Re: Egads - another LD opinion

["Carolyn Loedeman" <tawasentha@ohiohills.com>]

THANKYOU!   AND VERY WELL SAID!  Carolyn Loedeman (Ohio)
----- Original Message -----
From: <guest@endurance.net>
To: <ridecamp@endurance.net>
Sent: Tuesday, November 09, 1999 2:58 PM
Subject: RC: Egads - another LD opinion


Jennifer Heim cowgirl_30_98@yahoo.com
Hi all - been gone for awhile, had back surgery and started a new job.

However, after seeing the limited distance debate come up again for what
seems to be the zillionth time since I started ridecamp four years ago, I
feel that I have to "bite the bullet" and give.. YET ANOTHER OPINION!!  ;^)

I - and my clients - consider myself a professional horseman.  I have
saddle-trained colts for fifteen years and have competed in endurance,
NATRC, dressage, open reining, stock work, hunt seat, park, prelim &
training level eventing, and even the boring ring eq & pleasure classes.  I
have worked with soft horses, fit horses and everything in between.  I don't
have many miles in endurance (around 900), but when I do compete, it's on a
horse that I know what he's capable (and uncapable) of doing.

An open reiner, a 1st level dressage horse and any eventing horse can be
taken from his normal duties and taken in a limited distance event, with
very little to *no* trail training.  In the course of their own sport, they
are fit enough to safely complete a limited distance ride and look very good
at the end of it.  The really good event horses have been known to (so
called) win and/or BC these LD events.  Also (and you know who you are!
<vbg>), some very, very talented riders can take a "pasture potato" and
because of their riding and horsemanship, can get this unfit horse to
complete a LD ride.

That being said, in my experience, a 50-miler is beyond these performance
horses without a good deal of trail conditioning work.  There are some that
can do it, but they're pretty sore and don't look at all like what a 50-mile
horse should look at the end of a ride.  That's my difference between
*endurance* and *limited distance*.  One is considered a novice event.  One
is for the trail-fit horses.  It all depends on the homework that a rider
does with the horse.  My clients' prelim horse is an eventing horse and he's
strong and fit.  He can complete a limited distance event tomorrow if I
asked him.  However, I do not consider him an endurance horse because he can
complete 25 miles in under 4 hours.  His owners might, but I don't.  When
he's fit enough to do a hard 50, I start thinking "hmmm, maybe he's an
endurance horse, too."

The endurance training group I used to ride with has taken
green-to-endurance riders/horses and within a number of hard-working months,
these folks and their horses are competing in 50 mile events.  And I don't
mean completing, I mean competing.  When they are fit enough, they'll do 30
miles for their weekend ride.  Some have since won 50s, top-tenned in some
very nasty 100s, have qualified for Pan Am and they have fit endurance
horses because of the homework they do.

That, in my opinion, is an endurance horse.  Go ahead, knock me out, I've
got benefits now and don't bruise easily.  Sticks and stones may break my
bones, but names can't hurt me (but that 4yo Hannovarian is doing a damn
good job).

Cya
Jennifer & Astro (soon to be an LD horse for experience and then onto 50s
when he's ready)
The Colt Kindergarten & Obedience School for Equines

P.S.  To all that haven't heard from me in awhile, reply and give me your
emails!  I lost 'em all!


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=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net.    
Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/RideCamp   
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=