Fitness for first endurance ride

SaffronWelshDragon

SaffronWelshDragon

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Braintree, Essex
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Hi guys,

I have to say, I'm getting hooked on the idea of doing an endurance ride. I've never done anything like this before. My mare is a 15 year old Welsh Cob. I try to ride 3-4 times a week in the spring / summer / autumn, and we keep ticking over in the winter, but you know what it's like with the weather.

Just wondering if there are any endurance bods out there. I've looked on the Endurance GB site but can't find anything specific about getting a horse or pony fit for their first ride. I read somewhere that any horse that is 'hacking fit' should be able to do one of the shorter rides. Are there any websites, or does anyone have any advice on what I would need to do to get her fit enough?

Thanks!
 
Hi Saffron_Envy,

if you go to the Endurance GB website , there are a few tips under gettting started:
http://www.endurancegb.co.uk/html/gettingstarted.html

I guess you will start with a Training ride or at Novice level, so your horse doesn't have to be overly fit, "hacking fit" is sufficient.

You will get great off road riding on most rides and every one is quiet friendly and approachable, so go for it and have fun
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I am so glad you are giving an endurance ride a go!! It is addictive so be warned. If you hack out actively (ie trotting and cantering not just wandering around at the buckle end) your horse should be fit enough to do a pleasure/training ride to get you going.

I organise a Pleasure/Training ride and most organisers are willing to try to find newbys a buddy to do their first rides with until you get to know people and it is a very friendly sport. There is a groups page on the EGB website, find your local one and you will find either a list of their rides or a contact. Some groups have "publications" or "articles" sections on their website and often have fittening advice but this varies from group to group.

Have a go and enjoy yourself!!
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Make your hacks active (when you can get out!!), hill work is useful and keep your walking forward going with a contact.
 
Thanks very much for your replies. I've just spotted this on Endurance GB:

Non Competitive Rides (NCRs), sometimes called training/social or pleasure rides, may be of distances up to 40 km. Open to non-members they must be completed at 8 km/hr minimum speed and 12 km/hr maximum speed. When run in conjunction with competitive rides horses must be trotted up before and after within 30 minutes after completion of the ride.

I promise I will get used to km's but for the minute I've calculated the min / max speed as 5mph-7.5mph. Is this a reasonable walk / slow trot? If it's trotting this is one of the things I will struggle with, as our hacks are nearly all roadwork, so I can't keep Saf trotting for too long. Also, how would I prepare myself for near constant trotting?
 
I did my first endurance ride last year and we trotted most of the way with some bits of walking. I think our speed was about 9.8km/hour so you should complete it within the time as long as you do sections of trot and keep the walk active (although I know nothing so I'm sure an endurance boff will correct me if wrong).

The trotting was harder for me than Zoom. I would definately recomment getting some endurance stirrups or borrowing a pair.

http://www.performance-equestrian.com/cat/cat020500x-item_1.html

I used my friend's and they are kind of sprung. Basically if, like me, you get sore knees or tired legs they completely save you. They are AMAZING!
 
Hi S-E,

I would suggest that you do try out an EGB Pleasure Ride (or non-competitive ride) first - just as you've spotted on the EGB Website. Try for one of about 20km give or take a km or so.

An NCR is still much more than a rambling hack, but won't ask too much of you or your Welshie. If you walk all the way, then you won't complete in time (which means you won't get a nice rosette at the end), but there will be plenty of opportunities for a nice long trot or canter which will make you up a bit of time. Although at many EGB rides roadwork is necessary, it is kept as much to the minimum as the route will allow. So don't worry, there will be plenty of places for faster work. And at this stage, don't worry about needing to trot constantly - just take the ride as it comes. There's no need to push too fast at your level, but as someone already said above - make it like an active hack and don't dawdle with your reins like washing lines.

If you're in Kent EGB South East will be your nearest local group, so that's the best place to look for rides in your area.

Finally, if you do get to go to a pleasure ride, don't worry. Everyone is so friendly and helpful - the first time I ever did an EGB ride I was terrified, but I couldn't have been made to feel more welcome. Go on and do it - your Welshie should be fine over that distance to start with, and I think you'll enjoy it.

Good luck.
 
Thanks again!

montyandzoom - Thanks, they do look very comfy! I currently have some flexistirrups which I'm just getting used to, but will look into the endurance ones.

Faro - Thanks for all that info! My main concerns at the moment are: a) transport - or lack of it, I really need to make myself sort something out. Probably have to hire someone to drive as I can't tow, and don't have a towing vehicle or trailer besides, but that's my problem and I'll sort it somehow. b) loading Saf and her behaviour at the event. Loading - she needs to practice, my friend has a trailer so I might ask if I can use it to practice loading her. She's not used to being away from her mates, although I can hack her alone and she'll behave, I need to work out how to calm her down once I get to the event.
 
If you don't have any off road riding, you can use the training rides as part of your fittening regime, that's what I do.

My pony is an overgrown Connemara, and has been doing very well, completing graded rides up tp 80km so you can do it with Natives.

I use normal tack, but I love my sprenger bow balance stirrup as they save my knees.
 
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