# excited to start riding



## cheshirecat (Feb 24, 2012)

Hey everyone! 

I have been living in montana for about 4 months now but only recently realized that my barn borders on enormous amounts of BLM land that we are free to ride on. Trail riding is my passion these days and I want to learn as much about endurance riding as possible. My goal is a 25 miler in the end of september. Does that sound normal?

The horse: 


King is a five year old (six in march) off the track thoroughbred. He loves the trails as much as I do, is super brave and always willing to go on a new adventure. He has those long legs and we havnt found another horse who could keep up with us in speed or length. He is barefoot and I ride without boots on the rocky montana hills. So far his feet are fabulous, minimal chipping around the edges but nice and hard and sound. Thoughts? I call him my mountain goat because he will go anywhere I point him. 

Currently, we are doing 1.5-2 hour rides at a fast walk/slow trot and the occasional run up a hillside. Hopefully I will be getting a gps soon (any suggestions?) so I can know how long we are going out for and I am going to start keeping an eye on his heartbeat. We ride out in a western saddle with a headstall over his nylon halter. I switch on and off using boots, I just worry about them falling. When not on trail we are playing with dressage and the occasional small jumping. 

Any thoughts? Cant wait to learn more about this sport, seems like the perfect fit for us. =) thanks!


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## Houston (Apr 15, 2012)

Sounds like King is a great boy!

I am an Endurance newbie myself, so others will be able to offer better advice than I can. But I definitely think you will be more than ready for a 25 mile endurance ride in September (or even before) if you condition regularly. 

As far as GPS are concerned, I'm just using an app on my phone called Endomondo along side their website. It's simple to use, tracks how fast you're going, how far, and maps your route. Great free app!

I have found most Endurance folks (on this forum and outside) to be very helpful and welcoming to newbies. I now board with a couple who were very into it a few years ago and they have been helping me out a LOT. I would recommend finding a mentor or someone experienced to give you a hand. You also might want to volunteer at a few rides to get a feel for the atmosphere.

Good luck!


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