Training vs. Conditioning

Michelle's and my discussion on an earlier post got me to thinking of the difference between training and conditioning. You can have a conditioned horse without having a trained horse, and you can have a trained horse that isn't conditioned. I saw a few very nicely trained horses at the Chicken Chase that were struggling to pulse down in thirty minutes (not conditioned). I saw horses that were pulsing down fine with maybe some trail issues (not trained). I also witnessed horses that were facing both issues (not fully conditioned, and not fully trained). For that particular ride Phebes shortfall was 80% training deficit and 20% conditioning deficit. That is not to say that other people were doing it wrong, but rather just a statement of do we have a training deficit, or a conditioning deficit, or both? Conditioning has to do with the body, and training has to do with the mind in concert with the body to some degree. Many think that Limited Distance is not Endurance, that LD's are a "training ground" for Endurance in the future. I feel that whatever you are riding LD's for, that they and every ride are a training ground first, and a conditioning and competition course second. (My Grannyism for the day) ~E.G.