Arab horses and endurance riding

[Bodshi]

He does look lovely doesn't he, really covering the ground by the looks of it. You're in the same county too - if we were having a race you'd beat me!

 

[Henrietta1]

As a child I always wanted an Arabian horse - thing is I've never actually ridden one but I think it was a book (or two) I read about them that set me off. I've also always (even during my 30 year break from riding) wanted a horse that I could 'be' with, just doing things together.

I think the thing that has surprised me most since returning to riding last year is that the 'done thing' seems to be to do a bit of schooling or jumping in the arena or go out on a hack round the fields, which to me is a bit like walking the dog, only on top of a horse! After an hour or two that's it.

My own dream of having a horse was and still is to spend hours or even whole days exploring the countryside, popping logs and galloping along grassy canal banks. With that in mind, I wondered whether endurance riding would be a good hobby? I've had a look on some websites and see there seem to be pleasure rides going on as well as the competitive stuff which I think would be a bit beyond me at my current level of fitness and inexperience, as it does look pretty tough.

I've also discovered that Arabs seem to be a very popular choice for this type of riding. However I've seen adverts for Arabs that say 'typical Arab so not novice ride'. What does that mean??! I don't mind horses that are lively/forward going or jumpy, but wouldn't be keen on a bucker or napper, nor would I want anything bad tempered on the ground.

I'm not ready to get a horse yet as am taking things slowly to make sure I know what I really want and am ready and capable, which might never happen! I returned to riding last year, am loaning this year, see how that goes first - but I am thinking about what direction I want to go in.

Anyone have any experience of Arabs or Endurance? Would love to hear any thoughts.

<<galloping along grassy canal banks. >> It's illegal to ride a horse on the canal bank. Yes, I know it sounds stupid when horses can pull a narrow boats along the tow-path but it's true.

<<Not novice ride>> can mean anything from "I don't want a beginner riding my pride and joy" right through to "My horse is a serious psycho and will kill someone before the year's out"

 

[Henrietta1]

Ah, well, you apparently did not get the memo - Arab-eating gremlins frequently cloak themselves in potato chip bags, erm, I mean, crisp packets.

My first RI's Arab displayed admirable sang froid about farm machinery. Even those big scary things that dump grain by the ton into a hopper with a big whooosh-thump noise. He was the one who clued me in about pigeons' appetite for Arab meat, however.

I might get me an Arab one day - I really like the beasts. They're curious as kittens, affectionate as puppies, and you can't wear 'em out. Sounds like a good hunt horse to me. Just have to bombproof him to hounds. (disclaimer: in the US we do not kill the fox. or coyote. really)

I've seen Arabs who were calmer than Quarter Horses. Of course, our QH's over here are about half TB nowadays, so I'm not sure that's saying much!

Where do you live, Louki? I know Wally's always said the same about her climate being too harsh for an Arab. (Not a problem in South Carolina. We're a good bit more humid than an Arab's native land, but the heat's about the same!)

Wally's in the far north. There's an arab just moved onto our yard which has lived out un-rugged for a couple of years - looked like a llama when it arrived here! We're on the edge of the Peak District National Park, between Sheffield and Manchester

 

[old_woman]

<<galloping along grassy canal banks. >> It's illegal to ride a horse on the canal bank. Yes, I know it sounds stupid when horses can pull a narrow boats along the tow-path but it's true.

With the proviso that a few - a VERY few - canal towpaths are statutory bridleways or byways, and of course you have every right to ride along these. In any case, very few indeed are grassy - they are mostly stony or flagged. Even if they were grassy, galloping along them would be a very unwise thing to do, given the amount of 'traffic' both moving and stationary, which uses them!

As a child, long before the regeneration of the waterways, I used to ride for miles and miles along the Macclesfield and Peak Forest canals. The locks and the canals were largely derelict - how I wished I had appreciated the industrial heritage I was seeing!

Perhaps, though, the OP was thinking about the drainage channels in the Fens, many of which are bounded by wide, grassy tracks which have bridle- or by-way status for miles and miles ... lovely!

 

[Bodshi]

The canal bank I have in mind is usually deserted when I'm there with the dog but does have hoof marks on it so someone rides there! The local hunt uses it too once or twice a year. It is a wide grass border between the canal and a field and part of the trans-pennine trail, but I don't think marked on the map as a bridlepath. Is it legal to ride along farmer's tracks that are a public right of way?

 

[Henrietta1]

With the proviso that a few - a VERY few - canal towpaths are statutory bridleways or byways, and of course you have every right to ride along these. In any case, very few indeed are grassy - they are mostly stony or flagged. Even if they were grassy, galloping along them would be a very unwise thing to do, given the amount of 'traffic' both moving and stationary, which uses them!

As a child, long before the regeneration of the waterways, I used to ride for miles and miles along the Macclesfield and Peak Forest canals. The locks and the canals were largely derelict - how I wished I had appreciated the industrial heritage I was seeing!

Perhaps, though, the OP was thinking about the drainage channels in the Fens, many of which are bounded by wide, grassy tracks which have bridle- or by-way status for miles and miles ... lovely!

<<I used to ride for miles and miles along the Macclesfield and Peak Forest canals>> Hmm, that's interesting, Old Woman. I grew up in in the '50s and
'60s in Marple at the junction of the two canals.

