What is endurance riding?

Fitness before the ride

These are guide lines as every horse is different. On average a horse walks around 6 miles per day in its field. If you are planning a 10/15 mile pleasure ride then gentle hacking 3 times per week will create adequate fitness for you to achieve this.

For competitive rides, which start at 20 miles, a greater level of fitness is required. The fitter your horse the better your result will be.

At higher levels of endurance, competition horses have many days of rest in between rides as a horse needs time to recover.

Crewing

Keeping both your horse and yourself hydrated during the ride is extremely important. This is not only about drinking but keeping both of you cool especially in the warm weather - sloshing your horse over its neck brings instant refreshment. You don’t have to have a crew as you yourself and place water at designated spots around the course, however if you can have your own crew or team up with another riders crew this can be an advantage. As a rider it’s your responsibility to provide an appropriate level of care for your horse.

Cooling Down

This method is only a suggestion as you will find what works best for you and your horse.

As soon as you have untacked, liberally apply cold water to all parts of the body. (There is some debate about whether to apply directly to the quarters as there are suggestions that this may cause tying up (Azoturia) however this is where most of the large muscles used for movement are located and so is an area that gets particularly hot. (Many riders do not apply water over the hind quarters) Concentrate on applying water (sloshing) to the neck, belly and inside the hind legs (this is where large veins are close to the skin surface so aids cooling rapidly).

Walking between applications is also important as the movement promotes blood flow to the skin and cools by convection and the movement of air cools by evaporation. Allow and certainly encourage your horse to drink, this could be sugar beet water or “Horsequencher” but you must provide clean plain water. Continue for however long it takes for your horse to cool, the water running off the belly should run cool/cold. By cooling your horse will help its heart rate reduce, however over cooling can have the adverse reaction should your horse shiver the heart rate will rise.

Equipment

Each rider is required to wear a hat with a chin strap that meets required safety standards, other than that you may wear any riding wear which is comfortable. No spurs or whips longer than 30” are permitted. As for the horse any standard bridle with or without a bit, any saddle which fits the horse correctly. All tack must be safe and the horse must be under control at all times.

Always be prepared for any eventuality. Take an emergency kit with you either in a bum-bag or in your pockets. Waistcoats with lots of pockets are invaluable. Your kit should contain, at the very least, a self-adhesive bandage (vet wrap), folding hoof pick, small penknife, piece of string and mobile phone. It’s a good idea to carry a £1 just in case a phone box is required.

Some riders carry a hoof boot in case of losing a shoe. You’ll also need a transparent map case in which to place your map. Always take a drink with you. Even a couple of hours’ active riding on a warm day can cause you to become dehydrated. This can be a sports drink in a pouch, or a drink of your choice in a drink bottle holder that attaches to the saddle. All too often we forget about ourselves!