Looking to learn more, possibly get involved with endurance riding and was wondering if there were recommended trainers/organizations in Central New York. Will be checking the ARIA website next… Please let me know if you have any recommended resources in the area Kate
Endurance is unlike other equestrian disciplines in that you most likely don’t have a trainer/instructor. What discipline are you currently doing? Keep taking lessons in that and add lots of trail rides with an experienced rider to get your horse used to the great outdoors… What breed is your horse? (That might influence your conditioning program.)
There are also no local organizations, just our national governing body which is the American Endurance Ride Conference, AERC.
Check out all the information at the website, www.aerc.org, especially the Ride Calendar. It’s organized by regions and once you find your own, you can see if there’s a ride near you. The best way to get started is to volunteer and/or crew for an endurance rider. Going to a ride is also a great way to make friends and find a mentor and see if this sport is right for you. There also used to be an AERC mentor list online but I believe it’s being updated right now so just email them and they’ll send you a list of names for your area.
Good luck and hope you’ll come aboard!
Good advice. One of the keys to successful endurance and competitive trail riding is the ability to ride without interfering with your horse, and to be able to help him/her out.
Check the ECTRA folks in your area out, as well.
In general, they’re a welcoming bunch, happy to give pointers to newcomers, etc., and occasionally offer clinics.
Just so the OP is not confused – and it can be confusing – Competitive Trail Riding (ECTRA, NATRC, etc.) is not the same as Endurance (AERC only.) These are two different disciplines with different rules and distances.
So read up and try out both to see what fits you and your horse best.
You should check out the new york state horse council website. I think they have an endurance ride in July. You could possibly meet some people through there that could help you out.
Seconding the recommendations to check out www.ectra.org and www.aerc.org
There are a few endurance/competitive trail rides not too far from you, I imagine.
We organize one in Allegany State Park on October 1st – please come join us. (Of course, this is in the very western part of Western New York, but not a terribly long drive.)
Good luck and hope we get to see you on the trail.
–Patti
www.pattistedman.com
Where in Central NY? There are a few people around Ithaca who have been doing this for a while.
One good way to get hooked up is to sign up for the clinic offered in Brookfield in June. It fills up fast, so you want to get on the stick with that.
Indeed, drop me a line (or MVP, for that matter) from my website and I can give you some names and emails when I have a better idea where you are.
There’s an endurance ride at Allegany State Park on May 7th/8th if you want to take a drive and check it out.
I think that Stacia’s ride is late September (near Watkins Glen), the clinic at Brookfield in June, a new ECTRA CTR at Sugar Hill on 8/20, and then our endurance ride on October 1st.
Good luck and we’ll look forward to meeting you!
–Patti
Thank you all for your help. Due to some computer issues I am finally getting back to this. I will be prepared to check out some of the rides mentioned if they are being held next year! I foxhunt, trailride, hunter pace as often as i can. So we put some mileage on and I learned the hard way about saddle fit and equipment. As far as an instructor, I guess it would be more of a mentor as far as how to condition, keep horse sound, prepare for event, what to expect at event, etc.
I have contacted some of the organizations, and will continue to contact others. A local farm in Homer, NY (Lone Birch) has offered to host a longer mileage event if there is enough interest (hunter paces in the area are typically 15 miles at the longest).
Thanks!
kate
