How fit do I have to be to go on an endurance ride?

[enjoytheride]

It’s in the works that I might be able to borrow a horse for a local endurance ride in April. Looks like the ride is 25 miles.

How fit do I have to be since I don’t have to worry about the horse?

I went on an 8 mile ride in December where we did lots of trotting and cantering and I was a little sore after but I had not ridden in about a month.

Currently I’ve ridden 3 times in the month of January. I’ll get back into riding (God I hope so) when winter ends and I usually ride for 45 minutes 5 days a week.

Am I going to die?

[prudence]

You will probably not die! And you will be busy having fun and thinking about your mount’s well-being . The important thing is to be comfortable on the horse and in turn he will have fun too. Also you need to eat and drink normally. You can pretty much gut out a 25 miler especially if you are young…when I was 18 I did a 100 in penny loafers on a saddle seat saddle on a dude string horse I first saw that morning. It does take some getting used to if you trot a lot. You can get off and lead for a bit of comic relief if your knees hurt. Some if us are cookie tossers but it usually takes a 50 to have that happen!

[JackSprats_Mom]

you wont die but you will be sore as all heck.

When I did my 25’s I was riding 6-7 days a week about an hour a day and one day a week hauling out for distance and I couldn’t move the next day.

but is was FUN!

[Lieselotte]

You have plenty of time to get in shape. (Pilates, yoga, etc. all help.) But yes, you must be fit. Not just for your sake, but the horse’s. It is the worst sight to have someone cross the finish line looking like a wet noodle or a sack of potatoes because they don’t have enough core strength to keep themselves upright and balanced for that long. That’s bad news for the horse as they have to compensate for our weaknesses. We owe it to them to be in shape.

Also, get off once in a while. I often jog with my horse and I always get off on steep downhills. It gives them a break and you can stretch as well. A few minutes here and there throughout the ride will really help you not to get too sore. You should also eat and drink well and take electrolytes yourself. That will also affect how you’re going to feel the day after.

If you are riding someone else’s horse, try to train beforehand with that horse in the same saddle you’ll be using. Everything should fit both of you, no rubbing, etc. Any chafing will also affect your riding so will improperly set stirrups (watch for chair seat.) Throughout the ride you can also play with stirrup length. You may find another hole up or down may make a huge difference for your ankles, or knees, etc.

Good luck and have fun!

[Lisa_Preston]

Most of February and all of March = enough time to seriously up your fitness. Enjoy! It will be cool to hear from you in April about your lack of death post ride.

[arabracer]

You should be fine! The biggest mistake I see newbies make(and veterans,too) is they forget to eat and drink themselves. After you feed your horse the morning of the ride drink about 8 oz of water and eat something like a powerbar. Make yourself do it! Otherwise you will be sore as hell, because you didn’t drink enough water and dizzy from not eating. I watched a friend of mine pass out and almost knock out her teeth,because she forgot to eat and drink. People that brag that they don’t have to pee didn’t drink enough.You will feel so much better and enjoy your ride more if you take care of yourself! Rant over:-)

[bits619]

Lurker here, but just curious! About how long does the typical 25 miler take (I know terrain can vary greatly)? I’ve always been curious about endurance riding but don’t know much about it. It does sound like fun!
Thanks!

[ehwaz]

Terrain makes a huge difference in how long you take. For a 25, you have 6 hours to complete. This includes your time in vet checks. A 25 will generally have 30-45 minutes of hold time, so you only have 5 hrs and 15-30 minutes on the trail. Also, in a 25 you have not technically finished until your horse is pulsed down( generally at/below 60 BPM), so you could theoretically get to the finish line with 15 minutes to spare, but if you dont pulse down, you are overtime(I think, it has been a while since I did a 25).

In my area- very hilly and humid, but not hot, the front runners tend to finish a 25 in about 3.5-4hrs, including time in vet checks.

Something that works well for me is to take a drink from my water bottle at every major turn(it will also make you slow down and check the map) and at every water trough/creek. I am dehydrated if I don’t need to pee every 10 miles or every hour in hot weather. I also make small baggies of food that is easy to eat on the trail for each loop. Hard candy and nuts are always good to carry with you. A nice sandwich and cold drink (starbucks bottle frappacino ) are wonderful to have a vetchecks.

[WinsomeTK]

Not knowledgeable at all on endurance, but you guys make it sound fun! What kind of paces usually take place during such long rides?

[KarenC]

Are you going to be riding the horse you are borrowing for the ride?

I can tell you from experience, you can be the fittest rider in the world, and then go and do 25 miles on an unfamiliar horse (in unfamiliar tack) and feel like you can’t move the next day (but I did…another 25 miles…ugh.). I have never been more sore in my life. That horse moved completely differently from either of my two.

[The_Equestrian_Vagab]

Are you going to be riding the same saddle you’ll be riding in the ride? That can make you sore too. But don’t worry, you’ll have a great time and won’t be sore till the next day. and might not get sore anyway, so go have fun! It is good to get yourself in the best shape you can though, for the sake of the horse, like Lieselotte said. You’re doing your horse a favor when you ride him balanced. He’ll have more fun too!

