If any of this is directed to me, I'd like to inform you that we ranched
with a man who owned and controlled 72,000 acres. We rode horses lots and lots of miles. The family who owned the place rode a horse and led a colt, so they would not ride the colt too hard. It was 84 miles by car round trip to the back of that place and home again, and there were places where you could not drive, so we rode, and we rode every day--summer and winter. Got up at 3 am in the morning during the summer to beat the heat. We had a string of horses and none got rode 2 days in a row, yet they were all lean and fit.
During the winter, the horses were sharp-shod with borium. One winter
it was so icy, the borium wore off the horses shoes.
We were on the Powder River in Wyoming. Cowboy country and really rough. So, I know about usiing horses, but we never used any horses up.
Sometimes we switched horses at noon. Just because a horse can go all day, doesn't mean he should have to. The folks that owned this place was some of the finest horsemen I have ever known. We learned a lot from them and one thing that came shining through--the horses CAME FIRST.
One of the guys made this remark one day, and I never forgot it.
He said, "the best horse I ever had was a little gray mare that weighed
about 900 lbs. I rode her like she was a big horse and she was done at 7. I swore I would never do that again."
My comment about the man and the horse pictured was not directed at this particualar person.
I've seen others that had no business riding across country. They took care of themselves, and NOT their horses. Believe me, I know the difference. I've seen the horses leg-weary and with sore backs and I
didn't like it.
Ok, off my rant now. :shock: