Fortunately there are lots of helpful articles on getting started in endurance and I devoured these in no time. If you visit the AERA website there is some fantastic information under the "Starting Out" section. They cover everything from feeding & training to strapping & ride etiquette. There are also magazines available on the Dixon Smith website that will help you get started - I highly recommend the "Endurance - Beginners to Advanced" series. There is certainly a lot of information available on the subject, but if you're feeling overwhelmed at the thought of all that reading, I'll try to summarise what you need to know before doing your first 20km social ride.
Your first question is probably "Can I do endurance on the horse I have now?" The answer is usually "Yes," but it needs to be stressed that there is a big difference between having a go at endurance and being competitive. Think of it this way - you can have a go at showjumping on a Quarter Horse, but you probably won't make it to the next Olympics. Eventually you'll reach a point where you need a horse that is purpose-bred for the discipline, but if all you want to do is dip your toes in to see if you like it then your current neddy should be fine. The average riding horse could probably handle a 20km social ride, so there's no need to rush out and buy Horse Deals just yet!
Your second question is probably "What sort of training do I need to do?" The answer is "LSD - Long Slow Distance." LSD is basically what it sounds like. Spending a Long time in the saddle, taking it real Slow, and riding for a reasonable Distance. Two to three hours of walking with a little bit of trot is a good place to start, assuming your horse is already being ridden quite regularly. If you have a young horse or a horse just coming back from a spell, then you'll probably want to build up their fitness in the arena first before starting LSD work. The trick is to never increase distance and speed at the same time. If you're planning to ride further then don't ride faster, and vice versa. There is a very in depth explanation of how to get a horse fit for endurance under the "Starting Out" section of the AERA website (see link above).
Your third question is probably "What can I expect at my first ride?" The answer is "Organised chaos!" The ride base is a very busy place. There are horses whinnying, people hurrying back and forth, and lots and lots of tents! Once you've found a spot to park (a challenge in itself) and settled your horse, you'll be required to register for the ride. There's usually a registration tent or office with all the paperwork you need to fill out - just look for the line of people. You'll need to complete an entry form, sign a waiver, and apply for a "day membership" which covers you for the duration of the event. When paying the entry fee, most places only accept cash so make sure you bring enough with you. You'll be issued with a "pink card" which is where all your information for the ride is recorded. The person at the office will then hand you a bib with your rider number on it. You need to wear this bib when vetting your horse as well as during the ride. This makes it easy for ride officials identify you and prevents confusion when there's a big crowd of people waiting to vet their horse.
Now you've done all that the next step is to vet your horse. First stop is the TPR. A TPR is a volunteer who takes your horse's Temperature Pulse and Respiration. It's usually a good idea to practice doing this stuff at home before going to a ride. Some horses will object to having a thermometer stuck up their bottom, and others may refuse to stand still for a full minute to get their heart rate taken. It isn't fair to the TPR if you turn up with a horse that is completely unfamiliar with the procedures. For those of you who don't know, normal temperature for a horse is between 37.5 and 38.5 degrees Celsius, normal resting heart rate is anywhere from 30-45 beats per minute, and normal respiration is between 10-15 breaths per minutes. Some horses may be slightly higher or lower than these averages, which is fine as long as you know what's normal for your horse. A resting heart rate of 50 beats per minute might be normal for one horse, but might indicate a serious problem in another horse. Try measuring your horse's vitals at home where he's most relaxed to give you an idea of what's "normal" for him. At a ride, the TPR will record your horse's information on your pink card and send you through.
Next stop is the vet. The vet's assessment of your horse will be much more thorough. They'll check hydration levels by doing a capillary refill test, which involves pressing a finger on your horse's gums to see how fast they come back pink (if your horse is headshy you'll need to practice this at home). They'll listen to your horse's gut sounds to make sure everything is functioning normally. They'll feel your horse's back and girth to check for soreness in these areas. And lastly, they'll ask you to trot your horse out so they can assess your horse for lameness. Most trot outs are to the left around a triangle made of witches hats, a bit like the workout for a led class at a hacking show, but some trot outs might just be up and back in a straight line. Either way, it's a good idea to practice trotting your horse before the day of the ride. There's nothing more embarrassing than a horse who just drags himself along in walk and flat out refuses to trot! The vet will record your horse's information on your pink card and tell you if you're okay to start. The ride officials will hang onto your pink card until you complete the ride and do your final vetting.
