# Does anybody know anything about Endurance?



## Wallaby (Jul 13, 2008)

I'm just kinda wondering... I've been told by a few people, that have been around Lacey, that I should try endurance with her since she's just like "that". It sounds like it might be fun and Lacey loves new trails so if it would be easy to get into, I don't really see why we shouldn't give it a try, at least... However, I have no idea what that would entail at all.

Lacey is 25, but she's reasonably fit and really very healthy for a horse of her age. We go on about 2-3, aprox 2.5 miles over varying terrain, rides a week and she thinks nothing of that distance, even at her current relatively low level of fitness (for her). We generally mostly walk on these rides because Lacey loves to GO a little too much. :lol: But, she is really fine going at faster speeds for quite a while. She could probably trot all day if I let her, but her cantering is really not up to par. She'll be breathing really hard for quite a while after just a minute or two of cantering. However, I really haven't spent the time to get her canter fitness up so I'm sure if I took the time, she'd do just great.

Anyway, how do I get into endurance? I know nothing, tell me everything you know!


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## Kiki (Feb 7, 2007)

Im gonna take a punt by your name that your Aussie? Either way. I have friends who do Endurance and trust me its a lot tougher than it looks. The tales they could tell......anyways. Heres the website 
Welcome to the AERA

for the Australian Endurance peeps. Theres links to other websites too and you might find a trail riding club in you area


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## RedTree (Jan 20, 2010)

I wanna get into endurance as well, or at least give it ago.
If you think Lacey is capable then go for it, it should be fun. Just rock up at the next meet thing and do the shortest one if possible, thats what I am planning on doing


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## Wallaby (Jul 13, 2008)

Haha No, I'm not from Australia, Wallaby is just my camp name at my camp and I have a birthmark that's shaped exactly like Australia...  Sadly, those are my only connections to Aus.

I've tried doing an internet search for endurance club things in my area but I've never found anything that's not 4 hours away... Maybe I'm just not looking correctly? If someone happens to want to look, I'm in Gresham OR 97080.


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## GreyRay (Jun 15, 2010)

I just read up about it, and it sounds really fun!
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## Gizmo (Dec 19, 2010)

Hey, I was just talking about this tonight with someone! lol. I want to do it with my guy this spring/summer. I don't think its tough in this area. There really aren't any trails that are too bad and I don't think you would canter unless it was a good flat spot. I'm not sure how it would be in your area though. But around here its not intense like the professional endurance people its more about having fun and going on a trail ride. I would actually care less if I won any ways. I just would like to meet other horse people and go for a nice trail ride with them.


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## Amlalriiee (Feb 22, 2010)

There are a few other threads about endurance and competitive trail rides (CTRs) so you could search those on here as well  aerc.org has some good information under the "education" section. 

Anyway, in my opinion, nobody should do endurance until they have competed in CTRs and done well. The reason for this is that in endurance they have a lot less going on as far as vet checks and making sure the horse is okay. By the time you get to endurance it's mostly YOUR responsibility to know your horse is ready or to deal with the consequences. Endurance is judged by who gets there first, from the top 10 they DO pick "most fit" so then the other stuff does come in...but I feel that it's coming in too late. With a CTR it is judged 100% on condition, meaning how conditioned/fit your horse is. They look for rubs from the tack, sores, interference, dehydration, lameness, etc. It's really quite fascinating to get into. I scribed for a vet at one and learned a TON! There are a lot of tricks of the trade and it will take a while to figure it all out but it's definitely fun!

I say with your horse being 25, and not having done this before, go for a CTR and try to enlist the help of someone you can ride with who has done one before. At some CTRs they even have a division for people just starting out (usually something small like 10 miles just to see if you like it or not). If you know you can get her in shape safely you can start competing at 25 miles. I've gone to CTRs with 25m, 30m, 50m, 60m, 75m, 80m, and 100m as options(usually not all those options at one CTR though). Usually at a CTR you stay at about a 5mph pace (mostly trotting, some walking and some cantering for most people). There are water stops...hydration is very important. You would need to be doing more than 2 or 3 mile training rides if you were interested in doing this though. It's harder than some people may think, though I do love the sport. And if this doesn't sound like your cup of tea, then just do fun trail rides!! haha....any specific questions?? I don't want to overload the thread.


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## Brighteyes (Mar 8, 2009)

Endurance is pretty serious business. It's tough on your horse... Some of them just flop down where they stand from exhaustion, dehydration, colic... Some just flat out flop to the ground and die. If you _finish_ the run, you are considered successful. To heck with winning. 

