# Newbie to CT and Endurance



## NBEventer (Sep 15, 2012)

So as i've gotten older i've lost some of my guts when it comes to the idea of eventing lol. I don't bounce as well as I used to.

That in mind, i'm in LOVE with trail riding now and I have a standardbred who is a beast on the trails that could go all day and night if I asked her to and not be phased at all.

I'm thinking Competitive Trail/Endurance just might be our thing. I have miles upon miles of trails to condition on. But I have no hills or anything anywhere close to do hill training with. Is this going to be an issue for me?

What are your must haves for this sport? Right now I have an eventing saddle that is super comfy but after about 4 hours your behind begins to get a bit sore lol. So I might need to invest in an endurance/trail saddle i'm thinking. 

Is biothane tack a must have? Or is it just a phase? I'm such a traditionalist with my tack. I like to keep it simple and subtle with colours.

Any tips for someone switching from the eventing and show jumping world to endurance?

Here are a couple pics of my trail riding super star


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## gottatrot (Jan 9, 2011)

That looks like a gorgeous endurance trot to me. Standardbreds are a stellar breed for endurance. 

I got tired of biothane so am back to leather. I didn't like how it got stiffer than leather when cold. I believe most people use them because they come in halter/bridle combos with snaps for the bit so they are easy to deal with at vet checks when you want your horse to get eating quickly. But you can also just ride with a halter under your bridle and slip the bridle off. Most people use clips on their reins so they can double as a lead.

One thing that is nice about endurance is that there is no standard. Everyone uses a mish mash of whatever clothing and gear works for them. 

If your saddle fits your horse and doesn't make his back sore, you might try just adding a fleece or other cushioned cover to the seat. Many endurance riders use those. Any saddle and girth combo that doesn't rub or make your horse sore after a few hours of trotting is difficult to find, so if you already have that you are ahead of the game. 

Put your sponge for cooling your horse on a string so you can use it from the saddle and don't throw it in the drinking water trough or everyone will yell at you. :icon_rolleyes:

People like the wide bed stirrups like E-Z ride but I haven't converted yet. 

The hillwork depends where you live. Many rides are in areas that are flat. If you look at ride times for the 50 mile distance, for instance, you will see wide variations in finish times (by hours). That's because some places have steep, twisty hills and narrow trails while other places have flat, straight tracks and finish much faster. If I were you I'd read the description of some rides near where you live that you might want to do and see if they are hilly or flat. If they are flat, then don't worry about training on hills. 
If you average about 5-6 miles per hour, you should be good for any ride starting out.


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## NBEventer (Sep 15, 2012)

Thank you gottatrot! I was thinking of getting stirrups with a wider foot bed as my knees and hips kill me after long distances of trotting. I think Em will love the sport once I can get her over her trailering issues(loading? Pfft no thanks, she would rather me ride her wherever we need to go, our record so far is 4 hours to get her on a trailer). I ride her in a hack these days so the bridle stuff wouldn't be an issue. I currently have her in a mechanical hack but I'm getting a little s for her instead I think. 

I found a fb group for our local endurance groups. I'm actually super excited to give this a shot. I think its going to be a nice change from the show jumping world.


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## phantomhorse13 (Feb 18, 2011)

If your saddle fits your horse, use it. I suspect when you start doing more "speed work" (trotting versus a lot of walking), you may find your behind isn't bothered. I can ride 100 miles in our saddles - but if i do nothing but walk for an hour, I want to die. I certainly second the suggestion about the wider stirrups. They make all the difference to me.

If you like leather tack, use it. Personally, I am a very lazy person and I thoroughly enjoy just hosing off my bridle and breastcollar at the end of a ride and being done with it. We use beta biothane, which is a lot like leather in terms of feel (and does not get stiff in the cold, unlike plain biothane). If you find you like endurance and eventually want to transition over to beta tack, it does come in brown and black.. so nobody would ever know unless they touched it that it wasn't leather. This mare's owners also hunt, so keep their tack traditional-looking:











Train on the trails you have. You can worry about finding trails with hills if your local rides are hilly.. but that may not be an issue. Have fun!!


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