Advice needed for new endurance horse

debsg

debsg

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I have just taken on a new horse! A 15hh ish, Arab/TB/Welsh 16yr old mare on loan. She is an advanced endurance horse whose mum needs to concentrate on her younger mare, so we are going to have a bit of low level fun together :D
She has slight arthritic changes in her near fetlock and near hock, but is 100% sound, fit and raring to go! Atm she is shod in front (Natural Balance). She has been bf before but her owner felt she needed fronts on to cope with the amount of work she was doing. My other two are bf and I would like to try her too, but will probably leave her fronts on til winter begins and they are roughed off, then see how she goes in early Spring. Her owner is happy for me to do this.
She is currently on one scoop per day of Cortaflex Glucosamine, mixed with a bit of low cal chaff (another good doer!) and will live out 24/7/365 but stables available if the weather is REALLY bad.
General advice wanted, please, on how to keep this lovely little lady in tip top shape. I know nothing about Natural Balance shoes, so POV welcomed. Are there better reasonably priced supps for her joints? Anything herbal I can try?
Endurance bods advice especially welcome :D I am a newbie to this discipline so need help to organise a fitness program for her. Her owner feels she is capable of up to 65k (Gulp!)
I am so lucky to have been given this opportunity. She really is a super little horse and will be given the best I can afford (as are my other two :) )
Many thanks xx
 
BFquite a few years ago, but has competed at a high level for around 5 years, arthritic changes diagnosed a couple of years ago. Apparently she had HLA injections in the NF, has been sound ever since on the Cortaflex Glucosamine.
Sorry I'm a bit vague with dates, I went to see her yesterday (owner is a friend) and she is not with me yet. I'm just being girl scouty and prepared :D
 
debsg said:
I have just taken on a new horse! A 15hh ish, Arab/TB/Welsh 16yr old mare on loan. She is an advanced endurance horse whose mum needs to concentrate on her younger mare, so we are going to have a bit of low level fun together :D
She has slight arthritic changes in her near fetlock and near hock, but is 100% sound, fit and raring to go! Atm she is shod in front (Natural Balance). She has been bf before but her owner felt she needed fronts on to cope with the amount of work she was doing. My other two are bf and I would like to try her too, but will probably leave her fronts on til winter begins and they are roughed off, then see how she goes in early Spring. Her owner is happy for me to do this.
She is currently on one scoop per day of Cortaflex Glucosamine, mixed with a bit of low cal chaff (another good doer!) and will live out 24/7/365 but stables available if the weather is REALLY bad.
General advice wanted, please, on how to keep this lovely little lady in tip top shape. I know nothing about Natural Balance shoes, so POV welcomed. Are there better reasonably priced supps for her joints? Anything herbal I can try?
Endurance bods advice especially welcome :D I am a newbie to this discipline so need help to organise a fitness program for her. Her owner feels she is capable of up to 65k (Gulp!)
I am so lucky to have been given this opportunity. She really is a super little horse and will be given the best I can afford (as are my other two :) )
Many thanks xx
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I'm not an endurance bod, so possibly not hugely helpful, but just a few POVs ;)

As for shoeing, I can't really help a whole lot there - but would just say that some twenty years ago when I kept show/pleasure horses in the Northeast US, it was common for us to keep them shod in the summer months while they were working hard, and then we'd rough them off over winter and they'd more or less live out 24/7 and their shoes would come off til about 2 months before their first shows. They'd still do some work over winter, but mostlly hacking out. They coped remarkably well like this.

Also, as for supps, I'm currently using one that is fairly economical. I use the maintenance one, but here's one that's stronger - something like three months worth for £45

http://www.horsehealth.co.uk/supplements/joints/joint-maintenance/arthri-aid-x--strength-ha-powder

Good luck with your new horse :)
 
In terms of trying barefoot you'll have to try it to know. It is possible to do longer distances barefoot (personally I don't count wearing boots as barefoot as you have protection over the hoof), last year a horse did 160km over Exmoor (2 day 80-80) barefoot & achieved gold award time(awards are different & unique for Horseshoe), but in order to cope with FEI level rides it had to be shod. You just need to watch out for any shortening of her stride, feeling her feet on rough ground etc. Please don't be so determined to go barefoot not to recognise that she may need to wear shoes. Some horses cope with the mileage barefoot, most don't.

Start steady. Don't think you should do 65km asap (which you can't anyway until you reach intermediate level). Do smaller distances to start with. Start on pleasure rides, so you can get used to the routine & learn from your horse. She knows a lot more than you at this stage, listen to her & ask advice from her owner if you aren't sure. Once you've found your feet, register yourself (& re-register the horse), & start your novice season. Don't rush out of novice, again take your time, get used to doing 40-50km, hopefully find a crew to make your life much more pleasent & to give them chance to learn how to crew before you attempt a 65km (for which you must have a crew), so by the time you do they are confident in their crew role.

Only if you feel you want to increase distance & you have gained intermediate level yourself is it time to start thinking about a 65km. Once you join egb you will have access to the endurance forum, so you can ask advice there.

In terms of fitness for pleasure rides, if you hack several times a week at a smart walk, some trot & canter with a 2 hr hack once a week you will be more than fit enough. Novice (& pleasure ride) pace is a nice trot (not a spanking one), with occasional walks over bad ground & odd canters over good ground. I recommend when you do your rides up to intermediate you put a green ribboon on your horse as that tells people coming from behind that you are a novice, so they will pay even more than usual care when passing (the advanced classes will pass you as they have to meet faster speed parameters, but they must ask before they pass - in the rules).

What area of the country are you in? Would be good for you to contact your local egb group who will be able to help / support you. Often they will help with things like finding experienced company to do your first rides with for support & to help you gain experience.
 
Thank you very much, both of you xx
I'm absolutely not a 'bf at all costs' person. I'm lucky enough to have two horses already that dont need shoes. If this mare does, she will have them. She has only ever been shod in front, hinds look great.
I will be SE group, Pip xx She is already reasonably fit and we may be doing the Black Knight training ride with her owner on her other mare, just before she comes to me. I hack my other two five times a week for upwards of two hours, but mainly in walk/some trot/occasional canter, so I think I will have to up the pace with her :)
 
Sounds like that would be fine to me. You don't need to train especially hard or fast for pr, main thing is regular work. Don't be tempted to overdo it, you're looking at at NCR. If you are looking to get equipment my top 5 would be caged flexi-stirrups (reduce knee ache), riding tights (reduce chaffing), comfy hat (reduce headaches), water bottle (never know when you'll need a drink) & map case (so you know the way).

Here is link for south est group details:

http://www.endurancegb.co.uk/html/GroupDetails.asp?Group_Id=SOUE

They are a lovely group, I used to be with them before moving to south west. Lots of rides, personally I recommend trying Windsor, lovely going & great views down to the castle.

Most groups run intro days where you can go & increase your knowledge & make contacts. Will also let you know about training rides in your region.
 
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