Beginning in mid May I began regular five mile sessions that were exclusively trot and canter rides. We alternated horses so that several horses were being trained at least 3 days per week on these five mile runs.
The horses have been allowed to select their gait and in no time at all they were able to canter the entire 5 miles. We have begun to work other horses into the rotation and they are conditioning just as fast as the original horses did.
The transformation in the horses is amazing. Each seems like a different horse than before we began this exercise. Keep in mind that most of these horses were used to being ridden several hours each week before we added in the 5 mile runs. The horses are stronger, faster, and are more responsive to cues.
It is as if we have purchased an entirely new herd. The impact on the riders is equally obvious. I have dropped twelve pounds since we began these runs. My riding muscles are stronger than they have been since I was a teenager.
The horses above are Washikie, a Chincoteague/Appaloosa cross, and Cheyenne, a Chincoteague/Mustang cross.
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