every day.  Why 
the old time work horse could go out and work 6 days a week, pulling oh so 
much weight.  They would do that week in and week out, during the planting or 
harvesting season, or the season for clearing the timber and dragging it out 
of the forest.  Now that definitely requires a horse with great endurance?

I wonder?  As AERC has lowered the P&R requirements, this seems to have given 
the edge to the breed of horse who meets these extremely low criteria the 
quickest? 

I wonder?  Does this low criteria protect the fit Arab from abuse, but maybe 
at the same time prevent a very fit, large muscled horse from being a 
successful competitor?

I wonder?  Would some of the larger type horses who succeeded on many 
thousands of AERC miles 25 years ago be able to reach today's criteria 
quickly enough to encourage the rider to continue in the sport?

I wonder?  Wind and heart recovery can be built so quickly in an Arab, that 
his muscle and more importantly his tendons and bones do not keep up.  The 
Arab loves to run.  He almost instantly develops great recoveries, our major 
test for fitness.  So you have this young 4 or 5 year old Arab who can fly 
over the hills with the greatest of ease, running on a body that is not 
mature till 7 years old.  (I know, that is my opinion, which is why I allow 
my Arabs to get to that age before I use them.  Yes, I am an Arab rider.)

I wonder?  Do you think that AERC might look into and see if some breeds of 
horses may be quite fit to go on, even if they do not hit the low numbers 
that an Arab does?  Each fit horse has a different resting P&R number, the 
Arab breed seem to be capable of developing a lower basic number than many 
other breeds.  Are we, or have we already developed a one breed sport?

I wonder?  Is endurance simply a matter of P&R?  That is the one perimeter 
that the novice can easily learn to judge, yet achieving great P&Rs early in 
life may just be the reason so many Arabs sustain serious injury to their 
legs.

I wonder?  Could it be said, 2 months to great P&Rs, 2 years to great legs?  
I believe that it is not as quick for other breeds to develop those great 
P&Rs.

I wonder?  Do I have to turn off my computer to protect myself from flames?

Lynge
West


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