Fun rides/endurance rides

[1Lucie]

I have been searching the net for things to do with my ned this year. Can anyone explain to me exactly what a fun ride/endurance ride entails?

I have been looking at my local club, Anglian Distance riders, and it looks quite fun. Was thinking a friend and i could go together but neither of us have ever competed before or attended anything away from home. We are both pretty much happy hackers most of the time.

Any advice welcome!

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

Mmm sounds fun! Go for it.

You could have a look at the Endurance GB website (sorry don't have the link) coz they do training rides and have local areas; and there'd be someone to "nanny" you if you needed it.

OR (just a suggestion) have a go at Le TREC? Or Horse Agility? We did both as total numpties in 2011 and it was great fun! Highly recommend.

 

[1Lucie]

Ha ha think we'd need the nanny lol, knowing us we'd get lost!! Umm will look that up too. Jut fancy something different!

 

[flirtygerty]

My friend and I did a BRAG fun ride of 10 miles, horses behaved impeccably and we loved it, got my one and only rosette for doing it, can't wait to do more this year

 

[starryeyed]

I've done hundreds of fun rides but not tried endurance yet, so will explain the bit I know!!

They're what they say on the tin really, laid back fun days out. You can find out rides from your local paper or the riding diary website (can't link sorry as I'm on my phone!). Print off the directions and phone number incase you get lost on the way there!
Basically, you turn up on the day (don't need to pre-book) and sign in when you get there. It's usually about £15-£20 fee for a fun ride around here. You then tack up neddy and follow arrows around a predesignated route! There are always plenty of stewards everywhere to check you off and keep an eye on you, and optional xc style jumps if you fancy it. There's usually a photographer on site too and rosettes at the end
They're really fun days out, such a good way to explore new places and ride over estates etc which you usually wouldn't be able to. I go to as many as I can! Love them.

 

[Rose Folly]

Fun Rides (often sponsored rides) are a great way of deciding if Long Distance/Endurance are a path you'd like to take.

They'r often organised by the local riding club, bridleways group or local charity that happens to have horsy people on it (I used to organise them for the village church here for example).

What's nice about them is that they are very friendly. The course usually has different lengths so you can do 7 miles, 12 miles, or perhaps 15-20 miles, there is no competitive element per se, and any reasonably fit horse/pony would do them with ease. You take your own time and it's a great day out

Someone else needs to tell you about LDR/ER. I did a little some years ago and loved it. I was a complete novice,but was lucky to have "friends in high places" who were kind enough to take me along with them as half the time I didn't know what I was doing. They sorted me out re rules etc. and I loved it. A ride called The Red Dragon Ride in Wales stans out as a high point.

Hope you decide to give it, or Pleasure Rides or Le Trec a go. They're all really enjoyable, espeically if you have a friend to go along with.

 

[EstherYoung]

Anglian Distance Riders are lovely and quite a few of the rides are run in conjunction with EGB - there is a lot of crossover membership wise.

Basically with an Anglian Distance Riders ride, or an EGB social/training/fun ride, it's the same as has been described above - you just turn up, tack up, and ride All very laid back, all very friendly, and very addictive.

If you then want to move on to doing a non competitive ride that is run alongside an EGB national ride, it's just the same but you have to trot up in front of a vet before you start and when you finish, and you have to complete the ride between 5-8mph (8-12kph).

If you then decide you want to have a go at competitive rides, at novice level you'll be riding at the same sorts of speeds that you did with the pleasure rides but the vetting will be a little more detailed and you'll get a grading depending on the speed you rode and the horse's pulse rate at the end. Open level is the same but a little bit faster and longer, and then advanced level is where you start to compete against other people over distances of 80km+

It's brilliant fun, and you get to ride all over countryside that you wouldn't normally be allowed on. We've got some videos up of the rides we've been on on our youtube channel to give you an idea of what it's like: http://www.youtube.com/user/WestridingEGB