Being a 'mature' learner who has recently started to get slightly more adventurous in her riding, I've been investigating different disciplines that I might enjoy. The one that I am intrigued by is endurance riding. However, I haven't met many people who have participated in this and would love to know more!
Have any of you participated? How did you get started? What does it involve? Are there any good websites or publications that you would recommend? Apart from a few patchy magazine articles, I haven't come across much info.
Get in touch with the EHPS Endurance Horse and Pony Society, or the BHS Long distance Group, both hold various rides, most endurance folk I know are members of both groups. BHS hold the Golden Horseshoe in Exmoor, the EHPS hold Summer Solstice amoung other long rides, Horse shoe is 100 mikles over 2 days, Summer solstice is 100 over one day. You have to qualify both yourself and your horse to be able to compete at this level though and you need real dedication and a good back up team with a car full of water, feed rugs and common sense!
With the BHS LDR you start at Bronze Buckle rides of 20 miles I think it is, might be 25, you need to complete this in a given time and speed, once you have done this you qualify to do the Silver stirrup, which I think is 30 miles, then a Silver Stirrup Final which is 50 miles, each time the ride gets longer and the time to finish gets shorter. Get this lot under your belt and you can do the Golden Horseshoe. This is from some time back, things may have changed but this is how things used to be some years back.
You have to have a back up crew to compete, When I used to compete there was no such thing as specialist endurance tack, stirrups or anything, What I would say is keep it simple, keep it light same with your clothing, remember you will need to dismount and run on occasion so normal riding boots are no use as you slide around in the wet ground, you need grippy footwear.
All the rules of feeding and watering go out the window, the horse needs water and energy, so you feed high energy feeds in small amounts at every opportunity...unless the horse is a real pig and eats too much. If you can get a horse to go bitless it makes life so much easier!
Any breed can compete, they don't need to be Arab, M&M do very well and are capable of Gold medal performances, it's not always speed that wins, the first over the finish in a race ride may well fail the vet and the chap that took it steady will whip the first prize out from under the nose of the speed merchant!
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If you cannot set a good example, at least serve as a terrible warning....
I've just noticed, you're in the West Mids. Get along to Helen Blair's place at North Worcs Equestrian Centre, she often holds rides, Qualifiers too, if you are a reasonably competent rider and she gets to know you she used, (and I say this was in the past,) to let folk hire her horses to compete on at various levels. The Clent ride is quite a tough one lots of hills, though no gates and little road work. Her horses will be competition fit and able to do well. She will tell you everything you need to know about endurance, tell her that maniac from Shetland put you on to her!! She'll know who you mean!
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If you cannot set a good example, at least serve as a terrible warning....
I help the Endurance riders in the mid-west with their annual ride at Strawberry Resovoiur in Utah. I asked on lady if she had any great ideas for someone who has a very deep interest for this type of Trail riding. She said that there is a book written by a vet and it basically maps out training and feeding and disciplines for differant levels of Trail riding and General awesome ideas and Tips. She said she read the book and i was so awesome and almost half of the people there recommended it highly.
"Going the Distance: The complete resource for Endurance Riders"
By Nancy S. Loving DVM
I found the book at amazon.com, its an awesome book, i can't say that enough.
Last edited by Molly Mcbutter; 14th May 2002 at 03:00 PM.
Any age! Kids have to be accompanied by an adult all they way. This wasn't the case when I did endurance as a kid, I used to do 25 miles on my own at 12 years of age, but things have changed a lot since then! There may well be a lower age limit in place now, phone the EHPS or BHS long distance group and ask them.
Pleasure rides are a good way to start, they are usually run alongside the competative rides and I don't think there is a restriction on age for them
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If you cannot set a good example, at least serve as a terrible warning....
You know i was just about to come on and post a simular thread myself!
I would love a crack at endurance riding! I get terribly nervous at shows where everyone is watching you! eek!
I am lucky the area where i keep my horse is very hilly so according to everyone i have spoken to will be great for getting a horse really fit!
I am looking to buy a horse at the mo who is an Anglo-arab and he sounds like exactly what i am looking for and can be "ridden and handled by anyone" but i am a little worried that being an Anglo-arab he might be a little bit 'sharp' for me? I am a good rider and quite confident in my ability but i dont want to over horse myself!
Anyway i'm off to check out that endurance website!
Hello Hevz...
This month in Your Horse Magazine there is a free book and all the training for you and your horse is outlined in this and previous issues. I could copy the relevant pages from old issues if you are interested? Its basically all about getting started and contacts and books etc....
Katy
Get in touch with your local group of EnduranceGB - the list of local groups is on the EnduranceGB website above (EHPS and BERA are no more - we are all EnduranceGB now).
Your local group will more than likely be running social rides and social events which will get you started in an informal way and get you to meet the other people in your area.
If you want to learn more, I can thoroughly recommend crewing - ie going with a rider to a ride to be their 'help on the ground'. If you offer your services to your local group someone will jump at the chance of help! And help at rides - you will get to see how other people manage their horses and you will learn from it.
I too am new to endurance riding. I was supposed to attend a 'social' ride today, but the lorry i was supposed to hire had an accident yesterday and i couldn't go. I'm hoping to try another around 3rd August, so I will et you know anything I find out!
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