djlynwood
Well-Known Member
In my noviceness I thought a fun ride was a hack around farm land. But I overheard that someones horse got wound up on a fun ride.
Is a fun ride more about galloping around and is it in groups?
What is a fun ride?
- Thread starter djlynwood
- Start date
In my noviceness I thought a fun ride was a hack around farm land. But I overheard that someones horse got wound up on a fun ride.
Is a fun ride more about galloping around and is it in groups?
Meandtheboys
Well-Known Member
I find the Sport Endurance pleasure rides 'safer' if you are a novice or taking a young horse as they are properly organised and have proper rules as per the actual competative rides. I am not to keen on funrides as some people have little respect for others as there are no rules - you may find people galloping past you even if you are having issues!!!! so if your horse is not great hacking out in a group of horses then I would be cautious - possibly go at the end of the ride then you will not get so many people passing you.
djlynwood
Well-Known Member
Thanks for that,
didnt realise that people would be overtaking you at speed!
Sounds like it could be a bit risky but like the idea of the more organised rides.
didnt realise that people would be overtaking you at speed!
Sounds like it could be a bit risky but like the idea of the more organised rides.
NeilM
Well-Known Member
I think it depends on the ride and how organised it is. I did the Badminton ride last weekend and the Stockland Lovell ride the week before. These are the first rides either myself or H (my fat lad) have done (he's 8). I did both rides with a friend, who is very experienced and who has done a lot of these sorts of rides before.
The SL ride was set up in such a way that you could leave the car park when you liked, no bibs or details taken. It was pretty busy and the first section over part of the cross country course was pretty difficult, I saw one horse rear vertical when it was spooked by a teenage girl (who was jumping everything in sight) appeared at speed from behind a clump of trees. Once we were through the XC section, it calmed down a lot and the marshalling was pretty good. We were overtaken a few times, but most people called to ask if it was OK, it was only really on the xc section where people really seemed to leave their brains behind and ignore other riders to gallop / canter out over the jumps.
Badminton was an entirely different matter, much more organised with set off timed to allow the group in front to get some distance. We were passed by a few groups before we got onto the course proper, but by the time we had finished the first gallop / canter everyone was strung out well and although we did get passed a few times, it was safe and everyone was very considerate.
I would recommend fun rides as a very enjoyable way of hacking around land you otherwise would not get access to, but I would also ask other riders about any you are planning on doing and get as much information in advance as you can.
We are planning on attending the ride at Cirencester on November 1st as it's not too far and I have heard good things about it. I'm not sure I would go to SL again though, my lad is a little too excitable to drop straight from the box onto a busy xc course
The SL ride was set up in such a way that you could leave the car park when you liked, no bibs or details taken. It was pretty busy and the first section over part of the cross country course was pretty difficult, I saw one horse rear vertical when it was spooked by a teenage girl (who was jumping everything in sight) appeared at speed from behind a clump of trees. Once we were through the XC section, it calmed down a lot and the marshalling was pretty good. We were overtaken a few times, but most people called to ask if it was OK, it was only really on the xc section where people really seemed to leave their brains behind and ignore other riders to gallop / canter out over the jumps.
Badminton was an entirely different matter, much more organised with set off timed to allow the group in front to get some distance. We were passed by a few groups before we got onto the course proper, but by the time we had finished the first gallop / canter everyone was strung out well and although we did get passed a few times, it was safe and everyone was very considerate.
I would recommend fun rides as a very enjoyable way of hacking around land you otherwise would not get access to, but I would also ask other riders about any you are planning on doing and get as much information in advance as you can.
We are planning on attending the ride at Cirencester on November 1st as it's not too far and I have heard good things about it. I'm not sure I would go to SL again though, my lad is a little too excitable to drop straight from the box onto a busy xc course
The_snoopster
Well-Known Member
If you are worried about people overtaking get there towards the end of the time they say the last rider goes that way there should not be that many people behind you that could over take. My mare is great to hack alone and in company but did get a bit excited on my first fun ride, the organisers will be able to let you know if its suitable for novices, some fun rides are actually geared for novices and are a great way to build confidence with your horse so don,t be put off . : )
Flame_
Well-Known Member
Fun rides are generally one-off or limited number of times a year organised rides often over farmland and private land that you are not normally allowed to ride on. They are often held to raise money for charities, hunts or riding clubs etc. On a proper fun ride, there is often a first horse time of, for example, 10.00am, and a last horse start time of, say, 2.00pm. You, and everyone else, can set off any time in between the two times. You can go alone or with friends, but you will pass other groups of riders and be over-taken.
They are great fun on horses that don't get too unsettled when they can see other horses going on faster up ahead. They can also be hard work on an excitable horse that pulls.
I second the suggestion of going on an Endurance GB Pleasure Ride. Often fun rides have a lot of groups only there to charge round fields jumping, on the Endurance Pleasure Rides there are no jumps, there tend to be more tracks than open fields and the riders are considerate and responsible about passing - but you will still be passed so its a good idea to go with someone else the first few times to discourage your horse from latching on to everyone it sees! The only other thing to note about these is that you have to enter before the day, so you have to keep an eye on the website of your local branch of EGB in advance for what's on. You can find out your local branch from the main website:
www.endurancegb.co.uk/
Another thing to do is a Farm Ride. I don't know what area you're in, but in Cheshire we have a couple of off road, pay to go round rides with jumps that are open regularly or pretty much all the time, so they never get as busy as the rides that are only on once a year, particularly if you go during the week. Some you can hire and have them all to yourself!
Hope some of this helps a bit!
They are great fun on horses that don't get too unsettled when they can see other horses going on faster up ahead. They can also be hard work on an excitable horse that pulls.
I second the suggestion of going on an Endurance GB Pleasure Ride. Often fun rides have a lot of groups only there to charge round fields jumping, on the Endurance Pleasure Rides there are no jumps, there tend to be more tracks than open fields and the riders are considerate and responsible about passing - but you will still be passed so its a good idea to go with someone else the first few times to discourage your horse from latching on to everyone it sees! The only other thing to note about these is that you have to enter before the day, so you have to keep an eye on the website of your local branch of EGB in advance for what's on. You can find out your local branch from the main website:
www.endurancegb.co.uk/
Another thing to do is a Farm Ride. I don't know what area you're in, but in Cheshire we have a couple of off road, pay to go round rides with jumps that are open regularly or pretty much all the time, so they never get as busy as the rides that are only on once a year, particularly if you go during the week. Some you can hire and have them all to yourself!
Hope some of this helps a bit!