Kirsten's Blog Post # 7

How Much is Too Much?

So this topic has been on my mind for the past 9 months or so.... Really since I started training both myself and my horse for the classic 3-day: How much is too much? How hard can I push this horse? How high can we jump? How fast can we run? How much distance can we cover? What is "fair"? Just about anyone who knows me and knows how careful I am with this animal can tell you how seriously I took training for this 3-day.

The respect I have for a horse who took me from this:

Yea, she went over, no worries, she is a saint.

and I rewarded her by doing this......

To This:

Photo by GRC Photo, used with permission

Steeplechase at Waredaca Classic N3-Day

Photo by GRC Photo, used with permission

Phase D at Waredaca Classic N3-Day

Is enormous. Even before we trucked down to Maryland Ariat laid it down at King Oak putting in a solid dressage test, helped save our bum's in stadium when I forgot how to ride (I had a hard time in their stadium ring), and then STORMED around their xc course jumping double clear on a course that gave many other horses issues. She had nothing left to "prove", and yet I wanted more...

"Did I do good mom?"

Wanting more is not always a bad thing. In fact pushing your comfort zone can be incredibly rewarding. However, I believe you have to take it seriously.

Nothing but smiles after finishing out first sanctioned BN

This is where I bring back the idea of being "fair" to your horse. I am of the belief that I provide Ariat with first class care day in and day out, she does nothing for 22hrs a day but munch on high quality hay, bask in her clean paddock, or sip from her scrubbed-daily water buckets. For 2 hours a day I feel it is okay and even right to expect her to work. This does NOT mean that after working in an indoor all winter I take her out and gallop the snott out of her the first day we can get to the beach OR that I enter her in an event at a level that is too high after not jumping her for 4months. THAT is not what I consider "fair". In fact, not only is that not "fair" I think it is a sign of a horrible horsemen and also shows an extreme lack of judgement, common sense, or common decency towards the animal you are sitting on. However, I DO believe it is appropriate to ask them to work at their level and constantly push the boundaries of those levels.

I had a hard time wrapping my head around this this spring/summer. Finally I had a chance to truck up to Denny Emerson s and have a xc school. I asked the master himself if he thought Ariat and I could do the 3-Day. Looking back, maybe not the fairest question as he has only seen us go twice and does not really know our history, but I asked anyway. He looked me in the eye and very seriously told me yes, as long as I didn't short change my horse. What did he mean? He meant I needed to be committed to conditioning her, she needed to be worked daily if not twice a day (more on that later), she could have her days off of course, but I could not go away a ton and leave her in her stall. BUT if we logged not only the hours but the miles we would be okay. THAT ladies and gentlemen is what I think of when I think of what is "fair" to your horse.

Early morning sets

And so we logged countless hours and miles in the saddle, in the ring, on the trails, at schooling shows, at local events, and even participating in a competitive 10 mile trail ride. I ended up having her on an 8 day conditioning schedule and in those 8 days we did full sets every 4. I tracked her rates and vitals and even tracked the weather as humidity plays a big role in her recovery. I kept track of her attitude during and after sets, of her feet, if she seemed foot sore (she is barefoot). As I am sitting here there is literally nothing else short of moving to a barn with more hills, on which I could work her,that I could have done to get her prepared for the classic format.

Sets by headlamps after work

Unfortunately, at the end of the day, after pouring all of it out for me on endurance day at the 3-day, she was just not fit enough to continue onto day 3. For her, this format was not correct for her, and until we tried, I had no idea. I knew it would be harder for her and took above and beyond precautions to account for this. But it just wasn't enough.

But here is the question, was a classic 3-day a "fair" question for me to ask of my horse....

*deep breath*

Yes.

Would it be "fair" of me to ask her to do this again?

No.

I trained and prepared her the best way I know how, and it wasn't enough. She was not forced to jump on the third day and has been resting (escaping from.....) her paddock enjoying (wrecking havoc during ......) her time off.

So if you have goals for yourself and your horse, don't be afraid to work towards them. That is the key, WORK towards them. Don't cut corners, DO lay down your solid baseline fitness (for the rider in addition to the horse!!! I lost 50lbs in preparation for this event in order to make this experience as easy for my mare as possible), once you have your base fitness foundation slowly build on it and take it seriously. Training a horse like Ariat for an event like the classic 3-day took riding well past a hobby and into lifestyle category. My entire schedule rotated around her rides, whether I could go out with friends, when I could go home to see my parents, when I had time to go do laundry all hinged on when Ariat's ride was scheduled.

Do right by your horses ladies and gentlemen, treat them correctly, and prepare them properly for where you want them to take you! And more often than not they will allow you to do things you would have never thought possible.