It takes about six months of conditioning 5 or six days a week to be really prepared for a 25 mile step-up run. We won't even get into 50 and 100 mile races.

At Lacey's "advanced age", I don't think endurance would be good for her. It would be too stressful on her system, IMO. CTR, however, would be fine. Actually, I think it would be a great thing for you and Lacey to try out.  It's mostly walking and trotting, with frequently vet checks. It's pretty hard to get a sick horse through. Conditioning will take about 4-6 months, and most runs are 15-20 miles a day if you're running novice or competitive pleasure. Opened riders can go 25+ miles a day. You can choose to either ride one day of 15 or so miles or two days, coming up with a two day total of around 30 miles. 

In CT, horse and rider are judged separately. Your horse is judged on condition and you are judged on your horsemanship. Both you and your horse start out with scores of 100 and it goes down from there. The highest score of your division at the end of the day wins. 

Horsemanship means how well you ride (going up and down hills without hindering your horse, negotiating obstacles) and how well you take care of your horse (stabling, well fitting tack, etc.).


Where are you located? CTR is divided into five division based on geographic location. I'm in division five. Ha ha, maybe we could ride together!


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## wild_spot (Jan 30, 2008)

Drama! Horses flopping down? Not something I've ever seen/heard of here!

It might be different where you are, but here we have 20k social rides and 40k training rides. You can take a reasonably fit horse into either without too much preparation. Heck, as you know, I did a 20k on my barely broken unfit Latte! I think Lacey would knock down a 20k or 40k with no worries. 

We don't have CTR where I am, but it sounds great, and do agree that it would be a good starting point!
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## BWolters (Oct 14, 2010)

Stupid question what is ctr


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## mbender (Jul 22, 2009)

Competitive trail ride
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## BWolters (Oct 14, 2010)

Ahhh, got it haha.. I Dont know if they have that around me


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## mbender (Jul 22, 2009)

I wish I had the means to do endurance. That would have been a lot of fun.
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## BWolters (Oct 14, 2010)

So just googled the CTR, it sounds like a blast!!! I want in


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## mbender (Jul 22, 2009)

Better work on your stamina!! I mean your horses stamina!! 
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## BWolters (Oct 14, 2010)

HAHA YA, WE can do 5- 10 mile trail is hilly areas w/o any trouble normally but he has a had it easy last month or so


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## mbender (Jul 22, 2009)

God just thinking of riding that many miles on trails is a dream! Used to go camping and went on many trails. Oh my god did we have fun! Drinking by the fire and riding on the trails.
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## BWolters (Oct 14, 2010)

ya thats my summers!


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## Amlalriiee (Feb 22, 2010)

Just wanted to clarify that not all CTRs judge the rider...none of the ones I've been to (ECTRA rides) have had a rider score...so it probably depends on where you are. As far as endurance, yes, it's tough...you'd have to be certain that you know when it's too much and when to pull your horse. Like I said, I wish that it was a requirement for somebody to complete x number of CTRs successfully before even being allowed to compete endurance...just to be sure they know how to care for their horses.


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## Wallaby (Jul 13, 2008)

Thanks for all the help! I actually started researching CTR's after I posted this and sadly, even though there's a club in my state, it's way on the other side of the state. Therefore, to get to any rides, I'd have to travel for upwards of 4 hours. Add to that the fact that I don't have a trailer...Sad day. Haha

But I've decided that maybe I'll hold my own sort of CTR and set a goal for myself like "by this date, Lacey needs to be able to do X miles without being exhausted and really sweaty" since the whole idea of this was to give me a goal to work for with Lacey since I've been kinda slacking on the whole riding thing.


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## Brighteyes (Mar 8, 2009)

wild_spot said:


> Drama! Horses flopping down? Not something I've ever seen/heard of here!
> 
> It might be different where you are, but here we have 20k social rides and 40k training rides. You can take a reasonably fit horse into either without too much preparation. Heck, as you know, I did a 20k on my barely broken unfit Latte! I think Lacey would knock down a 20k or 40k with no worries.
> 
> ...


A social ride is different than the distance rides we have here. It's a competition; people play to win. It can get pretty cut throat and crazy. As overly dramatic as it is, horses get hurt. Some people don't know their horses' limits or just try for "one more mile" or "one more day". Heat stroke can hit just as quickly as with a human, tying up, etc. 

20k... About 10 miles? Lacey could certainly handle that. 40k... About 20 miles? No problem, as long as she stays hydrated. :wink: "Serious" endurance is the only thing I wouldn't recommend.


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## Gizmo (Dec 19, 2010)

Yeah, if there isn't anything in your area and you know people who would want to do it then make your own one up.


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