Whizz!
I decided that Jazz could do with a little work to sharpen his wind. He's such a bulky fellow that I don't want to damage him with overdoing interval training, so I thought that three short but sharp canter/gallops would do. The best place seemed to be my own field, which is close :-) , dry (for the moment!), and has a 250 metre run up the side of the road which is rising all the way to the stables. I thought that heading home to Zippy might encourage him, since he can be a bit laid back about fast work.
I walked him down the bottom of the field, along the bottom edge, up the short side and then cantered to the stables. He was willing but not excited. I repeated the same exercise and this time he went early, when we were still along the bottom, and as he turned for the stables he really stretched out. The third time, I pushed him on and he willingly galloped up the hill. He doesn't feel rocket fast like a thoroughbred (and there's no sensation to beat that is there Jean? :-) but he is certainly covering the ground in a biiiig way.
I'm hopeful that with work like that we can keep his waistline in trim and get his breathing to a situation where he can cope with at least a Pre-novice event without having a wind operation. I've decided that I really couldn't put him through the op anyway. He is fine and healthy as he is, and I can't see the point of spending the money, taking the short and long term risks it involves, and putting him through hospitalisation, pain and months of recuperation. He'll just have to convert to dressage and showjumping if he can't gallop far enough to event.
Zippy had his toes trimmed today and is a really good boy, not even tied up. He has really smart feet now, not the little foaly contracted things that he arrived wearing.
C.
posted by cptrayes @ 6:00 PM
3 comments
3 Comments:
I remember once, having a good LONG stretch of nice dirt road, letting PJ gallop on. He switched gears--wonder if that is a Thoroughbred thing--about six times and it absolutely took my breath away. The other horse we were with--another big Thorougbred--disappeared behind us into a speck with his rider calling for me to slow down.
PJ must have had a huge grin on his face as he has been a washout on the track. I'd galloped Russell out, but never Toby or Tucker. Not really the place to do it for either of them as you really need good footing and lots of room. Don't think we'd get all the gears shifted in your field, but it sure would be fun.
I do like Jazz's increasing enthusiasm and I agree about the operation. Unless you were going to try for your national team or something, why put a good horse through that. I suspect he will be fine for the levels you intend to compete and, if not, you have a good attitude about sticking to the jumping and dressage.
Besides, you have the Zipmeister too! And, if you did decide to compete both at once, unless you have a lot of support troops, eventing two in the same competition is a bit daunting.
Good for Zip with his feet. Now if I can just get Chance to stand for flyspray without a bowlful of treats in front of him, I too will have conquered the warmblood "I won't do it now" syndrome.
nothing quite like a gallop on a tb .... even my old fossil can still shift when the footing is good. the best bit is the slight *rock* as they change from a 3 beat canter to a 4 beat gallop .... and the gears are wonderful, especially the turbo-charged overdrive!
agree with your thoughts ref the op .... unecessary unless he is really struggling to cope.
I don't think there's anything quite like a thoroughbred for being able to feel those gear changes, is there? :-)
C
Post a Comment
<< Home