Long distance riding/Pleasure rides

[chickflick1066]

Hello. Just a quick question. Is it only arab/types which are suitable for long distance riding, or what I am more interested in is pleasure riding/trail riding?

Are they two completly different things? I would love to do pleasure rides on my mare, probs 10+ mile trekks etc but I just needed some guidance on where to start and how I should fitten her up for next spring/summer.

Cheers - Hope that made sense:)

Edited to say: My mare is a 14.2hh dales x type cob thingy. She is still pretty unfit and overweight...is she the completly wrong pony if I want to do pleasure rides?

Heres a pic of the fattie!

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y24/chickflick1066/Stumpysideview1.jpg

[aliw]

I've been on lots of different charity/fun rides and I've seen lots of different horses and ponies, once a shetland!
Any horse/pony can do them as long as they are fit enough.
To get her fit make sure you do lots of hill work with her. :)

[nutkin]

I reguarly do pleasure rides with my horse. He is an ISH but you see all types of horse and pony there and there are probably more like yours than there are arabs. To get mine fit for doing 10 mile + rides I start off with lots and lots of walking. However if your horse is ridden 4 or 5 times a week for an hour a time and doesn't sweat up then he probably is fit enough provided as you take it steadily and don't plan on galloping the whole way round. There is a difference between endurance riding and pleasure rides as with endurance you usually have to complete a set distance at a set pace and within a set time and pass the vet as fit on start and finish of the ride. With pleasure rides there are usually optional jumps and sometimes letrec obstacles and you can complete them as slow or fast as you wish to and there is no vet stage to pass. Rules do vary between events but they are usually printed clearly on the schedules. Try looking at www.ridingdiary.co.uk for a list of events near you.

[Mossy]

It all depends on how far you go and how fast you want to go. We do tend to underestimate the fitness of our horses. Any normally fit horse can cope with 10 miles walk and trot with the occasional canter. If you think they are getting tired get off and walk for a while. If you want to hammer round at hunting speed then you need neddy hard fit. I took Con for her first pleasure ride the other w/e deliberately very unfit. I knew we were going v. slowly and I know how excitable she is in company. Yes she was tired but not excessively so, she settled, and we got round safely. As she gets used to it she will get fitter, but so will her head. A dales x Cob will soak it up and love it.

[Yann]

I'm sure given a bit of fittening up she'd have no problem doing pleasure rides at all, Rio is the same sort and although we've never been on a pleasure ride (no transport) she's well capable of doing 4 hour plus hacks with lots of trotting and cantering:)

[kedwards]

I believe you are thinking of two different things. Arabs do predominate in endurance races, but these are VERY long and done at a good clip. A 10 mile pleasure ride is achievable by just about any horse who is in regular work. Of course, you'll want to pace yourself according the horse's fitness.

[eventerbabe]

ANY horse can do pleasure rides :) my local endurance club runs 9 mile pleasure rides for members and non members. you need a reasonable level of fitness but its completely achievable for you and stumpy. arabs do tend to dominate the higher levels of endurance, but i know a lady who represents scotland and her horse is an ex-pacer. others i know do 50+ mile rides on highlands and welsh cobs, so any horse can have a go at it.

EDIT: you could look at the endurance GB website (http://www.endurancegb.co.uk/) see if they have a local club near you. i know there are several different governing bodies. i think up here we have endurance GB and the SERC, its so confusing!!