# Want to try this, but don't have a horse.



## RegularJoe (Aug 26, 2014)

I love the idea of this sport, but don't own a horse. 

Does anyone rent or lease horses for endurance riding, or is buying really the only option?


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## Dustbunny (Oct 22, 2012)

It's been many years since my last endurance ride but the endurance horses I saw were rider/family owned as a rule. It takes many hours and miles to condition a horse and rider for these events. Personally, I can't imagine ay sort of rent-a-horse program for endurance.
You might try contacting a local club, get acquainted and see if anyone needs a extra rider. It's probably a long shot but if you are an experienced rider you might get lucky.


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## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

I think buying is you main option, I do know experienced riders who compete on other peoples horses
Perhaps you could look into some good hiring place that takes escorted trail rides and build up your experience and fitness levels?


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## Eole (Apr 19, 2013)

You can actually borrow/rent a horse for an event. The FB pages have offers-requests of the sort. Usually, it is among endurance riders already involved but temporarily without horse (lameness or else). I know people from faraway doing the Tevis often rent a local horse to ride. But again, those would be endurance-savvy riders that can't bring their horse that far.
If you volunteer and get to be known, you could have eventual offers to train and ride someone's back-up horse.

The thing is, the coolest part of doing endurance, to me, is the training. It's putting the miles, figuring the tack, having a goal in mind, improving the fitness and creating a bond with the horse. The rides-events are the icing on the cake: traveling, camping, meeting new friends and riding new trails with a personal challenge to pursue.


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## Atomicodyssey (Apr 13, 2014)

Get in touch with mentors in your area and I'm sure you can find someone with a horse that needs a rider. Before I bought my gelding I was referred to a mentor who is also a breeder, and just through emails she invited me to a ride to ride one of her personal horses; just for my experience! Even recently my current horse isn't quite ready and again she offered me a ride. Many have a number of horses they can condition, but not ride at once in competitions. Your best bet as I said is to get in contact with local riders and see. Good luck!


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## Atomicodyssey (Apr 13, 2014)

ALSO... Make sure you are in pretty good shape. I tried a 30 mile LD after only riding a handful of times over the last 7 years and had to pull after the first 15 mile loop. Expect to be doing some steady working trot and cantering the whole time except for maybe a walk the last half to a quarter mile in. My ankles were jello and my whole body sore.


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## SueC (Feb 22, 2014)

Hi RJ!  You'd definitely want to be training an endurance horse before riding in competitions - whoever owns it - because it's training for you as well as the horse - as you are probably already aware - but since we're discussing it, I wouldn't want a casual reader to develop the idea that endurance riding has "jockeys" like TB racing does. 

Actually, the horse is often the least expensive item for endurance competition. The actual travelling all over the place and all the gear (and fuel, and wear on the car) that entails is far more expensive. And then there's tack, although I did all mine in the same good, comfortable AP I used for everything else I did with my mare, and the feed, and the wound dressings for your behind until you are callused properly ;-) (kidding, can be prevented just like in competitive cycling). But it's a super pursuit - not a hobby, more a lifestyle, in which you get to have a close bond with a horse and see lots of beautiful scenery, and meet some really nice and genuine people along the way. The endurance crowd was to me always a far nicer crowd than the show crowd - not many pretentious, snooty people who turn their noses up at others get far in endurance. And the horses are necessarily decent, true working horses, not inbred, fashionably deformed things paraded around on strings. Love the horses!


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## Zexious (Aug 2, 2013)

Leasing may be an option! However, you'd have to find the right owner who is ok with you conditioning their horse for such a sport, as well as hauling it to events.


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## RegularJoe (Aug 26, 2014)

SueC said:


> The endurance crowd was to me always a far nicer crowd than the show crowd - not many pretentious, snooty people who turn their noses up at others get far in endurance.


Funny you should mention that. A number of years back when I first got interested in riding, one of my kids and I decided to just drop in on a show/competition of some sort. I don't recall the name or place - only that it was English riding. Not one single person ever bothered even saying hello. 

A couple of weeks ago my wife and I dropped in at an endurance event and before we found the person we had arranged to meet, about a dozen people had introduced themselves and asked how we were doing. 

We're heading out to the event organizer's farm tomorrow evening. She breeds and trains (mostly) Arabians and was recommended to us by nearly everyone who had anything to say about it. 

