Endurance riding training advice

[system]

I feel my horse (Boss) is coming along with his training pretty well, considering he is, from what I have read, a horse that would not be considered as a choice of individuals looking for an Endurance Horse. He is a 8 year old, halter bred registered Paint (Impressive line), 1350-1400lb and 16h. I thought when I originally got him 3 years ago that we would go into roping and utilize him as a header horse – the cost for this was outside my budget and do to his personality of enjoying and willingness to work hard, I decided to try endurance due to the fact I really enjoy spending a lot of time with him (he is my baby and I haven’t had a horse that I bonded to as deeply as with Boss). I am using a western rig, heavy roping saddle and a bosal, until I can budget an endurance saddle. So with me being ~40lb overweight, he is carrying a 300lb load.

Boss and I have worked up slowly too (in last 5 days) doing two 8.0 (avg 7.0 and 8.0 MPH) mile runs on consecutive days then having two days rest and completing a 10.8 run (8.5 MPH) - all on flat trails - SC low country. I normally do a fartlek type run for the first 4miles (avg 5.5-7.5 MPH) to work on different gait speeds and his stop. This is to work on better control, as at times he will run himself to death, if I don’t hold him back and he was getting to the point of running through my cues to slow down. In the last half of the run, we work on a consistent fast trot (his fast trot is 11-12 MPH) and normally with small walking breaks average 10+ MPH. On the end of the 10.8 mile run the last 6.6 miles we averaged 10MPH, with a 10.6 MPH for the last 4.2 miles. In all of the runs he has recovered very well (within 10-15 min has HR < 60 beats/min).

I am new to endurance runs, and want to do a 25mile at the end of Oct. and start doing the 50’s next year. I would like advice on thewhat length of training runs should I shoot for to train for the 25 and 50 mile races?

[BarbeyGirl]

Head on over to the American Endurance Ride Conference (AERC) website and read their educational articles and handbook. You’ll find all kinds of good advice about conditioning, tack, nutrition, etc there.

[saratoga]

My advice, which is just my 2 cents, is that you are training way too fast, especially if your horse wants to “run himself to death” and blow through your aids. The first few seasons, you should concentrate on doing slow, in control rides where your horse learns the ropes, learns to relax, learns to take care of himself, etc. Then if you want to start racing, thats one thing, but its a bad idea to start endurance with the idea of racing right off the bat.

I myself do about 1 long work-out ride a week, working up to doing about 15 miles at an overall average pace of 5-6 mph. If your horse can do that and look great afterwards, he should be ready for a slow 25 (assuming the terrain, temperature, etc. of the endurance ride is similar or easier than what you’ve been training in). Then the other 2 or 3 days a week, I would do arena work (to work on the horse’s rideability and your riding) or a simple trail ride.

[system]

Before I started going to the longer mileage runs, I had become lax on trail rides when out with friends and we would lope or trot, and did not require the shutdowns. That was the main reason he had a reduction in his response (it is always the rider, and not the horse). During the off-days, I do ground work and go back to basics of directional control (leg and neck reining), rollbacks, etc.

I might of pushed him a little too much on the last run, but I appreciate the comment about more LSD runs. Its a good idea and I will start incorporating it in our training.

[chicamuxen1]

You might want to consider not calling your rides “runs”. We would all hope that you aren’t training by running your horse as the term implies. As most people don’t call their competition “Races”. “Running” and “Racing” just sort of gives an impression to other horse people that isn’t necessarily favorable. The term “running” may not be what you are really doing with your horse but folks won’t know that.

Take it easy, do long slower rides at a medium trot with plenty of breaks to graze along the way. Get your horse mentally in the right place. Find other riders to train with so your horse learned to relax while working in a group.

I know a couple of QTR Horses that are doing well in endurance but they have had time to slowly develope those slow twitch muscle fibers and have gradually attained a sleeker flatter musculature. One of those two has heart rates/recoverys that are phenomenal.

Bonnie S.

[system]

RacinJ -

It seems you are doing too much w/your horse. Give that big bulky guy a chance after all he is having to carry you. :eek:

It was recommended awhile back to start w/competitive trail riding before advancing to endurance racing. I wonder what other thoughts are on that.

Love ME

Gayle

[IrishKharma]

I would incorporate more walking and you walking/jogging beside your horse. That is a lot of weight to carry long distance. You will feel better and be a better athelete as well.

Walk, walk, walk. Long slow distance. It’s not that he can’t do what you have worked up to, but you are trying to build a solid foundation. If you loose weight also, you will be a better rider too.

[saratoga]

I think CTR is good to start before endurance. One drawback is that it does not seem to be in all areas- endurance is more widespread. But it is good to teach pacing and to have more structure. In endurance, you pretty much have the freedom to do whatever you want, which can be detrimental to the horse if the rider doesnt know what they are doing.

[rainechyldes]

One of the biggest things that newer riders to the scene seem to do, is train too fast, and too much and too hard:/ I know it’s mainly due to enthusiam, but heres some points maybe worth considering, when planning your training schedule for say… an LD (25-30) miles.
So, most importantly

ANY horse that is in average-medium fitness can do a slow* 25 miler without extra training!. Without doing itself any harm.

So… if we take that idea, and then apply it to training.

I have Bob (Arab/Appy cross whose a bit on the appy side weightwise) - who is of average fitness, and has been working to ‘some’ extent in other stuff all along.

I want to do 25 miles.

I’ve never ridden any endurance before myself, so new rider / new horse/
I’m going to look at doing a slow LD as our first experience.
Here that is a 5 hr ride. ( I choose 5 hrs, because where I live, due to terrain, (mountains) 5 hrs is a solid time goal for a first ride. Not 4… not 3… not 2.

