> I do not believe that a few minutes - 5 minutes loose, 5 minutes "see > the ice with a rider", 5 minutes competing (with another 5 minutes if > the horse is in a final) once a year or less will cause long term > damage in a fit horse.
But it CAN. Look at it logically. Study the anatomy, conformation, and biomechanics. What about preparation for moving on ice? People put "protective" boots on Icelandics when they are running down a straight track, lest the horse cut his leg off, and all the yelling and screaming about *protecting* the horse when the weight of "protective" boots is challenged. So... why would the same people take the chance of lameness issues by riding on ice? It just doesn't make sense. I just had a knee operation from doing aerobics on carpeting. We're told that there is a "chance" to hurt yourself by doing stuff like that on carpeting, but heck, will it happen to me, nah.... But it did. When you hear that "rip", you wonder why you took the chance. Judy http://iceryder.net http://clickryder.com