As for the conditioning, I know I have some ground to cover. When I'm not sitting on a horse I'm sitting at a desk. I thought I'd start with a novice ride. I figure that would suit my skills and backside. 



> ...can be prevented just like in competitive cycling...


I did some of that in what now seems like a previous life as well. I once did Minneapolis to Duluth (about 150 miles) and back in a weekend as a training exercise. My feet were ready to quit before my back end. Still, if I look in the mirror now I have trouble believing I'm the same person who was able to ride 300 miles in two days. I look like two of that guy. 

Edited to add: 


> ...the horse is often the least expensive item for endurance competition


Yup. I was looking around at all the trucks, trailers with living quarters, and lockers full of tack, and saw nothing but dollar signs flashing before my eyes.


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## Luvs Horses (Jan 9, 2014)

Way back in my young days I help mark trails for a group that was hosting an endurance ride. Even marking the trails they were going at a good pace. I had a lot of fun and got to ride a grey Arabian mare owned by the lady in charge. I was sore the next day but it was worth it. Offer to help out on a group that helps sponser some rides.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## 2SCHorses (Jun 18, 2011)

One of the BEST ways to get involved is to volunteer at a ride near you! You will meet many horse owners, vets, organizers, and while you are learning a lot about endurance riding as a volunteer, you will meet people that own endurance horses and would possibly be willing to let you try an intro ride at a different venue so you can see if it is for you! Also, you will learn what goes down at a vet check, and all sorts of other things that will ease the pressure on your mentor since you will be familiar with all the stuff that happens at a ride. You will get to see a variety of rigs, camping styles, horsemanship styles, and so on. It is really a great way to get involved and meet those horse owners with extra horses!


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## greentree (Feb 27, 2013)

2SCHorses said:


> One of the BEST ways to get involved is to volunteer at a ride near you! You will meet many horse owners, vets, organizers, and while you are learning a lot about endurance riding as a volunteer, you will meet people that own endurance horses and would possibly be willing to let you try an intro ride at a different venue so you can see if it is for you! Also, you will learn what goes down at a vet check, and all sorts of other things that will ease the pressure on your mentor since you will be familiar with all the stuff that happens at a ride. You will get to see a variety of rigs, camping styles, horsemanship styles, and so on. It is really a great way to get involved and meet those horse owners with extra horses!


He has already done that. There are several barns that cater to endurance, and lease horses for rides. At least one in Texas, Global endurance in Utah, and maybe one in Georgia. 

You might try calling to see if any of them know someone in your area. If you are a good rider, there always seems to be someone who needs a horse ridden for conditioning, and that could get your foot in the door for rides.

Good luck!


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## SueC (Feb 22, 2014)

RegularJoe said:


> Funny you should mention that. A number of years back when I first got interested in riding, one of my kids and I decided to just drop in on a show/competition of some sort. I don't recall the name or place - only that it was English riding. Not one single person ever bothered even saying hello.
> 
> A couple of weeks ago my wife and I dropped in at an endurance event and before we found the person we had arranged to meet, about a dozen people had introduced themselves and asked how we were doing.


Yes, that's quite typical for both, in Australia as well! 




> (Cycling)I did some of that in what now seems like a previous life as well. I once did Minneapolis to Duluth (about 150 miles) and back in a weekend as a training exercise. My feet were ready to quit before my back end. Still, if I look in the mirror now I have trouble believing I'm the same person who was able to ride 300 miles in two days. I look like two of that guy.


Wow, that's a lot of cycling. My personal record was 125km in a day into a headwind when I was still at university. Took around 6 hours including breaks and I was beating myself up about how slow that was... as I liked to average 30km/h wherever possible, and on shorter trips it was, especially with a tail wind! 

I didn't get sore feet - I was in toe clips so that allowed me to wear comfortable sports shoes - but I did get somewhat sore muscles! ;-)



> Yup. I was looking around at all the trucks, trailers with living quarters, and lockers full of tack, and saw nothing but dollar signs flashing before my eyes.


Hmm yes, and as we now have other priorities for our money, I don't compete anymore. But I have lovely trails to ride on, and once you have trained and ridden endurance, you'll never plod again, unless constrained to do so by illness or frailty.