 

[Henrietta1]

The canal bank I have in mind is usually deserted when I'm there with the dog but does have hoof marks on it so someone rides there! The local hunt uses it too once or twice a year. It is a wide grass border between the canal and a field and part of the trans-pennine trail, but I don't think marked on the map as a bridlepath. Is it legal to ride along farmer's tracks that are a public right of way?

<<Is it legal to ride along farmer's tracks that are a public right of way?>>

It depends, I think, on whether they are public footpaths (horses barred) or bridleways (horses, walkers and cyclists permitted but cyclists must give way to horses). If they are private land then any riding has to be permissive.

Your local authority should have the definitive maps as they are responsible for keeping f'paths & b'paths open.

 

[old_woman]

The canal bank I have in mind is usually deserted when I'm there with the dog but does have hoof marks on it so someone rides there! The local hunt uses it too once or twice a year. It is a wide grass border between the canal and a field and part of the trans-pennine trail, but I don't think marked on the map as a bridlepath. Is it legal to ride along farmer's tracks that are a public right of way?

Parts of the trans-pennine trail use statutory bridleways, and parts are permissive bridleways. Other parts are inaccessible to horses. We NEVER have full access anywhere, despite cyclists and walkers having full access to bridleways ...

Which part of the TPT is it? I have the up-to-date books, maps and supplements.

As far as farm tracks go, as Henrietta says, it depends if they are a public right of way, and if so, of what status.

However, not all bridleways are actually accessible to those who wear bridles, be they ever so tiny ...

(photos courtesy of Geograph, creative commons licence)

 

[Bodshi]

Which part of the TPT is it? I have the up-to-date books, maps and supplements.

It's just South-East of the village of Pollington, which is a village West of Goole (East Yorkshire) and South of Selby (North Yorkshire). The canal bank is to the West of Southfield Reservoir. I think it will be on the East Yorkshire-North Sea TPT map. I have an OS Explorer map, which puts it in the square which is 18 down the side and 63 along the top, if that's any help. (I'm sure when I was taught to read maps as a child they had letters as well as numbers!)

Thanks for the tip about the TPT maps, I'd hadn't realised they were available. Thanks too Henrietta1 for letting me know about LAs being responsible. There are a few footpath issues I've often wondered about too, so I'll give them a try.

BTW, those pictures are pretty impressive, especially the first one. Hope something got done about them!

 

[old_woman]

Are you referring to the track that runs on the north side of the Aire & Calder Navigation, eastwards from the carpark near Crow Croft Bridge?

That appears to be nothing more than a statutory footpath, and it even on the newest online version of the OS maps, it is marked as of footpath status only. This is scarcely surprising given that British Waterways does NOT welcome horses on the towpath other than in their role of pulling a boat - and even that is difficult nowadays with the lack of roving bridges, underpasses of unsuitable size, the replacement of slopes with steps and plain gates with kissing gates and other barriers.

The TPT where it rubs south from Crow Croft Bridge, though, apears to be bridleway to Topham Ferry Bridge then footpath for a few metres to Topham itself - thus potentially a useless dead end instead of an off-road link to the network of minor roads.

Here's another magnificent blockage - completely ploughed out, no sign of the bridleway's route. this is Sprotborough, South Yorkshire

 

[old_woman]

<<I used to ride for miles and miles along the Macclesfield and Peak Forest canals>> Hmm, that's interesting, Old Woman. I grew up in in the '50s and
'60s in Marple at the junction of the two canals.

I grew up in the 40s and 50s near Whaley Bridge. We used to ride to Disley on the Peak Forest then cut through Lyme Park to High Lane or Higher Poynton and get onto the Macclesfield Canal, ride to Pott Shrigley, Bollington or Macclesfield and then through Macclesfield Forest and Jenkin Chapel to the Bowstones, Goyt Valley or Windgather Rocks, and home ... are you familiar with that area?

 

[Henrietta1]

I grew up in the 40s and 50s near Whaley Bridge. We used to ride to Disley on the Peak Forest then cut through Lyme Park to High Lane or Higher Poynton and get onto the Macclesfield Canal, ride to Pott Shrigley, Bollington or Macclesfield and then through Macclesfield Forest and Jenkin Chapel to the Bowstones, Goyt Valley or Windgather Rocks, and home ... are you familiar with that area?

Oh, yes. Know it well from my youth. Moved away when I went to college in
'68

 

[Bodshi]

Are you referring to the track that runs on the north side of the Aire & Calder Navigation, eastwards from the carpark near Crow Croft Bridge?

Yes, that's the one - thanks for taking the time to look it up. I'm disappointed that it isn't a bridlepath (you're right it would be difficult to tow along it because there are bushes and little trees all along the canal side).

I must admit to being surprised how few bridlepaths there are. Not really surprised at your last photograph though, there's lots of footpaths round here where you come across that sight! In fact near Topham we once followed a footpath that came out at a field like that one only ploughed into enormous peaks and troughs and obviously mixed with what smelled horribly like human manure. It was completely impassable as a footpath, if it had been a bridleway would have been a no-no too.

Thanks again for going to so much trouble - I've ordered the TPT map of our area (I hope) now.