Thursday, May 19, 2011

Basics for beginners

I asked a few of my non-endurance horsey friends on Facebook what they would like to know about endurance. Most of the questions were on how to get started. I cover some of this stuff in my previous blog post Endurance Riding for Dummies but I'll go into more detail about training and preparation in this post.

Question 1: How do beginners start out conditioning?

This is an extract from the AERA website on training a horse for it's first 40km ride.

"Long slow distance work is the basis of preparing a novice horse for a training ride. You should plan on riding the horse three to five times per week and allow twelve weeks to get an inexperienced horse fit for its first 40 kilometre training ride. Always remember that rest is critical to the conditioning of an endurance horse as it allows the horse to recover from the stress of training. The training sessions should each be about 1 hour in length with a longer session of two hours or more included once per week.

For Weeks 1 and 2 the horse should be "legged up" at the walk only over flat terrain. Although this is relatively boring for the rider it is crucial to build strength in the legs and condition the horse for its future training. During this period it is a good idea to teach your horse to walk-out as fast as possible so that the conditioning effect is maximised and it will also help you to cover more ground later at rides. For the average horse this will mean covering about 5 to 6 kilometres in a one hour training session and 10 to 12 kilometres in a two hour training session.

For Weeks 3 and 4 you can begin to introduce some trotting (up to 10 minutes per one hour session) interspersed with the walking. When you commence trotting it should initially be for only short distances but gradually increased. During this period you should work on trotting the horse on opposite leads so that it remains even gaited and builds its muscular strength equally on both sides. It is also recommended that you work the horse at different speeds in the trot to develop the horses ability to go along at various speeds and try to cultivate the horse with a calm but confident manner.

For Weeks 5 and 6 increase the trotting to 20 minutes per one-hour session and introduce some hill work. Endurance rides will generally involve some substantial hill work and if you do not have access to bills on which to train it would be wise to float your horse to an area where this is possible. Initially you should walk the horse up the hills and as his fitness improves begin to trot up some of the easier hills. Downhill work this early on should be done at the walk because trotting downhill is hard on a horses legs and you are still looking to strengthen and condition.

From now on each fortnight you should increase the amount of trotting gradually (say an increase of 10 minutes per one hour session) and try to incorporate hill work where possible. At this point YOU could also begin to introduce some easy cantering in the same way that you did with the trotting. By the end of week 8 you should be approximately walking half the time and trotting half the time. For the average horse this will mean covering 9 to 10 kilometres per hour. At this point it would be good to do a 20 km intro ride if there was one available.

Two weeks before the training ride the horse should be given about a 30 km trial run which would take about two and a half to three hours to complete. This will allow you to check how the horse copes without the excitement of the ride. If all has gone to plan and you have had no problems or received no setbacks as a result of lameness etc. then your horse will be ready to attempt his first training ride."
Now, while this is a guideline on how to get a horse fit for a 40km Training Ride, it's probably a good idea to aim for a 20km Social Ride first as suggested. This will give you a good indication of how your horse is coping physically. If your horse hasn't recovered well after doing a 20km Social Ride then you should probably reconsider doing a 40km Training Ride.

Question 2: How do I find out what rides are on in my area?

A calendar of endurance events is available on each State's website. They should specify what distances are available, but if in doubt contact the ride organiser for more information.

NSW website   QLD website   VIC website   SA website   WA website   TAS website

Question 3: What gear do I need to do endurance?

Saddles & Bridles : You don't need a special saddle or bridle to do endurance. You can ride in whatever you and your horse are most comfortable with - you can even ride bareback in a halter if you like! There are people doing endurance in dressage saddles, all purpose saddles, stock saddles, treeless saddles, swinging fender saddles, military saddles... just about any saddle you can think of. It really comes down to personal preference. The most important thing to consider when choosing a saddle for endurance is comfort, because you're going to be riding in it for a very long time. It's also a good idea to make sure your saddle fits correctly before you start training, but I'm guessing you already knew that! Bridles and bits come in all shapes and sizes, from snaffles to hackamores and even bitless. The only rule is that the gear you use gives you full control your horse, so don't ride in a halter unless you're one hundred percent confident you can control your horse in it. Tip: avoid riding in a saddle with large knee rolls as your legs will be too far back going downhill.

Safety Gear : All riders must wear helmets that meet the AS/NZ 3838 standard. No bicycle helmets allowed. If you decide to wear sneakers or flat-soled shoes, you must have safety cages fitted to your stirrup irons so your feet can't get stuck.

Optional Extras : A padded breastplate will prevent your saddle from slipping back when going uphill - if you're doing a ride with hills in it then I'd strongly recommend using one. A crupper fits under your horse's tail and prevents the saddle sliding too far forward - I personally haven't used one, but some people like them.

These are just the basics to get you started. Like with any discipline, there are the bare essentials and there are the frills! There's no point rushing out to buy a tonne of new gear because chances are you probably won't need it yet. Start by using what you've got, and if you really like endurance you can buy more gear as you go. You'll get a much better idea of what gear you need simply by riding.

Well, there you have it. Hopefully I've answered some of your questions about endurance and inspired you to give it a go. It's really not that scary, I promise. So what are you waiting for? Get out there!


Endurance is suitable for people of all ages!



1 comment:

  1. This is a fantastic blog for those of us just starting out. Thanks so much for taking the time to share your wisdom :)

    ReplyDelete