Go the Distance The Complete Resource for Endurance Horses Dr. Nancy Loving

Product Description

This information-packed international bestseller should be on every endurance and competitive trail rider’s shelf.

To spend hour after hour on the back of a horse is a dream come true for many riders. To ride for miles—25, 50, or even 100—on a fit horse, is an extremely satisfying experience, whether done in competition or just for pleasure. This thrill does not come easily, however; it requires immense dedication from the rider and a lot of hard work from the horse.

No other equestrian sports demand such a continuous training effort as do endurance and competitive distance riding. To reach the highest level of the sports—competing in a 100-mile ride—requires years of careful conditioning. Even a 25-mile ride demands close attention to every nuance of a horse’s being—during the many miles of work beforehand and during the competition itself. It is the horse’s welfare that must come above all else. Topics covered include

• Athletic Foot Care

• Intelligent Nutrition

• Conditioning Principles and Training Philosophy

• Methods of Evaluating Fitness

• Conditioning for Specific Terrain and Climate Factors

• Cooling Strategies During Training and Competition

• Evaluation of Metabolic Health and Soundness

If you are an experienced long distance rider, Go the Distance is essential reading to improve your training and competitive skills. If you are thinking of trying endurance or competitive distance riding, this book will clearly and safely guide you and your horse along the miles.

About the author:
Dr. Nancy Loving’s intense interest in horses began at an early age and continues to figure prominently in both her professional and personal life. She has ridden dressage and evented, and she discovered the unique challenges of distance riding in 1983. After graduating from Colorado State University Veterinary School in 1985, Dr. Loving practiced equine medicine and surgery at her own Loving Equine Clinic in Boulder, Colorado. She has been involved in the endurance world as an FEI-sanctioned veterinarian and as team vet for the USEF national endurance squad, bringing to these pursuits her knowledge gleaned from many miles and years spent in the saddle training and competing her own endurance horses.