Okay, so you've gotten through round one of vetting and your horse is good to start. There is usually a pre-ride talk to make sure everyone knows where they're going. I'd advise against skipping it. At pre-ride the officials will explain how fast you're allowed to go (novice riders must NOT go any faster than novice pace), what colour arrows you need to follow, and they'll also tell you what to look out for. For example, if there's a bridge at the start of the ride, they might ask everyone to walk across it for the safety of other horses. Or if there's a particularly bad section of road halfway through the ride, they'll let you know to watch out for it. Most hazards on course are marked with a red "C" for caution, but occasionally the officials will put tape or orange bunting across it to prevent riders from going that way. If you see any of these things, SLOW DOWN. You will probably need to walk around the hazard or pick your way through it, so you really don't want to be cantering. Not all tricky bits will be marked with a "C" though, so you need to use your common sense when deciding how fast to go on track. If the ground is a bit slippery or rocky, then slowing down won't hurt.
Now, some basic ride etiquette for out on track. If you're overtaking a slower horse, yell out "Passing on your right/left!" before going past. This lets the person know you're about to overtake them, and gives them a bit of time to get their horse under control. Or if their horse isn't under control, they might yell out for you to wait a second. Look out for horses with red ribbons in their tails - this means they kick and you should give them plenty of room when overtaking. A blue ribbons means the horse is a stallion - it's always nice to give them plenty of room as well. When you come across a watering spot, wait until the person in front of you has finished before offering your horse a drink. The reason for this is that some horses become unsettled when another horse comes up beside it and they might stop drinking. Of course, there is the odd occasion where people are pushing in and it's absolute chaos. It happens. I usually just find an opening and slot in, provided it's safe to do so. Obviously you wouldn't park a mare next to a stallion, and you wouldn't try squeezing in next to a horse with a red ribbon in it's tail either! Again, use a bit of common sense and let the people around you know what you're planning to do.
So, you've followed your ride arrows and arrived back at base. You're probably wondering "What do I do now?" The answer is "Report to the timekeeper's tent." The timekeeper will write down what time you arrived, and what time you need to present to the vet. You usually have 30 minutes to unsaddle and strap your horse before you need to vet, so use that time wisely. Strapping is a very individual process and everyone does it differently, but there is one "DON'T" that applies to everyone. Don't wash down your horse's rump if you can avoid it - the muscles may cramp up, causing your horse to appear lame even if he's not. Rub the area down with a towel instead and drape a rug over his rump & flanks to keep these areas warm. As for the "DO'S" there are many. Do offer your horse clean drinking water as well as molasses water. Do offer your horse some hay or a special mash to encourage him to eat. Do wash down your horse's legs with cold water to reduce inflammation. Do take your horse for a walk to pick at grass (and hopefully have a piddle). Do stay close to your horse's buddy to keep them both calm. If you've trained your horse properly and ridden at a sensible pace, this is probably all you'll need to do before heading over for vetting.
The vetting process is pretty much the same as before. The TPR will take your horse's pulse, but if the heart rate is fine they probably won't bother with temperature or respiration before sending you through. The vet will check your horse over again and ask you to do a final trot out before telling you "Congratulations! You got through!" If there is a minor problem, the vet will usually tell you so you can keep an eye on it. If there is a major problem, the vet will usually get the opinion of the head vet before disqualifying you. Major problems may be rapid heart rate, severe dehydration, absence of gut sounds, a serious injury or lameness. Vetting out is something that can and does happen. It doesn't necessarily make you a "bad" horseperson, it just means you need to work on these areas for next time. Sometimes it might mean that your horse just isn't suitable for endurance, and there's nothing wrong with that either. Every horse has strengths & weaknesses and maybe endurance just isn't a strong point in that particular horse. Whatever the reason, don't be discouraged if you vet out. Even the top riders have vetted out at least once! All you can do is learn from the experience and try harder next time.
Whether you got through or not, it's time to start packing up your stuff and get ready for the drive home. I refer to the drive home as "The Final Leg" and it kills me every time. All those muscles seem to stiffen right up after a few hours in the car. If you have any painkillers, now is the time to take them! I've also discovered that Rapigel (aka Isogel) works well on humans as well as horses, but I should warn you it feels like you've been dunked in ice! After you've packed everything up you can stop off at the registration office to collect your pink card and hand in your bib. If you successfully completed you'll probably get a token to recognise your achievement - a certificate, a pen, a keyring, a rosette, or maybe even a little trophy. You should be proud of your accomplishment - not everyone's done an endurance ride! I hope you'll love the sport as much as I do, but even if you don't, at least you gave it a shot!
Me at the end of my very first 40km ride in March 2008
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