Getting started in Endurance Riding can be intimidating but it is easier than you may be thinking. You may be asking ‘Is my horse fit enough for an endurance ride?’ or ‘How do I train for an endurance ride?’ and compared with other sports there is often a lack of training advice to be found easily, with the most common phrase being ‘every horse is different’. Well, that phrase is true and the further you go the more those training efforts become attuned to you and your horse as a combination as you learn more but for starting out you can get going with the basics.
Most riders get intimidated imagining they have to spend hours in the saddle, 6 days a week, to get ready for an endurance ride and ultimately decide that it’s better not to start. Well I’m here to tell you that perception isn’t true and there is nothing preventing you from giving endurance riding a go. Take a look at my 6 top tips for getting you and your horse to your first endurance ride.
1. Choose an event and sign up
It may sound mad to sign up to an event before you’ve really begun your training, but having a goal date that can’t be moved is both inspiring and motivational, even if it just a date in the calendar. Ideally you’re looking for an endurance ride that’s within 90 minutes of travel for you unless you are really out in the middle of nowhere. Choices of distances vary but generally the advice would be to look for something between 20km – 32km if you want to dip your toes in or go straight in at 32km to 40km if you have a more experienced horse or are more competitive yourself. If you are endurance riding in the UK, check out Endurance GB (FEI/BEF affiliated) or Sport Endurance (unaffiliated) to see an event schedule and find one near you. If you’re based anywhere in the rest of the world, visit your country’s national sporting body and they’ll be able to point you in the right direction for an event where you can start your adventure.
2. Schedule your training
Get your calendar out – digital or paper – and count down the time you have before your first endurance ride. Work backwards and break up the time into a weekly schedule of working your horse. The week before the event will be your lightest week for work. My ideal is 4 training sessions a week but sometimes life gets in the way and this becomes 3, and depending on the mentality or if the horse is of a heavier build it may become 5. Take a look at your work and life schedule and see where things fit without over facing yourself. Remember you don’t run a marathon in a day to train for a marathon.
3. Get in touch with the locals
Endurance riders are rarely on the same yard, so the internet can be your saving grace here. Get in touch with your local group and chances are they’ll have social media accounts that will help you make friends in the area. Usually a main sporting body will be split into regional areas so check out their websites or social media to find the one most local to you.
Being able to post your questions in a group of like minded people will help your learning curve and endurance riders are generally a pretty friendly type. Your local group may also run training events or social meet ups or you may just be able to find a ride buddy for the event or for some training at home. Endurance riders are full of tips that have usually been earned over sweat and tears and they are even happier to share their tales so take full advantage of the advice and support to get some ideas to try. It can be intimidating to attend an event on your own, so if you aren’t feeling brave drag a friend along and by the end of the evening they’ll probably be signed up to do the same ride or come along as your crew.
4. Learn the rules
We all know some rules in life are flexible but when it comes to competition rules you better know them before you get there because no one likes getting eliminated
Every endurance riding sporting body will have their own rules so it’s important to check these out when you enter the competition. After all there is no point in training in equipment that isn’t allowed on the day or at a speed that will get you eliminated. Don’t just read them once either, check them again a week or 2 before the event so you have time to ask the organiser if you are worried and make sure if you are classified as a novice then you are checking the rules for novices!
All the rules are important but make sure you have the following covered to avoid embarrassing mistakes:
- Speed – what is the minimum and maximum speed allowed in your class? Check with the secretary on the day for any time allowances that might affect this.
- Timings on the day – how long are you allowed between finishing and presenting to the vet, what time do you need to arrive, etc.
- Tack/Clothing – is your normal tack allowed? Are your riding boots suitable? What does your horse present to the vet in?
- Emergencies – what are the rules & procedures if you get caught up in an emergency on course?
5. Record your training
Whether you prefer digital or paper, apps or page-a-day diaries, write down what you are doing. Write down what you plan to do ahead of time, then record what actually happened. The most important things to record are your basic stats – how far you went & how long it took. Other important things worth noting are how your horse felt, how you felt, if the weather was inclement and your horse’s heart rate. Remember if you have speed limitations in your course you need to take that into account in your training.
Learning how to take your horse’s heart rate is a really useful skill in general horsemanship, but as an endurance rider it becomes a top skill. Your horse’s heart rate will tell you just how hard they’ve worked and how well they are recovering, it’s one of the best diagnostic tools in an endurance rider’s toolkit. Ideally you will take it as soon as you’ve untacked and then again about 20 minutes later after you’ve brushed or washed them off but before you give them any dinner. The rule of thumb is the fitter your horse is, the faster their pulse comes down.
6. Preparation & Packing
No. 6 is here because I couldn’t whittle this list down to 5 without mentioning packing!
Spend any serious amount of time with endurance riders and you’ll run across the list makers and the bucket hoarders. Some people are label makers, others rock a bit of colour coding but most of us have packing habits and every single one of us has forgotten something at some point – there is still a story circling about the poor rider who got to an event having forgotten to load the horse…
Don’t leave your packing until the morning of the ride or your laundry until the night before (damp riding tights – ouch!). Write out a list of what you need to take and what needs washing or cleaning before the ride and attack it over the week leading up to the event. If you can pack the car/horsebox the night before you will sleep a bit better that night as opposed to waking up at 3am realising you haven’t washed your numnah.