Things are going great with Reilly!  We are bonding under saddle and there is no better feeling than that! I’ve had many great trail rides with some solid friends as baby sitters and Edie has given me some great lessons in the ring. Just last week we did our first solo trail ride and he was a Prince! If it weren’t’ for the deer flies that threatened to carry us away it would have been heaven!

Edie says he’s a star in Kindergarten, but hasn’t graduated to first grade yet! So we’re still working on bending, leg yielding and going around any obstacles we can find – jumps set up in the ring (whoa! not for us!!), hay wagons, parked trailers – and exposing him to everything going on at the farm – jumping lessons, saddle fitting sessions, hay mowing. As a result he’s getting calmer and more resilient every day…and so am I.  He’s been coming home with me and Rianon on the weekends and he trailers like a champ.

I can’t believe he’s only been with me for two months!

I thought some of you who may be planning your first CTR this summer or fall would like to have an overview of early conditioning.  I just reread an article on the AERC website (which I encourage all of you to check out -

www.endurance.net) to remind myself of some basic principles.

Every horse is an individual. That may sound pretty basic…but it can’t be emphasized enough.  Body type and resting heart rate along with god given metabolics obviously come into play as does a horse’s living arrangement. If your horse is out on 50 acres (lucky him) and self exercises quite a bit, his fitness level going into your training schedule will be different than a horse kept in a small paddock.  Horses will have limitations so you will just need to listen and know your horse……the more you ride the more you’ll “hear” and “know.”

Most of us work full time so consistency can sometimes be a problem.  You know there will be a thunderstorm on your day off … kids and partners will demand attention …you know the scenario!  You can’t make up for not riding one day by riding twice as hard the next. So try your very best, for the sake of your equine partner, to be consistent.

You should  consider your own physical health and fitness, as well.  If you become fatigued your riding will become unbalanced and your body will be tense with discomfort. That will cause your horse to tighten or twist his back and potentially cause lameness. It’s easy and fun to incorporate your exercise program with your horse’s by running alongside him as a warm up to your ride….or getting off to hike with him up or down steep hills. It will also give you an appreciation of what we ask our horses to do while carrying our weight. Plus, it will teach him how to stand still next to a rock or log while you mount.

Ring work is essential for a supple and balanced horse. As a result he will be much less prone to injury..  No, I’m not thrilled with ring work either and find myself having “trail withdrawal” the days I do ring work.  But ask any of the really successful endurance riders and they will tell you they take dressage lessons regularly. Trotting over cavalettis is also beneficial. I make a maze of them to keep our waning interest alive. Really all you need as a start is 30 minutes a week. Even with that short time you will see a difference in your horse’s carriage.

Make sure your horse’s feet are in good condition and balanced with good angles. Assuming he is in good health and not too thin nor obese you can start riding 3 miles at 5 mph….if you’ve been riding regularly you may increase that mileage very quickly. If your horse is turned out on a huge pasture 3 days a week might be all he needs to get and stay fit.  Horses in a smaller paddock could benefit from a 5 day a week schedule but two of those days should be light work, or ring work. Incorporate hills, but go easy downhill especially if your horse is young. They neither have the strength or balance to negotiate downhill grades well and you could damage their joints.  Use common sense. If you’ve done a long ride one day, go easy the next. Never increase mileage and difficulty in the same ride. Trot and walk. Practice transitions. Getting on and off on the trial. Stopping at streams or puddles and encourage them to drink. Keep it interesting and fun.

My goal is to comfortably do 5 miles in 45 minutes. Once your horse can do that you can bet you’re ready to do a 25 mile ride.

Next month we’ll talk about pulse as an indication of fitness and condition.

Till then … Ride Happy!.

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