# Endurance Rides in Indiana?



## Freelance Cowgirl (May 27, 2011)

I've really wanted to get into competative trail riding and endurance racing for a while now. The filly I rescued last year has come along in health splendidly and I trained her under saddle over the summer well enough to actually show her confidently at the fair. I really don't like it though, I feel like I'm in a fish bowl just going round and round waiting to get out. The only riding I really do is trail, and that's what she's trained for. She will go ALL day, and has before. I took her on a 30+ mile charity ride a few weeks ago and she was the youngest, plus was leading the pack most of the time. Have to admit she was tired that night though!

Anyway, I'm in Midwest Indiana about 30 minutes from the border of Illinois. An hour from Indianapolis and Bloomington, and 25 minutes from Terre Haute. I don't have a trailer but I have a friend who would haul me to the ends of the earth. Does anyone know of some good competative rides in Indiana, preferably beginner-friendly and in my general area? I can see there being some things in the Brown County or Dugger area. I want to get into this next year! My horse will trot all day and night, cold or hot, rain or shine.


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## Foxesdontwearbowties (Jul 9, 2012)

I'm in the same boat as you, looking to start next year.  I have a list of trail/endurace rides that are generally annual on my home computer but I'm at school right now, so I'll post them once I get home (5:30ish). 
It'd be cool to meet up if we decide to go to the same one. 

There are quite a few close by, I think the earliest is in January.. I want to say, don't hold me to it though!


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## Adam (Feb 6, 2012)

Search on Facebook for Stone Creek Ranch, or google Stone Creek Ranch, Bloomington IN. I'm spacing the owners name at the moment, but he has a huge facility outside of Bloomington, and if I remember right he arranges trips all over the country, for everything from cattle drives to trail rides.


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## Joe4d (Sep 1, 2011)

American Endurance ride conference, here is their ride calander, check midwest, and also southeast as there are rides in Ky. How old is your horse ? There are minimum ages, look at the rules on AERC homepage, I believe it is 4 for LD's (usually 25-35 miles,) and 5yo for 50's.

http://www.doublejoy.com/erol/Calendar/StdCalendars.asp?season=current&set=o:aerc


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## MHFoundation Quarters (Feb 23, 2011)

Subbing. I've been asked about that as well, not something I do so am clueless about. I do know that there are AQHA trail horse competitions held in IN but they aren't endurance rides and only open to reg'd QHs.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Joe4d (Sep 1, 2011)

there were several in indiana and surronding states for last year. Check the 2012 schedule to get an idea. Most rides tend to be on about the same weekend, most of the dates havent been ironed out yet for 2013.


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## TheOtherHorse (Aug 5, 2012)

I'm in KY, but ride in southeast IN a lot. I did an endurance ride this past spring at Clark State Forest near Pekin, IN. Not sure if that is too far. Also, Daniel Boone Distance Riders (Welcome) puts on a ride in the spring that was at Midwest Trail Ride this past year. Not sure if that will be the same location next year, but that sounds fairly close to you? There are more rides in IN too.


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## Freelance Cowgirl (May 27, 2011)

Thank you everyone! This was all really helpful. I was looking into some rides last night and I'll look into it more later. Joe, to answer your question, my horse is just a 2 year old filly. I'll look out for the rides that might allow me to ride her, because she's the only horse at my disposal at the moment. I might ask around though, and see if anyone would let me borrow an older one. I've got someone who may let me.

Even if I can't ride her next year I'm going to start conditioning her and keep her in tip top trail shape for when I actually can use her! Thanks again everyone. And if there's any more information that might come in I'll gladly accept it.


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## Joe4d (Sep 1, 2011)

shes way to young to be conditioned. shes to young to be even trained very much.


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## Eolith (Sep 30, 2007)

I agree, there's no way in heck you should be riding a 2 year old as hard as you say. If you want to know why:

http://www.equinestudies.org/ranger_2008/ranger_piece_2008_pdf1.pdf


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## Freelance Cowgirl (May 27, 2011)

My trainer and mom tell me to ride her as much as I do. They even say I need to ride more. I trained her over the summer to be ridden (my trainer told me what to do and supervised what I did with her). She's trained horses for over 40 years and my mom rode every day all day until she got married and had kids. I don't abuse her or anything. The only long ride we've ever gone on is 5 miles one day, 14 mile round trip the next for charity, and a few more the next day on trails with the people who held the charity ride. And I'm only around 90 pounds I wouldn't even be on her if I was heavy. I'm not even fully grown myself yet.

If you say she can't be conditioned then I'll just try to ride another horse.

And it's not that she's not trained. She's green, sure, but even over the summer with only 2 months of training under saddle she was better than a handful of horses at the 4H fair. My mentor (trainer) told me I'd have my hands full with her next spring, though. Trust me, I love her to death and she's my pride at joy.

And Eolith, I can't read your link thoroughly right now because I'm about to leave school (I'm on a school computer), but I don't ride Lily like a racehorse. We never even canter. I have on her before, but we just walk and trot 99.9% of the time. At least this last year we did. I know that's probably no excuse. I'm just following orders.


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## phantomhorse13 (Feb 18, 2011)

Freelance Cowgirl said:


> The only long ride we've ever gone on is 5 miles one day, 14 mile round trip the next for charity, and a few more the next day on trails with the people who held the charity ride. And I'm only around 90 pounds I wouldn't even be on her if I was heavy. I'm not even fully grown myself yet.
> 
> If you say she can't be conditioned then I'll just try to ride another horse.
> 
> ...



Please read that article, as its the best reason (and using science, not anecdotes) as to why your filly is too young to be "conditioned" at all at this point (at least if you want to be riding her for years in the future).

Does your trainer ride distance or does s/he do something else with horses normally? I am surprised someone has been telling you to ride those kinds of miles on such a young horse. As Joe already said, AERC-sanctioned rides allow 4 year olds to do limited distance and 5 year olds to do endurance (and that is actual birthday, not january-first age).

While I have no problem, personally, with introducing a horse that age to the saddle and doing basics, I would be very worried about joint damage from any sort of serious riding.


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## Eolith (Sep 30, 2007)

Yes, please read the article thoroughly as soon as you get the chance. It's good to be educated about the choices you make -- rather than to just do as you're told.

Trust me, I understand the pressure. Everyone in the horse world has vastly different ideas of when to start a horse and how hard to work them. I own a 2 year old mustang and I've been told it's high time that he's started under saddle, but honestly I'm in no rush and if I don't even get him really working until 3 1/2 to 4 years old it won't bother me (though it is likely he'll be starting light work this summer as a 3 year old). Until then, he's been getting a very very thorough ground education.

Some people like to say that if you don't start them and ride them a lot as a 2 year old, they'll be more difficult to start as a 3 year old because they'll be more "rebellious" or "opinionated". These people are basically saying that if you don't start them as a baby when they still don't know any better, it will be harder to make them a good riding horse. I say to those people: guess what... I want my relationship with my horse to be a partnership, not something I pushed him into when he was still too young to understand or protest.


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