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## RegularJoe (Aug 26, 2014)

SueC said:


> Wow, that's a lot of cycling. My personal record was 125km in a day into a headwind when I was still at university. Took around 6 hours including breaks and I was beating myself up about how slow that was... as I liked to average 30km/h wherever possible, and on shorter trips it was, especially with a tail wind!
> 
> I didn't get sore feet - I was in toe clips so that allowed me to wear comfortable sports shoes - but I did get somewhat sore muscles! ;-)


125K is serious riding, and I always despised headwinds. There's a top to every hill, but the wind can blow all day. 

I was competing at that time and my normal daily training ride was 30 - 50 miles, plus I had two seasons of cross country running under by belt as well, so while that was most certainly a challenge, it wasn't completely insane. I had already done several centuries by then and - believe it or not - didn't find them particularly grueling. Challenging, certainly. I had friends in better condition than I was drop out on century rides, but I made up for in determination what I lacked in talent, and my pride wouldn't allow me to get on the "sag wagon." 

I had clipless pedals and specialized shoes with cleats. Very efficient, but not very forgiving when my feet started to swell. I was OK for about the first 120 miles. The last 30 got to be a grind. On the second day the swelling started up about 20 miles sooner and the last three or four hours were not fun. 

Sadly, if you look at me now you'd never say "wow, that guy looks like an endurance athlete." A couple of decades of riding a desk has taken it's toll, but I can still sling a backpack through the mountains, so I think this is within my reach. 



> I have lovely trails to ride on, and once you have trained and ridden endurance, you'll never plod again, unless constrained to do so by illness or frailty.


That's actually one of the things I was hoping for. Winning ribbons doesn't necessarily motivate me, but I know how well competition focuses people to improve themselves. I love riding trails, but don't like spending all day just going along for the ride on a horse that just follows the horse in front of him.


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## SueC (Feb 22, 2014)

Yeah, in endurance riding, most people consider the journey at least as important as the rankings, and are usually more interested in improving their own times and horse fitness from one ride to the next, than beating some other guy. Hence more camaraderie and looking out for each other. I also think endurance riders tend to have a greater appreciation of nature than show riders, and less regard for the "right" clothing and status symbols, and that really helps.

Hmm cycling, I did competitive 10km time trials for my first year out of university. After a certain level of fitness is reached, it's no longer the oxygen or burning muscles that limit you, but nausea! The whole thing becomes a case of, "How much further can I push before I throw up?" And one day, I got off the bicycle afterwards and thought about that rationally, and decided that was really stupid, and that there must be more enjoyable, reasonable ways of staying fit. That's when I started trail walking and mountain climbing - which DH and I still do (although our mountains are considered hills in most countries!).


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## RegularJoe (Aug 26, 2014)

SueC said:


> ...less regard for the "right" clothing and status symbols, and that really helps.


That certainly seemed to be what I saw. The clothing was...eclectic. And if anyone was status conscious, they were doing a good job of hiding it. 



> That's when I started trail walking and mountain climbing - which DH and I still do (although our mountains are considered hills in most countries!).


Done a bit of backpacking in the mountains, but never anything that could be called mountain climbing. Are you actually bagging summits? That's pretty cool, even if they are just "hills."


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## SueC (Feb 22, 2014)

Mt Toolbrunup, on the sandstone spire summit of which my husband proposed to me 7 years ago! 












View of Mt Magog from the cave on Mt Talyuberlup: We did the climb of Magog, walk across the saddle to the peak of Talyberlup, and back to the Magog car park a few times now - Lord of the Rings type scenery and hair-raising cliffs and spires - takes all day to do.











Brett all rugged up before we attempted the Cradle Mountain summit in Tasmania:










That time we only got to Marians Lookout before we got snowed in, but subsequently we've climbed it twice. We used to do all 7 peaks of the Stirlings and all 3 Porongurup walks, plus various coastal tracks, at least once a year before we started house building. we hope to be back to normal this time next year.










Brett on the return from the last time we did the Cradle Peak, where we went all the way around the right of the photo, up the peak, then down and across in front of its face towards the left, to a winding track through interesting highland scenery before climbing back onto this rim and continuing back to the car park. That's an all-day hike, and gorgeous.











Mountain tarn viewed from Hartz Peak, Tasmania. There are so many unbelievable mountain walks in Tasmania that we'd live there if we didn't live where we do.











View over Wineglass Bay from Mt Amos, Tasmania.