So here’s the schedule I used for my youngest horse (who’d never been to any ride, ctr or endurance yet) first 30 miler this season.
He had been working in the arena all spring.
SO 'bob ’ was reasonably fit, but had limited outside work this year yet.

before his 30 miler

I rode. a grand total of… you ready for this.?

36 miles.

3 - 12 mile loops. period.

Spaced out over the 2 1/2 weeks before that.

There were not ‘fast’ miles either.

1st time out - 3hours.
2nd time out 3…hours I think:)
3rd time out, I think we missed one pit stop and came in a 2 1/2 hours. - which for a SLOW 25, in 5 hours… is actually now… competition pace. yep?

Did I ride him in between , of course, but not for training, we went for a 20 minutewalk up the trail a few times, rest - his normal arena schedule. --jumped some xpoles, worked on our canter in the ring… yada yada.

Ride day:
Ride time 5 hours and change.
Vet card all As except his gut which was a B. Which he vetted with on Friday night as as well, - he was a bit nervy having never been well…anywhere before. So I attribute the gut sounds as B to that for the time being, shall see at his next ride if there’s a pattern

[system]

Personally, I think your training regimine is fine. I’m in the process of putting LSD on my 2nd endurance horse and brought my first horse up very slowly over the course of a few years (including 25 milers) before starting 50s. She’s injured now and on pasture rest. My 2nd horse is a bulky 14.3 QH like yours and you’ll have to condition more often and harder than those with arabs to keep your horse in condition, but do not neglect your LSD the first year.

One item I would recommend getting ASAP is a heart rate monitor. If you are doing fartleks, it is essential you know how fast your horse is recovering to monitor your horse’s condition and to adjust your sprints to how your horse is doing.

Good luck.

[Auventera_Two]

A lot of ranch horses out west do mileage that would put our endurance horses to shame. It’s not uncommon for ranch horses to go out 5 days a week and cover 25 or 20 miles a day. But it’s fairly slow work. Walking and jogging, some loping.

I have a QH that is very heavily muscled, bull dog roping horse. She has done a 25 and a 30 LD and did great.

I think heavily muscled QHs CAN do well in LDs because ranch horses were bred to work cattle from sun up till sundown. The problem comes with the speed. I would be really really careful with the speed. My QH loves to run her little heart out. She does it in the pasture all the time too. I took her on a 1/4 mile airstrip and we clocked her at 30.1 mph with the GPS. And that was with NOOOOO urging from me! :eek: Just took her to the end, loosened up my reins and we were off. Horses enjoy running, it’s in their blood. But you just can’t let them do too much of it, or on the wrong terrain.

I think people freak when they hear anything about running or galloping, when the truth is, if you ever see a Quarter Horse get down on a cow, they might hit 35 miles per hour. I think we can all learn a lot by hanging out with some cowboys. Those big stock horses sprint all the time. Or what about barrel racers? Those horses sprint in a flat out gallop when they’re heading home. But certainly for an endurance horse, slow and steady would be the key tactic. Not speed. QHs aren’t meant to maintain that kind of stamina. They are built and bred for short bursts of speed.

There is a big paint gelding in the AERC that does 100 milers, and he wins too. But he looks really thin for a stock horse and I’m sure his owner took years to condition him. It can’t happen overnight, that’s for sure.

The biggest problem I have with my stock horse is stiffening up in the trailer. Those big ole’ muscle groups have to be very slowly warmed up and stretched. I started using a Back On Track blanket for her and have noticed a major difference in how fast she warms up. I do massage on her, carrot stretches, touch the hip with the nose, etc. before I ride.

My stock horse has incredible recovery rates. Just incredible. She can pulse down in about 1 minute, she rarely gets tired, and she has the heart of 10 horses. The only reason I don’t compete her is because I’ve been focusing on the young Arab and also because the QH has a teenie bit of high ringbone and downhill conformation. I believe the horse only has so many miles in her and I want her to still be sound at 25 years old.

I’ll do a couple more LDs with her I’m sure, just for fun but there sure won’t be any speed involved. She could do a 4 1/2 hr. 25 LD but certainly no faster than that I wouldn’t think.

[rocknK]

But…those 13.2 800lb arabs can run all day & half the night. Oh, & most of those are being ridden by riders who are only a little bigger than jockeys. I’d keep the big horses for what big horses do best, work! Endurance truly is an arab dominated sport. You’re only kidding yourself if you think you can compete with a stock horse.

[Bank_of_Dad]

Ha Ha, my motto is “Ride an arab: Never too tired to spook”.

[Auventera_Two]

@rocknK;3542085

But…those 13.2 800lb arabs can run all day & half the night. Oh, & most of those are being ridden by riders who are only a little bigger than jockeys. I’d keep the big horses for what big horses do best, work! Endurance truly is an arab dominated sport. You’re only kidding yourself if you think you can compete with a stock horse.

Naaah. That’s not true. It depends on your definition of “compete” is. I see a lot of Appys and Morgans on the trail. If you’re doing LDs and finishing within the time limit and getting your mileage, so what? Sure the Arabs might run at the front and win everything, but there’s more to the sport than just winning. You can actually walk and trot the whole 25 and finish it in 5 hours and get your mileage, AND keep doing this for years if you have a suitable horse. And your horse really hasn’t done any more work than a ranch horse working cattle all day or riding fences.

[rocknK]

25 miles really is more of a trail ride. Endurance is 50/100 or more miles. Thats where the arabs shine.