Endurance?

I'd love to have a go too...just did my first Le trec this weekend with a 20km ride and the boy loved it. My down side though is that he is just not confident enough going out alone, he really needs a companion, and im not sure if that is how endurance works?! If anyone in the cambs area wants a buddy then i'm sure it would do my pony the world of good.
 
The comments about poor-doers has worried me a bit, Andy is a very poor-doer with ulcers so we have to be careful about what we feed him, although since spring he has been looking fabulous.
 
Kokopelli - seriously, they do muscle up and get stronger, so don't worry about the weight thing. Harry had a bit of a rough start and hasn't been the easiest horse to manage, weight wise.

This is a 4yo very skinny H:
Skinnyharry.jpg


And this is H aged 20, after competing at advanced level for a number of years:
HarryandTillyPeakDistrict2006.jpg
 
Sorry if you're really experienced with ulcers & I'm saying something you already know, but make sure he has something in his belly before he starts work. E.g. let him munch a net whilst you're getting him ready to avoid acid sloshing about in his stomach. In that way endurance can be good as we feed reguarly throughout the ride, sloppy fibre feeds, which will keep him comfy. Hyper horses reguarly calm down with the endurance work, as it is sustained at a staedy pace. There aren't the hyper moment like approaching jumps to wind them up, just sustained exercise. Also at some point the penny drops that they don't know how long they will be asked to work for, could be 20km, could be 120km so after a few goes the clever ones learn to conserve their energies a little more. As such it can be good for calming them down. My current girl in her novice year did 8 40km rides & got cocky, playing up in the last couple (I know what I'm doing etc) as she thought she knew what was going to be asked of her. In her final ride of the season she did a 50km ride. Best thing for her was hitting the 40km point & still being on course, you could feel her suddenly start to think hang on we should be home now but we're still going.... Since then I've always varied the distance & she's much better behaved for it. She doesn't know how long we'll be out for so doesn't waste energy messing about early on.
 
i'd never thought about doing endurance before but reading this thread has made me think i might give it a go next year - i think it would be right up my ex-racer's street! and something extra to add to his education.

however, i did do a 4hr pub ride earlier this year. i was in agony after 2 hours and felt like i wouldn't be able to get back on after lunch! (i'm only 20)
 
Think about your position, lengthen those stirrups (endurance stirrups are great with the shock absorbing), comfy seat (quality seat saver) that you can sit into & make sure you aren't being pulled out of balance by your horse. Try to get him going in a balanced manner relying on himself rather than using you to balance on.

Personally I hate walking, it kills my knees. Much rather be trotting or cantering. Build up slowly, gradually increasing time/distance. In competition each time you try a longer distance (20/30/40/50/65/80/100/120/160km) you feel it, but with good preparation it should be okay. Endurance rides start at about 20km for NCR's, which is well in most combinations scope if they work several times a week. Be sensible with regard to distance at your first attempts, the aim is not to end up in pain but to have fun! Any worries chat to us on here or your local group.

Just heard I may be on a checkpoint (by the ford) at Bramshill on sunday. Anyone going through make yourself known to me, would be great to meet some new people.

It's not organised by EGB, but the AHS marathon is a fun race to watch. In october over Salisbury plain, 26 mile race. Afterwards there is a 20km pleasure ride which anyone can enter. No vettings, just enter & enjoy the ride. Would be a lovely one to try as lots of cantering there.
 
EstherYoung said:
I think you could be surprised - because endurance is an extension of the long slow distance work, the bulk of most endurance horses' diets is fibre and oil based feed, so not that different to what you'd be packing a poor doer with anyway.

If she's fit enough to do the rides, there's no reason why she should lose lots of weight from them. I find that at novice level they're more likely to lose weight from the travelling than the ride

Just out of interest, how much did you work out that your mare would need to eat?
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I wish :(. She's a poor doer because she struggles to stay warm when it's ten degrees or below, and uses up ridiculous amounts of energy just on 'heating'. I rug as much as I can, but she really struggles when the temperatures vary widely in a day and I have to leave her a little cool at times for fear of overheating when the sun comes out. In the spring/autumn I can easily be feeding her the full amount of high energy feed, plus speedibeet - in 3-4 feeds a day, just to keep the weight on. Her summer coat is fuzz, and her winter coat closely resembles any other horse's summer one.

