Endurance/Pleasure Ride Update

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GingerTrotter

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For those of you who read my post:

http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=520827

IT WAS AWESOME!
my wee horsey loved it! beautiful weather 17km of pretty much non-stop massive trotting - we were in our element :D

My legs are sore today i must say :)

I think I may have the bug and have already planned the next 2 rides and am currently working out a fitness plan for wee horsey and, considering the sore legs, me!

The people I met were sooo nice and my 2 riding partners were lovely and very supportive when wee horsey had a little panic at a rider who passed us too fast and too close, wee horsey put in a blinder of a rear and then got a bit stressed but my newly found endurance friends kindly slowed up and walked for a few minutes until wee horsey had recovered and we could bash on again.

I loved the speed and the excitement of finding out way through the forest and reading the markers. It was such a buzz and I did feel I had a strong bond with my horse at the end of it - he worked so hard and enjoyed himself so much, and for once I wasnt constantly pulling him up for others to catch up like at home as everyone went as fast as him for once, therefore he had more fun and I was with him every step of the way, nearly not during the big rear! i nearly ended up in the mud. haha
I was a little emotional driving home as wee horsey and I have come through some tough times together and I really think we have found our "thing" now - something we can gel with and that suits us.
Endless RC show jumping and clinics was grinding me down to be honest, I felt i should be constantly striving for dressage/SJ perfection when it doesnt suit him - now we have discovered endurance/pleasure rides i think i will concentrate on that as he loved it and so did I, the odd show jumping and XC inbetween.
More variety in our training to keep our relationship as strong as it used to be :D

He came running up to the gate looking very expectant this morning just in case we were going on adventures again! he misses his now fast hacking friends already!!
 
It was so lovely to bomb round with you and the wee horsey! His trot really is massive; just the right sort of thing!

I thought it was so funny, the way he and the Spooky Pony greeted each other like long-lost cousins on first sight. Horses are so odd! :D

...however, sometimes, the weather can be bl**dy awful! :D
 
Sounds awesome I'm totally jealous! (though I think I would be cantering most of the way, trotting is too much like hard work :o ). I was looking at ride dates down here yesterday and they all seem to be Kent-Sussex area or Norfok :mad:

Glad you had fun - do post reports from the next ones you're planning... How about carrying a camera to share some photos of the scenery too? :D (and I'm not suggesting you stop to take them :eek:)
 
There's the newmarket ride and a couple that go from willingham way down here, ask malibu_stacy or princess p, they both know more about them :)
 
vallin said:
There's the newmarket ride and a couple that go from willingham way down here, ask malibu_stacy or princess p, they both know more about them :)
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Not a good sign when I have to google Willingham and then zoom out half a dozen times before I work out where it is :o lol I'm Essex so even those are a bit of a drive, but I was definitely trying to bully dafthoss into doing the Newmarket ride with me this year :D Thanks :)
 
So glad you enjoyed it.

We did our first one of the year yesterday too. We did a 22km one but got a bit lost so did a couple of km extra!

They are the most fabulous fun. We did have a hail storm yesterday but it wasn't too long and we soon dried off.

We did loads of cantering and had a brilliant long gallop. We just do them for fun and don't worry about keeping at the right pace all the time. If there are places for canter, we canter as much as we can.:D
 
wow, sounds like you had a brilliant time - getting me interested now - but similarly to you I have no one to go with (and no flippin sense of direction) haha !
 
meesha said:
wow, sounds like you had a brilliant time - getting me interested now - but similarly to you I have no one to go with (and no flippin sense of direction) haha !
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I was worried about that but they mark the routes really well so even if your map reading or typed instructions reading is a bit naff you can keep an eye out for the markers and that gives you the confidence your going the right way :)
 
Really pleased you enjoyed yourself! It's so easy to get the endurance bug isn't it? I bet that before long, you'll be thinking 17km is far too short and you'll be wanting to do some 32km rides (and maybe one day even more!). And as you (and horsey) get fitter, it won't hurt so much on your legs the day after, I promise. Chocolate milkshakes are good, by the way, for tired, aching muscles. You can get proper sports milkshakes, which are best - but in the absence of a "proper" one - any one will help - and what a great excuse for indulging!
 
