Hi Jill, What have you been up to? Riding? Horse shopping? It's been stifling
hot, but i still manage to get out and ride! Ruth Ann
>
> From: "Jill" <jjinjupiter@...>
> Date: 2006/07/26 Wed PM 06:10:55 EDT
> To: SEDRA@yahoogroups.com
> Subject: [SEDRA] Re: gaited horses in distance riding
>
> --- In SEDRA@yahoogroups.com, "equesb" <jqbaker@...> wrote:
> > Hi Jill;
> Thanks for signing up for the SEDRA group. A while back we had a
> discussion on gaited breeds in CTR and distance riding in general.
> What do you think of competing on a gaited horse? What got you started
> in distance riding?
> Jackie Baker
>
> Hey Jackie...
> I don't ride a gaited horse, but my riding buddy (who boards at my
> place) does. I'm not sure about the context of the discussion, but
> will add my 2 cents worth.
>
> We did not buy our horses with distance riding in mind. We are both
> in our 50's and were pleasure riding out at Dupuis when we discovered
> it by way of our riding club's "fun ride"....15 miles... OMG! It took
> us 4 hours to do that! But we had so much fun and everyone was so
> helpful, we decided to sign up for the Piney Pig 25!!! We had no idea
> what we were getting into, how to train, how to feed, shoe, anything.
>
> I rode in a 20-yr-old english saddle that in no way, shape, or form
> fit me or my horse. I won the "happiest rider on the course" prize.
> Of course, that was 3 miles into the ride. The ride photos of us
> coming home in the rain are a different picture. But we were hooked.
>
> I was so sore and miserable and couldn't understand these crazy ppl
> doing 50, 75 and 100 miles!!! I had to know how they managed it. So
> I talked with the ppl (only 3 that year) who did the 100 miles. I was
> totally in awe of them. This wonderful, friendly 100 miler let me try
> her saddle on my horse and I was blown away by how comfortable it was.
> First big lesson!..tack... Years later I found out it was Valerie
> Kanavy. I felt so stupid, as I did when the next year, we were parked
> by the Rojeks and they brought us bags of ice from Indiantown and we
> had no idea who we were camped beside, except that they were friendly
> as could be. When I eventually realized their accomplishments I was
> amazed at how down to earth they were with complete Newbies!
>
> I think that is what kept us in this sport. Everyone we have ever
> come in contact with is patient, kind, informative...OK.. opinionated.
> But we have learned more about how to care for our horses than any
> other venue than I have ever been in.
>
> Getting back to gaited horses... My friend's horse is a BIG Missouri
> Foxtrotter. He has the MOST comfortable ride I have ever felt (hello,
> why she bought him). You don't even feel the miles. OK. He is not
> fast. He stops when he has "had it". But he is sane, eats, drinks
> and is mellow. With good conditioning, he is a great CTR horse. He
> will never be competitive in endurance... too laid back...but then, so
> are we! When I am on the last few miles of a ride on my mustang X with
> a trot from hell, I look at him with his tail swishing lazily back
> and forth and his cadillac ride, I wonder again.... "Why do I want an
> Arab????"
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