Diet is restricted: metabolic sugar/lami issues, alfalfa intolerant, won't eat her feed if I add liquid oil to it. Ryegrass hay sets her off unless soaked.

So I'm left with: ERS nuts, speedibeet, unmollassed chaff, Outshine, high fibre cubes, Timothy horsehage/soaked hay/late cut meadow hay. Poor quality grazing.

One ride wouldn't do it, but getting her fit enough would. I have to be very careful how much exercise she gets in spring/autumn so I don't burn off all the feed I'm giving her. She's fine in summer, and the depths of winter when the temperatures are more consistent and she's cosy in her rugs.

I would have LOVED to do endurance - I love exploring the world on her in the summer months, just the two of us - for hours. But to do it properly, more than the 'fun ride' sort of distance - I'd never have enough of the year to get her fit without her losing too much weight.

I can't remember how much I worked out - it was a few years ago and I had an 'endurance' book that someone gave me. It stated MJ of energy for maintenance plus fitness for specific lengths of ride. I worked out what I can feed her, with all her limitations, and it just didn't work!
 
Did my 1st competitive ride last year and became hooked. Managed to do some training with Becky Broughton who rides for GB thanks to some wonderful people :-)

I have missed all this season pretty much due to my partner having a masters to complete leaving me looking after our 2yr old daughter but have managed to get onto a pleasure ride in 2 weeks time which I am really excited about! and cant wait to start a fresh next year.

I am not a competitve person by any means, dont enjoy jumping or schooling so this suits me to the ground. Horse also doesnt enjoy either of the above, being an ex harness racer, he is used to jogging miles each day and understands what is expected of him when we go out for long rides. I can compete against myself each time out aiming to have horse fitter which is so nice as no pressure and you get to see some lovely countryside that you wouldnt normally be able to ride across :-)

Anybody around the Derbyshire/Notts area (I am Matlock) ever wants a riding buddy give me a shout, either Endurance GB rides or Sport Endurance rides!!!! Much prefer to ride with someone than by myself!
 
I'm not wadeing in to lead you over! There will be plenty of people going through so just tuck in behind another horse, you'll be fine. Walk through nice & steady & he may even pause for a drink which would be a bonus.

I started the Bramshill ride (now live in Devon so it wasn't feasible for me to keep running it), now it's run by Brian Flloyd-Davis. Here is Brian the first year Bramshill ran when his horse refused the ford....This ford isn't in it anymore since the venue moved.

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Most groups will offer company on a ride if you need it. Here is the link to the groups map so you can see which one is your area:
http://www.endurancegb.co.uk/html/groupsmap.html

Contact your group & have a chat. There will always be someone happy for company. Before long both you & your horse will build confidence in your own abilities & there'll be no stopping you!
 
Pip, I'll see you on Sunday then at one of the 2 fords (no. 207) - I'm doing 65km (but you knew that anyway).

Mitchyden, I'll look out for you too (in case you don't recognise me from my HHO username - although you do know me - I was with Janet and Jill at Wimpole if that helps!).

Mystiandsunny - I know we've not met, but I know you're based very close to me. If you like, we could meet up (on horseback if you like) somewhere in the Penn area and I can tell you all you need to know about starting out in endurance - if you're hacking out regularly and riding several times a week, then whether or not your horse is a good doer, I don't see any reason why you shouldn't be successful at some of the shorter distance rides (up to 32km). PM me!
 
All change, on a cp in the woods. Will keep my eyes open for you! Went to a friends yard yesterday that's on Ford Lane to visit her horse (it's the road the venue is on & leads to the fords), it's fairly high so the horses will get a lovely cooling off when they go through. The tracks look very nice so making times should be straightforward.
 
I recognised your photos Faro! I asked what the stones are like for my barefoot youngster and Brian said to boot. She's not bad on stones and can walk on them and also goes like a dream on man made tracks with bitty stones so was wondering what you thought to the going being a fellow barefooter?

I'm ok as far as the water is concerned as apparently there isn't any water crossings on the 20k! Phew!
 
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