The Olympics is not a means toward an end. And the journey is grueling. Lende-O'Connor regularly spent six hours a day in the saddle preparing for the Olympics and went to Atlanta five weeks early to acclimate the horses to the hot and humid Georgia air. Luckily, the weather was not as oppressive as it could have been, but Lende-O'Connor says more than six years went into deciding whether it was fair to ask horses to compete in the heat and if so, what steps would be taken to mitigate its effects. Lende-O'Connor dismisses the question with assurances that it really only lasts the few minutes of actual competition.
Horses thrive on relationships.
The horses are treated with the utmost care and respect. They want to do this and their personality has to come out. Lende-O'Connor is always cautious about predicting future Olympic competitions, after having a beloved horse injured during a competition and later euthanized because of the injury. She says the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia, are deinitely in her plans, but if her horses do not come through as predicted, than she won't be there. We have a great life.