Since posting the bit about Yuma yesterday, you may wonder why I need one horse for trail riding and one horse for endurance. What difference does it make? Well, a GREAT deal.
Typically, most endurance competition riders choose to ride Arabians. The reason is simple; they are built to go long distances with the ability to maintain and/or recover to normal, their body's heart rate, respiratory effort, and temperature with peak efficiency. Can other breeds of horses do the same? Yes, but you cannot compare a Butch (quarter horse) to an Arabian. Butch may take 3 to 4x, or longer, to recover to normal his vital sign parameters than an Arab. Also, a horse with more muscle mass, naturally takes longer to recover these parameters. Yuma is a petite, well-muscled, but not heavy with muscle, sleek girl. Butch is the heavier, muscle ladened quarter horse (as he should be for his breed).
Now, Yuma is no Arab. I am not sure what she is. Popular opinion is that she is a Saddlebred/Missouri Fox Trotter mix. Most important, however, is that she has a very competitive spirit, loves the trail, wants to be out front, and has an amazing ground covering walk and trot that, luckily for me, is smoothe as silk. The first three traits are not something that's bred in a horse. They either have it, or they don't. Yuma does. Butch doesn't.
For the most part, my trail rides with Butch are no more than 7 - 10 miles, variable terrain. Endurance rides start at 25 miles and go upwards to 100 miles, also variable terrain. Enough said. Class over. Any questions?
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