# Endurance riding



## livestoride (Mar 30, 2011)

Hello and welcome to the addicting world of endurance! The first place to start is the AERC website. They have a free online handbook with all the information you need to begin and a training schedule that you can modify. Each event is different but true endurance starts at 50 miles in 12 hours. Limited distance is 25 miles which is a good starting point. There are also novice rides that are 12.5 miles to help you get started. Look for regional clubs that may hold events as well. Competitive trail riding is a different event so when researching make sure you know what you are looking at.

The events are set up to take a max of 6 hours for LD which requires a 4-7 mph pace depending on terrain and the vet break time. Lots of long trots and uphill work. The number one problem I have read/seen/heard about is overriding your horse. I've only been to 2 events so I am not an expert. Have fun on the trails!


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## SorrelHorse (Apr 9, 2009)

I first started racing at a ten mile distance. It took us about two hours of leisurely riding along. I never did anything else with my gelding but keep him in good arena-riding shape. We now normally do the 25 mile every now and then when we have a free weekend. We're going to make it an annual thing to enter a race in one of the July events at Lily Glen Equestrian Park.

I found my association by literally googling "Oregon Endurance Horse Rides" and clicked the first couple links I saw. Downloaded an entry form, showed up at the campsite and said "Let's roll." ;D


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## Sharpie (May 24, 2009)

I too am interested in this, though since my gelding and I can't do more than a few laps of the arena at more than a walk yet, I know we're quite a ways off.  Livestoride- does that handbook start with a section on pasture puffs?


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## kait18 (Oct 11, 2011)

biggest thing for conditioning is to start off slow. lots of walking to begin and you want to build to a strong trot as that is usually the gait you will be in.

the biggest help was to remember to only add one thing at a time to training sessions for conditioning
ex.
if working for an hour at a walk for a few weeks and ready to move to somethng new. then keep the hour but add trotting within the hour. 
dont add trotting and more time. if you want to add more time dont add more work.. does that make sense :/

i will try to find you the link i used


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## kait18 (Oct 11, 2011)

here ya go
this is one link
Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Endurance Riding


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## Hidalgo13 (Dec 24, 2010)

subbing.


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## phantomhorse13 (Feb 18, 2011)

sapphiresrider said:


> I ride 1 - 2 hours a day on a weekday and normally all day on the weekend. I do jumping, and just lessons on a weekday, on weekends we do hacking and jumping.



Your horse may already be fitter than you think, if you are actually moving around for most of the time you say you are riding! I have found most horses who are "normal riding" fit can make it thru an LD if they are ridden reasonably. You may not win the ride, but you should be able to finish it!

I second the link kait gave you, the OD is a wealth of information on how to get started. If you can find a mentor in your area, that would be even better.


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## Sharpie (May 24, 2009)

kait18 said:


> biggest thing for conditioning is to start off slow. lots of walking to begin and you want to build to a strong trot as that is usually the gait you will be in.
> 
> the biggest help was to remember to only add one thing at a time to training sessions for conditioning
> ex.
> ...


That's good to know. If I understand then, for example, if we're riding for one hour at a walk 75% of the time and trot 25% right now, the best choice would be to up the trot percentage OR up the total time, but not both at once, right? How long would you wait between changes in the intensity? 

It seems like it would be tough to make sure you're getting the 'same' workout in though, even over several days. Or is that just me? Sometimes we'll work on transitions, other days might be more on suppleness, others might be mostly 'picky' things like stopping straight and lateral work, and still others might be trotting on an actual circle rather than weird oblong shapes. Do most people have a more set routine? I ride my guy about an hour at a time six days a week.

Sorry OP, if this is too much hijacking, just tell me and I'll stop!


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## phantomhorse13 (Feb 18, 2011)

Sharpie said:


> It seems like it would be tough to make sure you're getting the 'same' workout in though, even over several days. Or is that just me? Sometimes we'll work on transitions, other days might be more on suppleness, others might be mostly 'picky' things like stopping straight and lateral work, and still others might be trotting on an actual circle rather than weird oblong shapes. Do most people have a more set routine? I ride my guy about an hour at a time six days a week.


I don't think it's about making the workout the exact same every time, but about knowing the intensity of the work.

For example, the day you work on transitions, are you doing mostly walk to trot or are you doing trot to canter or maybe some of everything? And on suppleness days, working at a walk for 10 min is very different than 10 min of cantering. Then you have what I think of as 'brain workouts' which may not be very taxing physically, but can be stressful mentally.

If you want to focus on fitness, then on a day you think of as 'easy' in terms of physical workload (a "brain day"), you can always add in a period of trot or canter work if its something you want to work on every day. Spend 20 min (or whatever time i takes) doing correct stops, then trot for 2 5-min intervals with walk lateral work in between.

I can talk to you about my training schedule, but I don't even have a ring, so won't be of much help that way.


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## kait18 (Oct 11, 2011)

phantoms description is what i was trying to explain


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## sapphiresrider (Dec 19, 2011)

Devised a training schedule for my first endurance ride in April, please comment as I have no idea if it's good or not !

Monday - regular 1 hour private lesson, jumping and schooling
Tuesday - flat/pole work, hack and jumping
Wednesday - hacking with uphill/ground work 2 hours
Thursday - schooling, flatwork
Friday - private jumping lesson + countryside hack
Saturday - roadwork, schooling and jumping
Sunday - all day hack + schooling

Is this overworking or ok? Thanx


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## Sharpie (May 24, 2009)

Rest is just as important to conditioning as trotting and exercise are! There needs to be one day off a week in any training program, for both you and the horse. Otherwise you're setting yourself and your horse up for an overuse or strain type injury.


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## kait18 (Oct 11, 2011)

i would have lessons for desentizing as well from saddle and ground. not sure if your guy is used to new things but you want to make sure he/she can handle anything you throw at them  

i also add in stops with hacks over 2-3 hours . make sure they keep eating and drinking (whatever is on the trail like grass or a creek etc..) at the stop points every once in a while i will practice a vet exam stop. (stop horse untack. touch him everywhere like a vet. make him w/t out on lead line, etc) that way they will be used to ppl comeing over and touching him after a long ride and will still work for you. if you have a few freinds that could help with that it makes a world of difference. like 2-3 ppl go over and touch him while your at his head etc..

just make sure you both (horse and rider) are having fun!!


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## sapphiresrider (Dec 19, 2011)

Thanks  I'll just stick to Sundays for no riding as usual x


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