Interested in Distance Riding?
I did not grow up trail riding. Back when I was a teenager showing Hunter/Jumpers riding “out” was a once a year event. After the hay was off the pastures we’d all go out and basically get run off with in the open fields! It was actually kind of scary, and compared to the fanfare of the show world, trail riding seemed boring. Yes, boring... yet terrifying at the same time.
Somewhere around 2002 I was actually introduced to trail riding by our neighbor. I had a TB broodmare that I couId ride so we experimented with taking her out along with my friend’s seasoned trail mount. My mare, Dazzby, had 40 starts at the race track and had only been raced and then was a broodmare. It ends up she absolutely loved the trail. It was so fun to go out in the woods around Castle Rock and explore. She always seemed as excited as I was to see what would be around the next corner.
Fast forward to 2009 when another friend invited me to the Klickitat Trek Endurance Ride. I wasn’t sure if I could actually ride 15 miles at one time (this was the introductory trail ride), but I headed over with my neighbor to give it a shot.
By the end of that ride we were both hooked.
The trail ride at this event is an introduction to the sport of Endurance. Riders have to present their horses to the vet prior to the start (usually the night before the ride begins) and also at the end of the ride for a completion. The vets check vitals- such as pulse, respiration, gut sounds, and hydration. Then you must jog your horse out and back, about 100 feet so they can be deemed sound and fit to continue- as if you would be riding on.
Our horses checked in without issue and we then set up our rudimentary campsite to await the start at 8am the next morning. Many endurance competitors have elaborate LQ trailers and pens but it can be done with out that! We cleaned out the back of my trailer and set up cots.
The people we met were incredibly welcoming and friendly. The ride manager even took the time to sit down with us and go over how the process would work, despite the fact that we were total newbies and there were probably 100 real endurance riders there getting ready for the next day.
The trail ride is usually the last set to go out on trail, so the next morning we got to watch the riders getting ready and milling around at the start. It felt a bit like the morning of a horse show to me, I definitely had the butterflies in the stomach feeling as I saw the horses warming up. There were Arabs hopping around all over the place!
Once we were cleared to hit the trail, it was all smiles. The terrain over in Glenwood is amazing. A lot drier than we were used to here in Western Washington. It was late May and the smell of the pine forest, the huge trees, and the different foliage and flowers were really beautiful.
For endurance rides the trails are marked with colored ribbons, paper plates, and lime so that you follow a marked path. Everyone that is on the same distance follows the same trail. The 25,50,75, and 100 mile distances all have mandatory holds interspersed throughout the ride and vet checks (much like the vetting in procedures before the ride). At each check your horse must be deemed fit to continue.
If a horse fails to meet the vetting criteria the ride management usually provides a horse trailer and truck to haul horses back to camp. Once in camp, the team of vets or treatment vet can evaluate and administer care for the horse, or send them to the closest vet hospital if needed.
At multiple points along the trail water will be provided for your horse. Sometimes it is from natural sources such as springs or rivers but many times the ride management has to haul water out to fill troughs along the trail. It is imperative that your horse get used to drinking from these different sources as dehydration is the number one enemy of the endurance horse.
Thinking back, I realize that part of what attracted me to this sport was the fact that with a marked course and a public event (with vet care readily available) I could go out and ride many new areas, some of them quite remote, yet still have help available if needed. I loved the fact that the horses were rigorously checked by the vet teams and their owners to keep them safe. Also, endurance is pretty much a drug-free zone, even common meds such as MSM are prohibited. This was refreshing after spending several years working in the TB racing industry.
I’ve since gone on to do many 25-35 mile Limited Distance rides and several 50 mile rides with my homebred gelding Cartman (Dazzby’s last foal). It is really fun to test your training and conditioning by attempting the longer distance rides.
The management of an endurance horse really steps up at the 50+ mile distances. Cartman can easily gut out a 25 mile ride but needs more caution going 50 miles. At this level I need to watch his hydration carefully and he definitely benefits from some electrolyte replacement during the ride. Once, at a ride in Oregon, a very experienced endurance rider noticed my horse was a little “distant” as we visited at a water trough. She kindly offered me a dose syringe of electrolytes and shared her home recipe for making my own batches. Cartman finished that ride, our first 50.
Have I mentioned how awesome the endurance community is?
I’m sure everyone has experienced that little nagging feeling that something just isn’t quite right with their horse? Those little things really multiply in a distance sport like endurance and learning to listen to your gut is imperative. The best distance riders are those that think of their horse first. Everyone wants to finish, but there is no shame in leaving the completion for another day. Going home with a happy, healthy horse is the ultimate accomplishment in this sport.
As with most horse sports, there are those that enjoy the competition and have a great desire to win. More power to them! Others prefer the time spent enjoying the trail, their horse, and the company of other like-minded people. I hear some even enjoy the camping??? There is something for all types or riders and breeds of horses in this sport- don’t believe that only Arabs can do endurance.
I am looking forward to trying my new horse (a 2year old Morgan gelding) at this sport some day. The Morgan seems like they would be a natural at this discipline and I’ve seen some competing successfully already. It will be interesting to me to see how conditioning and competing differs with my new guy. He is certainly a heavier and more muscled body type than my TBs, but from what I’ve seen of other Morgans on the trail- the willingness and desire to go and move out on the trail is there!
I would love to hear from other Morgan people that enjoy endurance, or those that are interested in giving it a try. If nothing else, it is a great way to cross train your horse and build up some nice butt muscles.
Happy Trails!
Karen Weiderman