[enjoytheride]

As far as I know I’ll show up, shake my horse’s hand, and head out. So no I will not be riding the same horse or even in the same tack.

[ehwaz]

If you can ride the horse beforehand, even if its just for an hour the day before do it. You want to make sure all of the tack will work for you(stirrups length, saddle bag placement) and have some experience with the horse.

[candysgirl]

[QUOTE=arabracer;7416927]
You should be fine! The biggest mistake I see newbies make(and veterans,too) is they forget to eat and drink themselves. After you feed your horse the morning of the ride drink about 8 oz of water and eat something like a powerbar. Make yourself do it! Otherwise you will be sore as hell, because you didn’t drink enough water and dizzy from not eating. I watched a friend of mine pass out and almost knock out her teeth,because she forgot to eat and drink. People that brag that they don’t have to pee didn’t drink enough.You will feel so much better and enjoy your ride more if you take care of yourself! Rant over:-)[/QUOTE]

ABSOLUTELY eat and drink!!! It makes a WORLD of difference in how well you will do with the ride.

I down a bottle of water or juice of some kind, a banana and some kind of protein before the ride. Gatorade also makes a ‘before’ workout gel goop thing that actually seems to help. I don’t really like them, but it does seem to help with energy levels and general not being tired/sore.

I try to drink at least one bottle of water during each loop in comfortable temperatures and at least two in hotter temps.

At holds, I drink at least one bottle of something. I generally go for juice of some kind. I also generally have some fruit and a sandwich.

For loops, I try to take things that are easy to eat on the trail. Jerky, cheese sticks, granola bars, etc.

For 25s I don’t always take something to eat on the trail. I ALWAYS take at least two drinks though.

I love Dasani bottled water. So I usually take that. It makes me a lot more willing to stay hydrated if I truly like what I’m drinking rather than having to force myself. If you’ll drink better with a flavored water of some kind, definitely go that route.

[candysgirl]

[QUOTE=WinsomeTK;7417444]
Not knowledgeable at all on endurance, but you guys make it sound fun! What kind of paces usually take place during such long rides?[/QUOTE]

My Arab usually moves at a solid trot for most of the ride. He’ll switch it up and canter where the trail allows to stretch different muscles. He’ll walk here and there too, but mostly its just a good, ground covering trot.

[enjoytheride]

Well, It looks like I had a drunken moment of confidence and my horse and I are entered into a 15mile endurance ride in the middle of May.

She’s 19 and I ride her about 5 days a week for 45 minutes, dressage and jumping. How much conditioning does she need? We don’t plan on making any sort of time and we are taking an experienced endurance rider with us.

Since it will be my horse and my tack, anything I need? I have a well fitting dressage saddle.

[prudence]

She should be plenty fit. You might want to ride some trails similar to the ones you two will encounter in May. For instance, if it will be a hilly ride, do some hills regularly so she will have those muscles toned and will not be sore afterwards. Also if she hasn’t had trail experience you should give it to her, riding with an experienced trail horse. The dressage saddle is fine forever but it’s good to have a saddle with some rings to attach a saddle bag and water. You are going to have a blast!

[merrygoround]

As a kindness to your horse, get as fit as you need to be!!

Since I came from a Combined Training background, and have alway gotten my own horses fit, it has never been a problem.

However, having been a volunteer official at both Horse Trials, and Endurance Rides there is nothing more likely to put me in a “mood to strangle” than watching an obviously out of condition rider, torture a horse, simply by being no longer able to ride properly due to exhaustion and discomfort, not to mention pain.

[Gestalt]

25 milers aren’t hard, you get plenty of time (6 hours!) so unless the terrain is difficult you will be fine. If you feel tired or notice your horse flagging you can get off and walk. That will do you both good.

Trust me, 6 hours to travel 25 miles is doable for even a baby. I found that over 30 seemed to be the cut off for a horse and rider too be able to fake their way through. And no worries about the age of your horse a long as she is sound.

[BigHorseLittleHorse]

Your mare sounds plenty fit to do a 25. If she doesn’t have trail experience, you’ll want to start getting her out there to get used to it, and definitely make sure she is comfortable riding in a group, passing other horses, and being passed. You have 6 hours to complete, so that’s a mixture of trotting and walking if you take the whole 6 hours (the trotting/walking ratio goes up the faster you go, but no reason to do that on your first ride). Having an experienced endurance rider with you will be a huge help with pacing.

As for equipment: comfortable shoes and riding pants/tights for you, make sure all your tack fits very well with no rubbing. Things that are tolerable over a 45-minute ride may not be for a half day in the saddle. You will need water for yourself and some way to carry it on your horse or your body (saddle bag or camelbak). A sponge on a rope, clipped to your saddle, is helpful in warm weather for sponging from creeks without getting off.

Good luck and have fun!