Hit The Trails: Endurance Riding 101
Ready to take trail riding one step further? Endurance riding is a fun bonding activity that you can do with your horse. Exploring beautiful trails and sleeping under the stars is a wonderful experience.
Endurance riding is for everyone. This article will introduce you to this fabulous sport, help you decide if its right for you, and give you resources for more information.
What Are Endurance Rides?
Endurance rides are a more advanced form of trail riding where riders compete to finish events that are a designated length. It’s a challenging yet exhilarating equestrian sport that tests the physical stamina, mental fortitude, and partnership between horse and rider over long distances.
Most competitive endurance rides in the USA are 50 or 100 miles in length. There are also many shorter non-competition rides designed for people and horses entering the sport.
The ultimate goal is to complete the course with a healthy and sound horse. While competitive elements exist, the primary focus lies on the horse's fitness and welfare, encouraging a robust partnership between the human and equine.
The shortest sanctioned ride by the American Endurance Ride Conference (AERC) is 25 miles long and is also known as LD for “Limited Distance.” Horse and rider have six hours to complete this twenty five mile ride.
You are given twelve hours to complete the fifty-mile ride and twenty - four hours for the longer and multi-day 100-mile ride.
Getting Ready For An Endurance Ride
Before engaging in endurance riding, proper training and conditioning are crucial to building the horse's strength, stamina, and cardiovascular health. Vets thoroughly examine the horses before and after the event to ensure they are fit to participate. During the ride, veterinary checks are conducted at designated points to assess the horse's overall well-being, including heart rate, hydration, and soundness.
During the ride, you will navigate various terrains, depending on what part of the country you are in. Endurance races often involve natural obstacles, including water crossings, steep inclines, and rough paths. Effective communication between horse and rider is essential, as trust and partnership are key components for success in this sport.
Endurance riders must possess excellent horsemanship skills. Riders must remain attentive to their horse's needs, adjusting speed and managing fatigue accordingly. They should possess the necessary trail-riding skills to guide their horses safely through these challenges.
Darrell is training to approacha and travel over an unknown and possibly scary obstacle. This simple yet important training strategies are what will make Endurance riding a pleasure for both you and your horse.
Training
To prepare for an endurance ride your horse should have good foundation training. That’s why at Cork N Mane we work on things such as traversing obstacles, developing natural curiosity and bravery, and being willing to try new things.
Training your horse for endurance riding is important. Most horses today are not familiar with navigating streams, crossing bridges, or having wildlife running in front of them.
Susan, the owner of Cork N Mane, trains horses so they have a good foundation for endurance riding. In addition, she is certified in many types of bodywork and can help your horse reach their athletic and health potential. We use and recommend Excel Supplements to keep our horses in top-notch health.
Additionally, endurance riding embodies the spirit of sportsmanship and camaraderie. Riders often support, encourage, and assist one another during the event. Endurance Riding is a great thing to do with your friends.
The atmosphere is generally friendly, with an emphasis on collaboration rather than cutthroat competition.
A group from Cork N Mane enjoying an endurance ride.
Competition
Endurance riding has become an international equestrian sport. Similar to marathon running for humans.
In an AERC competition race, stops are made along the way for a veterinarian to examine the horse. They are checked for any lameness, dehydration, blood pressure and heart rate. After passing the exam the horse and rider spend sixty minutes resting, drinking fluids, and recuperating.
According to the rules of the AERC, the horse that crosses the finish line first AND passes a vet check is the winner.
““Most people enter endurance events not to win but to ride beautiful, well-marked trails,” says seasoned endurance rider Lari Shea. “There’s also the camaraderie of kindred spirits, camping in a beautiful place, and riding with friends.”
— Lari Shea”
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Endurance Riding is Fun and Challenging
Both horses and riders enjoy endurance events. Riders are given maps of the course and GPS coordinates. The terrain may vary according to the geographic region.
The riders are challenged to pace themselves and find the best route. Ironically, the rules state that the horse must be ridden from the start and over the finish line. However, during the course riders may dismount at any time and lead their mounts.
Endurance riding is a competition but most riders focus on completion, improving their times, working as a team with their horse, and having a good time.
Open To All
Endurance riding is open to all. Part of what makes it such a fantastic sport is that everyone can participate. All you need is a horse!
Junior riders are those young people under fifteen years old. They need to ride with a parent or riding mentor.
Endurance riding is all about education. Learning to work with another athlete (your horse) and gaining knowledge in how your bodies work together and separately. I find endurance “people” to be very friendly and open to sharing their knowledge.
To learn more the AERC has a listing of mentors and educational clinics on their website.
Best Breeds
You can compete with any breed of horse. Arabians have become popular breeds to ride in endurance events because they have been bred for stamina over thousands of years. However, Morgans, Quarter Horses, Grades, and even mules are common to see on the trails.
More important than breed is your horse’s ability and willingness to move well, soundness, and being in good physical condition. These are all things that proper training can help with. It’s always wise to ask your veterinarian to evaluate your horse before you start a training program.
Susan teaching Sir Henry to cross over bridges and platforms.
Equipment
What do I like best about endurance riding? Comfortable clothes! Endurance riding does not have clothing regulations like dressage. According to the AERC junior riders are required to wear a helmet, which just makes good sense.
Both English and Western tack is used. Specialty saddles are popular for more serious eventers. A lightweight saddle that is comfortable for the horse and the rider can make the end of the day much more pleasurable.
The most important thing is to have clean tack that is well broken into so that it is comfortable for you and your horse.
Susan can also do a saddle fitting for you.
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Join Us
You can find endurance events on the AERC website. They keep a master calendar of events and also have a trail listing.
At CorkNMane we go on regular training rides and compete in our region. Contact us for more information.
Endurance riding is not only a test of physical endurance for both horse and rider but also a celebration of the exceptional bond between humans and equines.
Author, Ame Vanorio, is an Author and director of Fox Run Environmental Education Center.
