OMG!!! Endurance riders are pretty hardcore

Madam_max

Madam_max

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I thought I would do something different in Jan and went down to the New Forest and did a 15 mile 'fun'
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ride with Endurance GB, all I can say is they are pretty hardcore, some went round twice
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15 miles was enough for me in a jumping saddle
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. But it was a good day.
 
I spent 10 years doing endurance, didn't think anything of 50miles in 4 hours, did 100 when I was 14, have recently spent the sumer doing dressage - what bliss! I am a complete convert to the joys of circles!
 
Yeah I did. 15 miles is enough for me tbh, I think I will stick to SJ and Dressage. I like sponsored ride but they are usually only about 7-10 miles. What made you change?
 
Well, I started because I lost my nerve jumping when I was young and my pony was fantastic at it. When I outgrew her I got an arab mare who was fantastic, took quite a few scalps of International horses, but her soundness problems plagued her - she did her suspensory and basically I couldn't keep her sound so had to retire her.

In the meantime I bought a lovely youngster. Though he is arab, he looks like a TB, very nice conformation beautiful paces - had everything going for him but just did not want to do it. I got him to advanced but it became so disheartening, he would just stop and no go anywhere. It is not a nappiness, he just refuses to move. It was just the last straw really.

It made me really look at the sport. Someone leant me a horse to event in 2006, I just wanted to try something else and have regained my nerve jumping.

Its a very hard sport, many will disagree, but it is far harder than eventing (in hard I mean the attrition rate in high level endurance is greater than the equivelent level of eventing) - eventually I think the ethics of it caught up with me and I couldn't do it any more.

I still have both arabs, the gelding loves dressage and is quite good when he relaxes!

It has however taught me so much in relation to fitness and feeding etc.
 
Yep, I totally see where you are coming from. Made me realise today how precious I am with my mare (didn't really think I was) as they were happily cantering their horses along the really stoney tracks, to me it's a no no. ( I know Arabs are quite tough)
 
Well done. I did a 30 mile on Murphy once, never again, I couldn't walk when I got off, my legs were just like jelly. He wanted to go round again! They all seemed to canter everywhere even on the road and I couldn't do that to my horses. Having said that Tarquin is entered for a 10 mile PR in February. Hopefully I can stay on. Good old Corroy, did you sort that VHS thingy out, thought Chantal or Jo might be able to help.
 
glad you had a good time sounds fun!

i wanted to try a EGB ride last year but never got round to it which was a shame as pony was more than fit and ready!! going to try to this year in the summer when she is peak fitness again. I just worry about the map reading. doing the distance / speed etc would be fine as long as i found the right way to go!!
 
Perhaps I would say in defence of endurance riders, most (although certainly not all) have there horses padded up to the eyeballs, therefore stony going is not really a problem. Also cantering along the roads is not actually as bad as pounding along in trot, although you have to take into consideration how slippy it etc.

You need't worry about map reading, it is all marked out, although I did once ride round a 30 mile ride backwards - I only knew I had gone wrong when I recognised where I was and thought 'this should be at the end'! I was 15 miles out! However this was just unfortunate and I don't know my lefts from my right!
 
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