by Marcia King
Do you know why a Thoroughbred can deliver that great burst of speed to eat up a mile in 1+1/2 minutes, or how an endurance horse can maintain the strength and stamina to cover long distances at steady speeds? Of course you do: conditioning.
Conditioning builds sturdy bones, develops strong muscles, and maximizes efficiency in the cardiovascular system. Although all these components are needed to deliver peak performance, like a “souped-up” engine that drives the sports car, it’s the “tuned-up” heart that drives the athlete, and makes everything else happen.
continue reading "Is His Heart in it?"
Few equine activities are as enjoyable as a relaxing trail ride in the woods or out in the mountains. It not only helps you feel at one with the natural world around you, but also strengthens and deepens your bond with your horse.
It was a turning point in the history of our family. For seven years, our lives centered around horse shows. With two horse-crazed girls, my wife Jenny and I had grown accustomed to watching our money, our weekends, and our sanity vanish into a vortex of horse show mania. But now, at 17, our daughter Jamie announced she was giving it up, “I want to switch to trail riding, Dad.”
Distance riders from all three disciplines–ride and tie, competitive trail, and endurance–gathered in L’Ange Gardien, Quebec, on an extended Labour Day weekend 2006 to test their skills against Canada’s finest.
