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Posted by chrisnstar on October 26, 2004 at 08:38:25:
In Reply to: Ok, I\'ll post a topic posted by shelgirl on January 24, 2003 at 17:27:29:
There is no "quick" explanation or quick way to train a horse for this sport. It takes about 2 years to really get a horse in tune to his job at endurnace and fit well to do really well.
Yes, there are first year wonders.. people who take a horse to the competitions and top 10 and ride the snot out of their horses.. they don't last long. Usually by the second season, and often in the first season, these horses are being pulled by the vets for lameness and metabolic issues.
So don't shortcut, unless you can afford to replace your endurance horse every other year. Most of us take a lot of pride in keeping the same horse sound for a lifetime of competition in this sport. There are horses that are in their late teens and early 20s still doing this.. it's because their riders had a sensible conditioning and riding program.
My endurance/CTR horse is 17. He started this sport when he was turning 10. He's still sound and happy.
It's a good thing your QH has TB in it. That's great. Remember, these are marathons.. the horses need to develop their slow twitch muscles, lungs and hearts. They are not sprinters. It's about going the distance and finishing safe and sound.
Endurance CAN be a race. It doesn't have to be. It's called endurance riding. To Finish Is To Win. Whether you finish in the top 10, or get the turtle award, you have done more than 95 percent of all the other equestrians out there do.
I'd suggest going to www.endurance.net and look on the newbies page. There will be a list of mentors by state. Find someone to guide you as you train and get ready to do this.
If your horse hasn't done much trail riding, then you need to get him ready to experience the trail. He will see a lot of interesting stuff out there and you want to be able to trot down the trail without him leaping out of his skin at every turn.
You also want to be a very balanced rider, riding with your legs and seat. I love a nice trot through "S" turns in the woods. what a great place to practice leg yields!
You want to develop independent thinking in your horse in a good way. You will be a TEAM, more so than in any other equestrian sport. You want to learn everything about him and the way he moves, breathes, eats, drinks and thinks. You want to know every heart beat and every footfall. There will be vets at the rides and vet checks to help you judge how your horse is doing, but the ultimate responsibility for your horse's health and his life is YOU, the rider.
Also, do a web search for UMECRA Upper Midwest Endurance and Competitive Rides Assoc. They have a wonderful handbook for new riders that you can download from the net.
Also go to my group's site, MOTDRA, and you'll see 2 good pages of Q&A about distance riding. . http://motdra.fws1.com
Good Luck and happy riding!
chris