Faro said:
Really pleased you enjoyed yourself! It's so easy to get the endurance bug isn't it? I bet that before long, you'll be thinking 17km is far too short and you'll be wanting to do some 32km rides (and maybe one day even more!). And as you (and horsey) get fitter, it won't hurt so much on your legs the day after, I promise. Chocolate milkshakes are good, by the way, for tired, aching muscles. You can get proper sports milkshakes, which are best - but in the absence of a "proper" one - any one will help - and what a great excuse for indulging!
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I'm already planning a 30km in May!! yee haa!
Super excuse to drink Choccy Milkshakes :D good tip! i've been stretching the muscles in my calves under my desk at work. haha
Planning a training schedule as well - obviously being very productive at work! as i work long hours it hard to fit riding as much as i would like in. But i am planning lunging after work on a Tues and a fast hack on a Thurs as long as day light permits (hurrah for the clocks changing) and then weekends as per usual. He and I will be fit in no time :D
 
JFTD said:
Not a good sign when I have to google Willingham and then zoom out half a dozen times before I work out where it is :o lol I'm Essex so even those are a bit of a drive, but I was definitely trying to bully dafthoss into doing the Newmarket ride with me this year :D Thanks :)
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Ah, now worries, my bad, thought you were a bit closer to Cambs :)
 
Willingham is about 10 mins from me JFTD if you want to do one from there I would be able to join you :) and provide a mother with food :D.
 
dafthoss said:
Willingham is about 10 mins from me JFTD if you want to do one from there I would be able to join you :) and provide a mother with food :D.
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I shall look it up and if the dates work for both of us, that would be great if you fancy it! :D Your parents are such legends - food and whisky and your car is always stocked with chocolate courtesy of your mum! :D
 
Excellent :)

I get really emotional too. I still well up thinking about my rides with H - me and him against the world. And the thought of maybe getting to one with Wolf next year, I'll cry buckets if everything works out.

The support you get out there is incredible too. If you ever get to stay till the bitter end at a big ride and watch the 100 milers come in and pass the vet, I challenge you not to have 'something in your eye'. Horses are just amazing.
 
Do you belong to Essex Bridleways Association or Anglian Distance Riders? both organisations run rides in your area.

I'd recommend you ride with both a green and a red ribbon in your horses tail while you are getting used to doing the rides. This should stop anyone passing you in an inconsiderate manner (green for novice, red for I kick - even if your horse doesn't it makes people give you more room......!)

Glad you are having such fun! Got my first ride of 2012 on Sunday - can't wait!
 
Jealous alert here!

Really want to do this myself this year with my sister, though our two ponies collective age is 40! I was going to suggest EBA as well Juliette, I've got my eye on a few of their rides for this year. Need to get mum / sis to hurry up and get an old Discovery so we can hire a trailer and get out there :D
 
gemrob09 said:
I'm already planning a 30km in May!! yee haa!
Super excuse to drink Choccy Milkshakes :D good tip! i've been stretching the muscles in my calves under my desk at work. haha
Planning a training schedule as well - obviously being very productive at work! as i work long hours it hard to fit riding as much as i would like in. But i am planning lunging after work on a Tues and a fast hack on a Thurs as long as day light permits (hurrah for the clocks changing) and then weekends as per usual. He and I will be fit in no time :D
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Im really pleased it went well and you enjoyed it so much (him as much as you!). Excellent work. I think it also helps make your hacking more enjoyable between rides as you have a purpose in getting them fit for the endurance ride so you dont just slop around all the time, you have a more interesting time.
 
So now you've found out our secret!

We do it becuase it is an amazing experience, with incredible respect for your horse. It's when you feel tired, & they pick you up ('come on mum, we can get there'), you really know they are on your side. Or if they've had a tough day, you do everything possible to ease their burden & help them around. You'd be amazed how many 'castoffs' from other horse sports have found their niche in endurance & excelled.

If you meet another inconsiderate rider (& even those racing have no excuse, they must still display manners), take their number & talk to the ride organiser. For a minor offence they will have a quite word, going up to disqualification for very bad riding. Manners are written into the rules.

Good luck on your next ride, it sounds like you have found a purpose to your riding now. You can achieve, whilst having an absolute ball with your pony.
 
Sounds like you had a good time, Ive just sent off my form to do my first one on april 15th, reading your post makes me look forward to it even more :)
 
Sounds great fun and one from Willingham oooh! I have never really done showing as I've only had shares/loans for mostly hacking. It scares me and I won't know what to do :-( This looks less formal and scary! Also I am not very experienced in any kind of jumping and don't want to get shown up by teenagers haha!
 
I found that having lucozade sport or something similar to drink when doing the rides made my legs hurt less the next day - I didn't realise how much of a difference it made until I just had normal orange squash one day and hurt like hell the next day!
 
You can buy performance recovery drinks for after the ride which you have within 30 mins of finishing to help in your recovery. I use the 'science in sport' series, I have to electrolyte powder, carbohydrate energy fuel powder & total recovery powder which you make up inot drinks. I can even get them at a large Tesco, & I think Performance Equestrian sell them as well. There are loads of makes out there.

If you have any questions at all (such as it's my first ride, what on earth goes on & what do I need to do / prepare etc), then post questions or pm us! Don't let not knowing what to expect put you off.
 
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