....what is bad is refusing to learn to the contrary when the facts are presented. Ten years ago I did not know that the Corollas and Shacklefords could carry adults. I fell for the same outmoded cliches, "twenty percent of body weight, etc" that everyone "knew" to be the case.
These cliche's may be appropriate for some breeds. I will let advocates of those breeds speak to that issue. They are inappropriate for Spanish Colonial horses. I do not base this assertion on theories or old Cavalry standards. I base them on what I have seen and what I have felt riding these horses in rough, wet terrain for much of the past decade. Tradewind, shown above, was captured because he was severely foundered. We used Pete Ramey trimming techniques and made him perfectly sound.
In 2011 he carried me 206 hours in the woods, the vast majority of that, trotting or cantering. That is well over 1000 miles in just one year. It does not include the miles that other riders put on him.
It struck me that I have probably ridden Corollas more and Shacklefords more miles than anyone else alive. (I hope not, because I would love to hear from someone who has done even more miles on these horses).
I am the proof, all 220 plus pounds of me, of what these horses can do.
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