What is Endurance and what do you do exactly?

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lucindakay

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hi, i've been wondering lately what is Endurance and how do you go about it? because i event and i love it but i have always wondered how endurance works? when i was younger i used to do sponsored rides and yes i understand they're not the same thing but still i loved them. What my question is, what is the process, how long do you ride for and is it big in the UK? also what are the rules ect
 
The main difference between a sponsored ride and say an endurance low level pleasure ride is that the endurance ride is probably longer (pleasure maybe 20-25km) and you are riding it so you finish within minimum and maximum times, you also need to have an acceptable heart rate on horse both before and after the ride. Depending on where you are in the country, endurance rides may take in more challenging terrain than a sponsored ride too, so a higher level of fitness might be required. To make the time comfortably for a pleasure ride (which will take 2 hours or so) will mean an average of a decent trot all the way round ie any walk being balanced by similar amounts of canter.

There are however shorter taster rides of about 10k which are a good way of dipping a toe in.

You can then move onto longer distances, 30, 40, 50, 60k and upwards.

All different breeds can do well, we have TBs, exmoors, haffies, friesians, highlands, arabs, IDs and all sorts of heinz 57s, you dont need a goggly eyed arab :-DDDDDD


It's useful to have a comfy saddle and a bridle where you can unclip the bit off it for when you are waiting around before heart rate checks etc.

You don't need much kit, just a compass (tho routes are marked), mini medical kit, map case (tescos do good sets for a few quid).

Your horse does need to cope with others passing as they may be doing longer faster rides on the same route for parts of the track. If you are new the ride organisers will usually be able to buddy you up with someone willing to help you and ride with you.

People are very friendly and helpful and you should definitely have a go. The horses generally love it, and your hacks have new purpose when you are working towards a ride!
 
Give it a go. I think you will love it!

About 17 years ago I used to ride with friends who did a lot of Endurance / LDR. I tagged along for the fun of it and it was great.

Unfortunately after only a year my horse had to be retired to field ornament status and I couldn't afford another until she died. By the time that happened I was 3 stone heavier and several years older, so never started again. But, having hunted and loved it all my youth, Endurance is the next best thing. You cover masses of country on a really fit (hopefully) horse; people overall are really helpful and friendly. My final outing was the great Red Dragon Ride out of Builth Wells. I will never forget cantering over the great moorland plateau (having ascended what seemed like the sides of the Matterhorn!) thinking I was doing a really good pace and then being passed by the flying (goggle-eyed) Arabs doing the 100km.

It does help if you can pal up with people who already do it. For the more serious stuff you will need a crew (to meet you at checkpoints with water, slosh bottles, drink for you etc, etc.) the feeling when you come home within the time, on a sound horse, is amazing - even if you can't walk properly for a day or two afterwards. Enjoy!
 
I'll be watching this thread with interest. There was an interesting article in H&H mag recently about what to expect and training tips. I'm a few years off yet as my filly is only 2 but hopefully it's something we can enjoy together as I've always been a happy hacker and love doing fun rides and now I may have a future horse I can get going with.
 
Pleasure ride: £10-£25 entry fees, pay money before (or sometimes on the day), turn up. You might have an allocated time (BHS rides and big rides like Newmarket (300 riders) do) or might just be start between 9-11am. Sign on with secretary, some rides give you a number or bib to wear, you might get a map or be told "follow the orange arrows/signs/etc"). Enjoy your ride, go at whatever speed you want, pick up rosette at end. Usually not much in way of rules on tack.

Pleasure ride organised by EGB: £25 entry fees inc temporary day membership, enter in advance (closing date), allocated vet time, horse/rider sheet sent to your house - fill it in. On the day, sign on with secretary, collect number, then take horse to farrier for shoe check and farrier signs your sheet, then go to vet at allocated time for trot-up, and vet signs sheet, then tack up and start ride within 30 mins of trot-up. Ride must be completed within a minimum and maximum time otherwise you don't get a rosette and they write ELIMINATED across your sheet. After ride, you must trot-up within 30 mins of finishing or are eliminated. Various rules on tack.

Endurance ride: £25 upwards depending on distance. Shortest distance about 32km (20 mile). Similar to EGB pleasure ride except you get heart-rate taken at vetting and checkover of horse (you declare any lumps/sores,etc) before ride. After ride, you get another vetting/checkover/trot-up. Faster you complete, the lower your heartrate must be. Gallop round at warp speed 10 over maximum speed with heart rate over 65bpm then when vetted afterwards you will be eliminated. Heart rate versus time taken is graded so you get either a Completion rosette or a graded rosette (think there's 3 grades). Once you've successfully completed X amount of rides at 32km, then you are no longer Novice but are Open and can now do Open-level rides which are faster/longer. Once you go over 32km then you need a crew to come out and look after you, meet you at checkpoints, slosh horsey down and hydrate yourself too, and to look after horse at end of ride. Esp once you get to really long distance ones, say 100km, where the horse is vetted at several points during the ride (say every 32km) so untack, slosh, cool, feed, water, vet/trot, retack and go. (Vet stages often at HQ so the horse is doing a series of loops out and back all day, not one long ride out and back).


So lots to think about in EGB competitive rides.
A fair amount to think about in an EGB pleasure ride.
And nothing much to think about in a non-EGB ride.
 
Very interesting post..! Some thj g av never done, same as above I've only ever evented but wanted some inside knowledge on the endurance as I've never done or tried it and can feel a bit uneasy walking into some thing I no nothing about x
 
If you're happy to pm me an email address I can send a word doc I wrote a couple of years ago. It was for an intro to endurance day run by the SW group. Happy to send it out. Basically, what I wish I'd known before my first ride but didn't!

If you're near the south west, lovely ride coming up at Boconnoc Estate btw.
 
ditto! I'm looking to get into endurance with my next horse and am busily reading up on it but this has been really useful, thanks!
 
If you want to see what goes on, goto the egb site, schedule, rides, then see what is in your local area. Click on a ride, & at the top of the ride info it will list the Ride Organiser. Phone them, & say you've never done any but want to see what goes on (suggest you vet write, top way to see what goes on there - most scary part for most people), can you volunteer to help at their ride. They will love having another volunteer, & will be happy to give you experience to see what happens. Whilst you are there, talk to other helpers, people are VERY friendly & happy to encourage anyone new to the sport.

It is not like other horse sports, they won't sneer about what you wear, what you drive, what youir horse looks like etc. They don't care. As long as you have fun & both you & your horse enjoy the day (spurs are banned at every level btw, short whips only), that's what matters. No-one will look down on you for being new to the sport, we all started somewhere & even the top riders had to start at the bottom initially (& keep having to do so with each horse they start in the sport - no short cuts for anyone).
 
Feel free to browse through our 'ask the panel' vids:
Ask the panel part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EumwzOSuFV8
Ask the panel part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGvpNKXYI2Y
Ask the panel part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkghIlc9xT4
Ask the panel part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFiBHQYQyTc

The beauty of the sport is that you can take what you want from it. You will be made to feel just as welcome if you 'just' want to do the odd ride as a bit of cross training, or whether you want to seriously immerse yourself in it. Just a word of warning though, it is very addictive.
 
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