Endurance-Please tell me some more!

[Gracie21]

As title really
I have been offered an arab on loan by a close family friend. Apparently he has done some endurance and really took to it.

I have never really thought about it before, but it is something I would like to try and get in to if I take him on. I have lost confidence jumping after my fall last year so this does look like a alternative to jumping for me.

Please can someone give me the ins and outs, ups and downs? How often do you train (and off the horse too)? Do you require variable terrain with lots of hill work etc?

I suppose I am wondering whether it is feasible to fit it in around a FT job?

I have had a quick look on the GB website, but would like to know some more about training etc rather than competing at this stage. The website makes it all sound very inviting and friendly, being able to shadow a more experienced rider is a great idea!

What strains does it put on your own body? I'm thinking mostly ankles as I have a very weak one!

Anything that you know, please share Thank you!

 

[lachlanandmarcus]

It sounds like the ideal plan for you both! You can start with a pleasure ride of about 17-20km, where you aim to be within min and max time and heart rate at start and finish under a certain level. Or even a taster ride which is only about 10km.

For a pleasure ride, if you are hacking out for 1-2 hours about 3-4 times a week and can do a 2 hour hack mainly in trot (or average of trot if you prefer to walk/canter) then you will be well up there inside the time. NB the most important thing is horsie's wellbeing, it doesnt matter if you go over the time, you just are out of time and dont win a rosette but its still fun! Also working towards a ride gives your hacking a lot more purpose and makes it more interesting - rather than thinking, oh Ill go this way because the other way has got lots of steep banks or other hazards, you actually embrace the challenge!

For a taster ride you would just need to be doing regular hacking at all 3 paces.

The terrain of your training really just needs to match the ride you are doing. If the ride is really flat, its fine to train all on the flat but if the ride is quite hilly then you would want to be doing quite a bit of hill work beforehand. The local ER groups usually describe the terrain of each ride on the ride diary part of their website, so you can work out which one suits you best to start with. I also find that the earliest rides in the season (about now) are often the most straightforward as quite a few people want to use them as easier training rides to help their horses fitten up for more challenging ones later in the season.

One important thing to think about is practising doing gates and also mounting from the ground/nearest bank. The reason for this is that a lot of rides are in places that normally horses arent allowed so there may be some gates to be opened and closed and they might require dismounting to do that. The ERs are only held by permission of the landowners so that sort of stuff is very important.

Quite a few endurance riders use flexi stirrups to ease the ankles, that might be worth looking at.
You could absolutely do a series of pleasure rides or even competitive rides with a FT job and a lot of people do.

See if your local group has a facebook group too, thats the best place to chat to other riders in your area and also to find a 'buddy' for your first ride or two. The ride organiser will always find someone if they can. Everyone is very friendly, it isnt about how glam your horse is, and 'to complete is to win'. Our branch has everything from Exmoors to Friesians to Highlands, TBs, Arabs, cobs, Haflingers, welshies and everything in between!

 

[Gracie21]

this does look like an alternative to jumping for me.

Just noticed by bad grammar, sorry!

Thank you lachlanandmarcus, great info!

Also working towards a ride gives your hacking a lot more purpose and makes it more interesting - rather than thinking, oh Ill go this way because the other way has got lots of steep banks or other hazards, you actually embrace the challenge!

THIS^^ I'm not a great fan of hacking unless we are really marching on so it does appeal to me!

I have just found and joined the local endurance FB group, so hopefully someone on there can point me in the right direction! The fact that everyone can be involved is a real bonus, it is lovely to see all types of horses getting stuck in! I have heard of flexi-stirrups, I may have to invest in a pair!

When does the season run from/to? I guess it has started already which is a shame, but I have noticed there is a few rides close(ish) to us over the summer, so we could aim for one or two then

 

[EstherYoung]

You'll have a ball. The vast majority of us work at least one full time job, so you're not alone. I generally try and get in two longer slower rides a week and two shorter faster rides. How long the long slow rides are and how fast the shorter faster rides are depends on what level I'm aiming for. For shorter pleasure rides my 'slow' days are an hour or two's hacking, and my 'fast' days are lunging, loose schooling, or schooling. When I had H doing 80kms, my 'slow' days would be 30km ridden at 'scouts pace' (walk a bit, trot a bit), and my 'fast' days would be gallop work or interval training.

The rides themselves keep them fit too. Once you get into the ride season, they keep themselves ticking over with just a bit of work in between; the hard work is actually Jan to March trying to get them fit during the dark nights.

Rides have started, and they run through to October. However there are loads of us who are nowhere near competition fitness yet (see aforementioned comment about Jan to March and dark nights).

 

[fjordhorsefan]

This will be my first season of endurance - I am aiming just to do the non-competitive ones, as me and horse just like to be out and about in the countryside. I aim to do a 20 mile ride by the end of the season. We are hacking out three times a week at all three paces, and doing at least one schooling session a week. I love spring!

 

[paulineh]

EDickens

As you are from the Bournemouth area you will be in the Mid South Endurance group. We run training rides throughout the Summer. Our next one is to be held at Tilford in Surrey.

WE are a friendly bunch are will always help.

What is the name of your horse and I will look him/her up for you to see what they have done rides etc.

To do the first level of Endurance you just need to hack out ,as most horses are capable to do 16k-32k (10 miles -20 miles)Most of us work full time.

You do not need to have any special equipment etc just what is comfortable for you and the horse.

 

[Gracie21]

Thank you everyone, lots of very useful info (think I might have to print this off, otherwise I will forget )

paulineh, I will PM you his name once I can find what it is, I'm sure she wouldn't have ridden him under his stable name!

I am very excited! Seems like a fantastic thing to do and can't believe I haven't got into this earlier! (Been far too busy getting my PC badges clearly )

 

[little_legs]

Im in my local riding club endurance team, we have to do 32k rides, and its brilliant fun ! As far as EGB rides its classed as non competative, and is scored differently from EGB.

My pony 14.1 is in a team with 3 horses all 16.2, but he gives them a run for there money and like to take the lead if given half the chance, but we have to try and keep him near the back as he sets the pace tooooooooooo fast !

We did our first ride this season on Sunday, my boy is not as fit as he can be as last year our first ride was not until June so we had longer to get them ready, but Im really please with how he went and his heart rate was not bad considering.

Next one is April

We aim to hack 3 times a week with one good 2 hour hack and 2 shorter hour long hack. and he gets schooled, and jumped the other 2 days.


Its a lovely sport


Jane

 

[Gracie21]

Hi little_legs! I am now so annoyed I put my NF pony out on loan, I think he would be excellent at endurance, he is like the duracell bunny, physically can't walk anywhere, ever!

It sounds like a great sport! Unfortunately the lady has just sold the horse I was taking on loan I am so geared up for this that we are now actively looking for loans that may be good for endurance (as well as abit of everything else!)