Tasmania, the WA South Coast, the Blue Mountains in NSW, the Flinders Ranges and Wilpena Pound in South Australia, the Grampians in Victoria, and various small extinct volcanoes on the SA/VIC border have all been tried and found magnificent by us over our travels. We recommend them to anybody.


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## RegularJoe (Aug 26, 2014)

SueC said:


> Mt Toolbrunup, on the sandstone spire summit of which my husband proposed to me 7 years ago! ...


I think I'd call those mountains in most places. Some of them looked like they might be technical climbs and not just walk-ups. 

Either way, that looks like a LOT of fun.


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## Houston (Apr 15, 2012)

Buying a good endurance candidate may be the option that allows you the most flexibility, but not everyone can just go out and buy a horse. One can still bond with, condition, and ride endurance without having their own horse, although plenty of time and miles must be spend with that specific leased horse.

I can think of an stable near me that leases out horses specifically to be conditioned and ridden in endurance, although I know that doesn't help you being in Minnesota!

Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be many stables like that so that may not be an option for you.

Another option that comes to mind is to look for leasing a horse that may be a good candidate for endurance (free lease, full lease, etc, whatever would work for you and the person leasing the horse out), though it may not be one advertised as an endurance horse, whose owner wouldn't mind you conditioning and taking to rides. It would at least give you the opportunity!

Good luck!


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## phantomhorse13 (Feb 18, 2011)

RegularJoe said:


> The clothing was...eclectic.


:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

What a kind statement!

Before I married, I would have to drive about an hour one way to get to where I trained. On the way home, about once a month I would stop at a certain big box store that was located near the trails.. and would go in still wearing my riding clothing. To say people looked at me oddly was an understatement.

I always wondered when someone would send me a link to my very own picture on the peopleofwalmart website!! :wink: Eclectic indeed! :lol:


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## Eole (Apr 19, 2013)

Don't tell me you keep your blue chaps on while shopping? :lol:


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## phantomhorse13 (Feb 18, 2011)

No, though I do have a pair of tights that have that horrible color blue pattern up the sides.. and I often rode in bright yellow or orange shirts (figuring if i came off into a ditch, someone would maybe notice my body).. so the combo is hardly appealing! :wink:


And for those who may have missed the ugliest-chaps-ever thing, I got a pair of chaps for $5 on clearance.. and there was a reason they were on clearance!!











And despite years of training and multiple washes, they are still just as ugly today!! :lol:


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## Eole (Apr 19, 2013)

> And despite years of training and multiple washes, they are still just as ugly today!!


 The ugly ones are the ones that last forever. (there not that bad, really... :wink


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## RegularJoe (Aug 26, 2014)

Eole said:


> ...not that bad, really... :wink


Indeed. That outfit would have been quite tame in comparison to some of the stuff I saw, which ranged from western cowgirl to...I don't know...court jester with helmet, maybe. 

Personally, I found the whole thing pretty refreshing.


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## SueC (Feb 22, 2014)

phantomhorse13 said:


> No, though I do have a pair of tights that have that horrible color blue pattern up the sides.. and I often rode in bright yellow or orange shirts (figuring if i came off into a ditch, someone would maybe notice my body).. so the combo is hardly appealing! :wink:
> 
> 
> And for those who may have missed the ugliest-chaps-ever thing, I got a pair of chaps for $5 on clearance.. and there was a reason they were on clearance!!
> ...



PH13, you could embroider something creative onto them (outside only of course, so you don't chafe your calves ;-)), like maybe several bright sunflowers, or a small Pterodactyl, or whatever takes your fancy!  Or, if you don't have time for that, maybe some iron-on heart shapes! Then you can make a real (anti-)fashion statement! :rofl:


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## SueC (Feb 22, 2014)

RegularJoe said:


> ...court jester with helmet, maybe.


:rofl:

Yes, it is refreshing. Maybe when you start, you could adopt a Medieval theme. Knickerbockers perhaps, and a vest knitted from steel wool!


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## RegularJoe (Aug 26, 2014)

SueC said:


> ...you could adopt a Medieval theme.


 :thumbsup: I'm liking where this is heading. A knight errant, maybe. :think:

Will I need a white horse?


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## Sharpie (May 24, 2009)

Definitely white, so that if you decide to change your color scheme later on, you can use Koolaide to dye him all sorts of appropriate clashing colors.


