On Mar 6, 2008, at 4:48 PM, Karen Thomas wrote:
CTR rules prevent you from walking or running with your horse? I didn't know that, and I'm not sure I think that's a good thing...for the horse or for the rider. Since I broke my back, I HAVE to get off and walk periodically, or my back "freezes up." And gosh, if my back does that, I can only imagine how my horse's back might feel, since he/she's the one carrying the load.
Yes, the rules prevent you from walking or running with your horse in forward motion. Of course you get off at the vet checks and at lunch or for a potty break, and some riders will dismount and do loops beside the trail, but not advancing along the trail.
In my experience (2000 miles in NATRC CTR competition) a horse whose back is well conditioned, supple (NOT ventroflexed), and stretched like any other muscle set, with a well fitting saddle, and a rider who carries themself on their thighs so their seat bones just graze the saddle seat (chair seat equitation is a big no-no) and positioned so they are balanced over the horse's center of gravity, will not get a sore back. (In CTR the vet judges judge on a number of parameters, back condition/soreness being one of them -- a sore backed horse will cost you a placing or even get you pulled from the ride to protect the horse.)
Lynn Kinsky, Santa Ynez, CA http://www.silcom.com/~lkinsky/
