# Thinking about starting endurance...



## PalominoPrincessx (Jun 2, 2014)

Hi! I have been thinking about starting endurance riding sometime soon. I ride English and competed locally in eventing but it has never really appealed to me much. I love riding out on the trials and riding for 6 hours at a time seems like heaven to me LOL! 
At the moment I know that both me and my Norwegian fjord gelding aren't ready and will both need a lot of conditioning work but I am hoping to buy another horse (I would love an arab!) and IF I think I like endurance then MAYBE he/she could be my endurance mount. I haven't really committed to the idea just yet but I have been toying around with the idea for some time. I would like to branch out a bit in terms of riding because SJ, XC, dressage etc. don't really hold much interest for me, if you know what I mean. I might join in on a LD (that's what it's called right! ) just for fun and see whether or not I like it. Sorry for the long post but I was wondering, what makes you love endurance (or hate it, either one) Thanks! !
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## 2scicrazed (Apr 7, 2014)

I love it for the same reason you think you will 

Though it's hard for the biologist in me NOT to stop and photograph odd fungi.

It's also hard for the Geologist in my not to stop and study an interesting outcrop...
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## PalominoPrincessx (Jun 2, 2014)

2scicrazed said:


> I love it for the same reason you think you will
> 
> Though it's hard for the biologist in me NOT to stop and photograph odd fungi.
> 
> ...


Thank you for your reply!  
LOL I am not entirely interested in plants and fungi but if it was me, weel, then I'd probably stop to observe the wildlife and such LOL!  
Thanks again! 
Anyone else?! ;-)
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## phantomhorse13 (Feb 18, 2011)

For me, its about the challenge of the trail and the partnership with my horse. I did the show thing in the past, but never had much interest in it and certainly hated the politics of the ring.

While I am not totally uncompetitive, I am a lot more interested in doing my personal best than I am in someone else's standard of what makes a winner. This is also why I tend towards endurance versus CTR.


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## Atomicodyssey (Apr 13, 2014)

phantomhorse about nailed it for me, I did all kinds of different showing and realized I enjoyed myself much more on long trail rides. I'm not a severely competitive person by nature but I feel excitement in training for an event, its a goal that gives me ambition. If you are accustomed to the general mentality at shows you will be blown away at the fortitude of endurance riders. Everyone is so nice, helpful, and friendly. Nobody has a "holier than thou" attitude and just so down to earth. They are the kind of people that if you forgot to bring your girth if anyone hears about it you'll have five strangers offering you to use theirs! Many people hear "endurance racing" and think you are galloping for hours over tough terrain. The utmost goal is to complete with a healthy, sound horse at YOUR pace. Go on and take your little Fjord, there is no reason he can't compete and in fact some of those Icelandics have done very well in endurance. When I was in the horse market I too thought I "needed" an Arab and that was the only breed (or part bred) I looked at. I thought about it realistically, which is that I'll never have the resources to truly be competitive. While I would love to travel all over the region on a bi weekly basis its just not ever going to happen. I broadened my search to other breeds and now have a lovely little Appendix gelding. I searched for more of a type than breed, most importantly I wanted a horse I could enjoy and that was soundly built. Endurance is all about fun, bonding with your horse, and meeting great likeminded people.


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## KellieAne (Jul 8, 2014)

I too am interested in starting up endurance riding. I don't currently own a horse, but am kind of leasing a friends Arab and attending the Cobark endurance ride in August up at barrington tops. I have been doing some training rides regularly and can see why Arabs dominate the sport! Lol. Is anyone else attending the Cobark endurance ride??


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## phantomhorse13 (Feb 18, 2011)

KellieAne said:


> I have been doing some training rides regularly and can see why Arabs dominate the sport! Lol. Is anyone else attending the Cobark endurance ride??



Arabs are certainly the most common in our region, but we see plenty of other breeds too. Unless you are gunning for the win, the breed doesn't matter so much as type and training and riding smart.

You don't mention what area you are from, but having never heard of that ride I assume its not in the NorthEast. :wink: Won't be at Cobark, but will be at Moonlight in Vermont in about 2 weeks.


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## KellieAne (Jul 8, 2014)

Hi Phantomhorse13, I live in Newcastle Australia. I'm just looking to do some LD rides just as a bit of fun and to get out and about. Ive been really enjoying my training rides and am learning plenty of new skills and understanding my horse a lot better.


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## The Equestrian vagabond (Mar 14, 2014)

Right now I'm conditioning a part ARab part Orlov Trotter, who's FAT and hasn't done an endurance ride for 6 years. he's had bouts of laminitis, left home for a few years, returned, got fat and I started over on him. (We call him The Dude, aka Dudley, and I LOVE him.) He lost a hundred pounds since winter, I'd love it if he lost a hundred more, but I've got him conditioned for an LD this coming weekend (fingers crossed!!!). My goal is a 50 on him in August... but if we don't make it, I just love getting out on the trails with him. Just take your time, don't rush things, make sure you and your horse enjoy it every step of the way, and everything will fall into place, sooner or later. And if you're looking for an endurance mentor, AERC.org has a list of them around the country - left menu "Mentors - Find a mentor". They'll be happy to help you with questions, or sometimes even ride with you to make it more fun! good luck, you'll get addicted


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