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## SueC (Feb 22, 2014)

In that case I vote for a Paint, or a zebra, or a zorse, primarily because I've never seen Medieval period costume with those. And I reckon the armour plating is a little heavy for endurance, unless they are going to run a special competitive category and do it on Draughts... average 400-420kg endurance fitness Arabian really is best off sticking to an 80kg max of rider and gear for their own comfort and joint longevity; and armour and gear alone would weigh nearly that... so maybe just some nice fabric costume, and that knitted steel wool vest! ;-)

Sorry to spoil the free run of imagination with practical considerations!


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## RegularJoe (Aug 26, 2014)

If we combine this...


SueC said:


> Paint, or a zebra, or a zorse


...and this...


Sharpie said:


> ...you can use Koolaide to dye him all sorts of appropriate clashing colors.


We could have a zorse of a different color. The possibilities are endless. 



> ...and that knitted steel wool vest! ;-)


Well, my wife can knit just about anything. 

And no armor for me, but thinking about it, even a lot of leather would make a pretty heavy costume. 

You and your practical considerations.


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## Celeste (Jul 3, 2011)

RegularJoe said:


> Will I need a white horse?
> 
> Evil Knights ride black horses.


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## RegularJoe (Aug 26, 2014)

Celeste said:


> Evil Knights ride black horses.


So, black then. :twisted:


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## NightFell (Dec 3, 2014)

I was in the same boat this year though I ended up getting my own horse after leasing a STB prospect and realizing she didn't really like the trails very much after about 6 miles! Before I bought my girl though, I reached out to riders in my area for horses that I could train on. Folks on AERC are always talking about how they want more people to join the sport- I'm sure someone would be willing to start you out!


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## The Equestrian vagabond (Mar 14, 2014)

I'm late to this thread, but I've been riding endurance for over 15 years now and have never owned my own endurance horse. Find some endurance riders in your area or just go to an endurance ride and hang out (aerc.org has info on mentors and a ride calendar). You'll find that most endurance riders have more than one horse that need riding, and many of them enjoy having people help ride/condition their horses. that way you learn basics and get your riding in too, and eventually they'll probably have a horse for you to ride in an endurance ride. That's how it worked for me, and i'm still doing that over 15 years later! try it, you might get addicted!


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## hyperkalemic4 (Dec 8, 2014)

I do hope you learn to ride well before you start of on an endurance horse. Years ago my husband and I trained a lot of horses also bought, trained and sold horses. When we would get one of those idiots that just wanted to run, was difficult to manage, We would advertise them as endurance horses and just thrilled when we would sell them to an endurance rider. We figured they deserved one another.


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## phantomhorse13 (Feb 18, 2011)

hyperkalemic4 said:


> When we would get one of those idiots that just wanted to run, was difficult to manage, We would advertise them as endurance horses and just thrilled when we would sell them to an endurance rider. We figured they deserved one another.


And _this_ is why I wouldn't even look at a horse advertised as an endurance prospect by someone not actually doing endurance.

There is much more to the sport than wanting to run.

Or perhaps we just know how to handle such horses. :rofl:


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## SueC (Feb 22, 2014)

Hmmm... "idiots that just want to run and are difficult to manage" usually says more about the trainers than the horses... :evil:


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## horseluvr2524 (Sep 17, 2013)

hyperkalemic4 said:


> I do hope you learn to ride well before you start of on an endurance horse. Years ago my husband and I trained a lot of horses also bought, trained and sold horses. When we would get one of those idiots that just wanted to run, was difficult to manage, We would advertise them as endurance horses and just thrilled when we would sell them to an endurance rider. We figured they deserved one another.


Yes, I'm sure you were so thrilled and didn't care a whit that you could have fatally injured rider or horse. That would be a bit like selling a nut case of a horse that reared and bolted and bucked to a barrel racer. They must deserve each other too. :evil:


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## greentree (Feb 27, 2013)

Gosh, hyper, I feel a little insulted. But maybe that's why I have never bought a horse advertised as an endurance prospect.....

What PH said!


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## SolsticeDream (Aug 15, 2012)

I am close friends with the owner of the pony I part board and she is more than happy letting me use her to get into the sport.
Try finding a horse you can partboard/lease who's owner is comfortable with you doing Endurance! It definitely isn't impossible.


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