Saddlebreds Continue to Excel in Distance Riding Competitions

USEF.org

Release: April 08 2011
Author: ASHA news

Lexington, KY - Two American Saddlebreds, All The Money (affectionately known as Cash) and Far Field Hustle Time, continue to beat out their Arabian competitors in 25-mile Limited Distance (LD) competitions.

Most recently, at the Bar H/True Grit ride in Perris, CA, Cash took first place, with Hustle Time taking second. The ride was 25 miles, and both horses came in approximately 10 minutes ahead of the third place finisher. Both horses have been competing in LD for the past year, and nearly always come in the top 10; both have come in first, and Cash has two “Best Condition” honors under his saddle.

How did they begin their careers? All The Money was the 1998 World’s Champion weanling who went on to be the Western States Horse Expo Breed Ambassador. Carlos and Lisa Siderman purchased him from Barbara Molland in 2005, to ride trails, and got him into the Parelli program, in which he is a Level 3.

Far Field Hustle Time was trained in saddleseat but never took to it. The Sidermans purchased him in 2004, also as a trail horse. Lisa Siderman was interested in competing, so after reading about Wing Tempo, the American Saddlebred that held the record for the most North American Trail Riding Conference (NATRC) Competitive Trail (CT) miles, she entered the “boys” in their first competition, the Bonelli Park Ride.

The two did well, both placing in the top 4. Cash placed first on their second ride (which was sponsored by the Arabian Horse Association!). A CT ride is either 25 or 35 miles long, and is a pace, not a race. Competitors may not finish the 25-mile ride before 5.5 hours, or later than 6 hours, without incurring a penalty. Lisa and Carlos found they were holding their horses back, so they entered them in their first American Endurance Ride Conference (AERC) 25-mile LD race. LD is an endurance race of less than 50 miles. The two placed 34 and 35 out of 101 riders, and Cash took Best Condition over all other competitors – with a perfect vet card.

They finished in a little over 4 hours. Carlos was holding Hustle Time back the whole time and decided that in the next race, to let him go. The result was a first place finish for Hustle Time, with Cash finishing just two spots behind, in third, and once again earning Best Condition. Both finished in under 3.5 hours.

Saddlebreds are well suited for distance riding, with their long strides, large hearts, thin skin and lean muscles. To condition for a 25-mile CT or LD, it is important that a horse is ridden several times a week at long, slow trots. Once they are in shape, it is important that they not be overtrained. Some hill work is also beneficial, but the main goal is to get their muscles stretched and lean, and their aerobic capacity up. Using a heart rate monitor is very useful for training.

Lisa Siderman is happy to answer any questions about how to get your Saddlebred into CT or LD riding (saddllp@gmail.com). And don't forget, the American Saddlebred Horse Association is offering two new programs to reward sport horses, the year-end High Points program and the Sporthorse awards program, in which both NATRC and AERC rides are included.