Fit enough for endurance training ride?

[Michelle1]

Hi

I have wanted to get into endurance riding for ages and I've just founf out that the local division of endurance GB are doing a fun training ride for christmas in a couple of weeks. It's a short ride of either 6 or 9 miles, which I easily cover every weekend when I hack out on my share pony. However, I read somewhere that there is a minimum speed of 8km/h for training rides - I'm not sure if that means she would have to at least trot most of the way (how fast do horses walk and trot?). I'm not sure if we would need to do some training first to be able to keep up or whether the average horse/pony can cope with that sort of speed naturally. Any advice

thanks

Michelle

[Black Beastie]

you can spread it out between the gaits!!!

i did one and I let kia canter along for as long as he wanted then brought him back to walk for a bit then let him trot again then walk then another canter. I never forced him to go I just let him bumble along at what ever speed he liked lol!!!

Nikki xxxx

[No_Angel]

What sort of ride is it?
If its only a training/fun ride then I don't think you have to do a set speed (well you don't with sport endurance, haven't done a ride with endurance gb).

[perkypinky]

you will be fine at those distances - the speed it slower than your normal hacking speed at that distance - just trot and canter where the ground is safe to - soft enough i mean - and enjoy - its really good fun - remember to slow to walk and ask permission to overtake if youneed to pass anyone along the way. Where abouts are you doing it?

[Brychen]

A human walks around 3 mp, a horse trots around 6 mph. My welsh cobs trot when fit was 18 +mph!

Personally I would just go along and enjoy it. no ones going to get het up if you are a bit slower or a bit faster than the average. thats the idea of these sort of rides- to give you experience without pressure.

[Michelle1]

thanks everyone.

No_Angel - it's just a training ride, but I read on the Endurance GB website that training rides have a minimum speed of 8km - it's faster for competetive rides but can't remember what speed exactly. Thinking of it, Carrie should be able to cope with 8km/h without much trouble - it's just that she's still being schooled on her canter (she's 9 but was a driving pony then had two foals, so late starter with riding ) However, she has a good strong trot (she's a Welsh Section D) and is quite fit at the moment, being schooled most days and hacked for several hours at the weekend (although we mainly pootle along in walk with short periods of trotting )

I think I will take all your advice and just try to go along and enjoy regardless of how long it takes us! I just need to check that my friend can make it and we can arrange transport. Perkypinky, it's being held at Woolsthorpe by Belvoir (between Grantham and Melton Mowbray) - thanks for the tip about overtaking - I'm not very aware of the etiquette!!

Brychen - sounds like you have a real speed machine!

[Wally]

at 8 mph there will be little walking.

[Berry]

I have done a few pleasure rides with SERC, with similar minimum speed. It all depends on the terrain - if it's a lot of fields etc. then the going will be a lot faster, so you can have some canters and make up some speed and do the rest of the course a little more leisurely. If it's roads or really boggy/stony ground there might be areas where you are forced to walk so you will have to keep up a decent trot the rest of the way round.

Basically, to keep to the minimum speed on the usual course which is likely to include some 'walk-only' sections due to poor ground, you really have to go at the fastest pace suitable for the ground - trotting wherever it's suitable and make the most of any canter stretches.

Even the first one we did, our horses made it in the time,there is a lot of trotting but there is still opportunity to have periods of walk to let the horses have a rest, if you keep up a brisk pace you should have plenty of time to spare!

A good idea is to work out the min/max times for any markers on the course, so when you are going round you have an idea if you're going at the right speed - it's really helpful to do that and to study the course/ possible terrain in advance, to see if there are any hills or road sections which could affect your speed.

[coss]

8km/h

if you're sure its km/h and not mph then it'll be mostly walk and trot. most horses walk 4-6mph... 8km/h is about 5mph...

[Michelle1]

Yes, it's definitely 8 km/h and not mph.

I'm not sure about the terrain, but I am trying to get hold of the ride organiser to get more information. It's a fun ride for christmas though with 'festive wear' for horses and riders encouraged, so sounds like it will be fairly relaxed and a lot of fun.

[Wally]

Well in that case I could do it at 8kph

[Berry]

I would say go for it then if it's their christmas ride... that's probably the easiest and most fun ride to start off with - as long as you are prepared for bad weather

I would definitely find out more info about the terrain from the ride organiser to give you a better idea of what the ride is like. Ideally you want fields or tracks (which if it is a fun ride it probably is), some rides can have a lot of roadwork which I don't like or even worse a selection of gates to open!!

[pedilia]

We did a EBG ride a couple of weeks ago, it was 15.5 miles and we trotted/cantered a lot of it and did it in 2 hours.
It was on good ground though, lots of sandy/grassy tracks and no roadwork, it was great fun although I was quite sore the next day!

[Brychen]

if its grantham you should have a fab easy ride, the going is scenic but quite flat. The local hunt (im actually an anti!) is the belvoir and they are known as having very good fast riding country,hope that helps!

[rtk]

I'm certainly no expert but I did try one years ago, a 25 mile training ride, I cant remember if there was a minimum speed or not.

The problem I had was that they set us off in groups so we had to go at the speed the other 2 in my group went at. I dont think it was very fast but it certainly felt it. We only walked on bad ground the rest of the way we trotted, cantered or galloped. Other groups kept passing us and to be honest there was no way I could pick my own speed. We ended up doing the whole thing much faster than I'd expected.

My horse was fine with it and even passed a vetting in better condition that the other two in my group, the condition of the rider at the end was another matter

I was great fun but I've never repeated it.

[Michelle1]

Sounds like you have all had a lot of fun with training rides!

Thanks Brychen - you sound like you have some local knowledge!


still haven't managed to get hold of the organiser but will keep you posted if we do manage to take part.

thanks again everyone

[Michelle1]

After a week of leaving messages for the ride organiser, she finally got back to us yesterday to say that the closing date for entries was yesterday!

oh well, I'll just need to keep an eye out for the next pleasure ride in my area.

thanks for all your advice