Endurance/Long distance riding

eorna

Hi there,
I'm hoping to start long distance riding in the new year. The thing is I'm a complete beginner and I don't know anybody else involved in the sport. I would love to start a discussion about it. Is there anybody out there interested in the sport or anyone with experience who could offer some advice?
Thanks.

convert

Not sure if you've contacted them already, but the ILDRA should be able to give you some advice and may be able to recommend the best place to start and perhaps be able to introduce you to some others who are starting off or are at the same level as you.

eorna

Thanks for that. I did contact them already and went to one training night, which was a good introduction, but there is so much to learn! And as far as I know there is no long distance riding forum in Ireland. I know lLDRA are planning one. So here would be great if anyone is interested.;)

Gokmen

Hi Eorna,

I just moved from Turkey to Dublin. Endurance riding is increasingly popular there. No wonder, so many Arab horses there.
I checked the website, I am very interested too but I see it is only in the North of Ireland.

I am thinking of a ride from Dublin to Galway in the future..

BTW I plan to import Turkish/Caucasian Karachai horses from Turkey next year. They are better than Arab horses for Endurance.
Hope somebody can help me with the paperwork..

cheers

Gokmen

s.behan

Hi There,
Myself and my friend started endurance riding this year and we really enjoyed it. My advice would be to start by doing a few pleasure rides, they're organised by Endurance Leinster on the same courses as the Compeditive Trail Rides(CTR's) but you can ride at your own pace, enjoy the scenery and get you and your horse used to long distance riding. They vary from about 8km's to 26km's. The organisers are very friendly espechially to people just starting and they will pair you up with people and groups of the same ability. All details can be found on the Endurance Leinster Website.
Pm for more details.

eorna

Hi Gokmen,
There is long distance riding in Leinster too and quite a few in the Wicklow area. Riding from Dublin to Galway sounds great, maybe you could let us know if you go ahead.

eorna

Thanks S.Behan,
Pleasure rides are the plan for next year alright. What's the longest distance you did and what training did you put in? For example how many times a week did you excercise you horse and how long? Did you really work on his fitness or did you take it easy?

eorna

Gokmen, why are the Turkish horses better than the Arabs at endurance?
They say nothing beats the arabs long distance on the flat. Are the Turkish horses better on rough or mountainous terrain? Are they more sure footed? The Arabs don't seem to be, mine certain't isn't!

Gokmen

Hi Eorna

The club I was riding at was maybe the best endurance horse riding club in Turkey. They will introduce the Karacay horse to Turkey. The Karacay horse comes from the Caucasian region, lives in mountainous areas. They dont ride them until they are 4 years old. They also do variations e.g. crossbreds with Arabs or English thoroughbreds. They usually have a brown colour and are quite tall

The Advantages of the Karacay horse are:
incredible long riders, fast, even on flat ground
sturdy (the horses are left in the mountains and have to survive)
you dont need hooves for the hindlegs
they are very surefooted, they will walk around a stone with their legs
they are social, stallions get along well with each other
they are not afraid/spooky

My friends went there to the Caucasus this year to compete. they divided the horses into 3 classes, the A class can go 160 km. The astonishing thing is (as far as I heard) you can gallop the last kilometres without disqualifying because of the pulse of the horse..

They didnt market these horses much so you wont find them in books, even finding picture on Google image search is difficult.
Hopefully I will import one next year..

Gokmen

mylittlepony

Hi Gokem,

Very interested in your story.
can you post a picture of this horse breed?
Thank you.

Gokmen

Here a few pics of Karachay horses..

girlrocker

i wish they'd set up their website. i'm really interested in stating when the weather gets better, i have a 14.2hh connemara cross. i'm 18 so i can't jump him. so endurance riding would be great fun :rolleyes:

s.behan

Pleasure rides start at about 8kms, you don't really need to a huge amount of training for these, we were just hacking out everyday or so. You can go at your our pace so you don't have to push your horse/pony. The longest we did was 26kms. We had been doing about 8 miles hacking twice or three times a week and doing pleasure rides at the weekends building up to doing the 26kms. But as i said there's no pressure with pleasure rides, you can take a break if you need to. Everyone is very helpfull and will give you plenty of advice. My advice would be to aim at doing an 8km ride to begin with.Ring the organisers the day before to let them know your coming. Arrive early on the morning of the ride, pleasure rides normally start at about 9 or 10am. Go up and introduce yourself to the organisers, if your on your own they will try to pair you up with someone doing the same distance. We're starting this year at Hollywood on the 24th of Jan the organiser <snip>. If you want to pm me i'll send on my mobile number you can give me a call on the morning of the ride.

No personal details - i.e. mobile numbers, etc. - in posts please. If you would like the organiser's number, please PM s.behan. Thanks

eorna

Thanks for all that S.Behan. Good advice. The Hollywood Ride would be great, not sure if I'll make it but will try. My mare was just broken in March and is not very socialised yet so have to work on that. I was working a good bit on her fitness until Christmas and now she hasn't been ridden for over a week. But started back lunging her today so hopefully the end is near with this weather!

s.behan

Yea my guy is the same, we've got an outdoor arena so its been frozen for the past couple of weeks. There's plenty of rides on over the next few months so you'll have plenty of time to get started with your youngster, i'll be bringing my 4 year old out on one or 2 rides during the summer. Keep an eye on the endurance leinster website for more dates, sometimes they run information evenings too. We went to one last year and found it very useful.

irondeh

eorna wrote: »

Hi there,
I'm hoping to start long distance riding in the new year. The thing is I'm a complete beginner and I don't know anybody else involved in the sport. I would love to start a discussion about it. Is there anybody out there interested in the sport or anyone with experience who could offer some advice?
Thanks.

I'm in the same frame of mind. I need to find out if there is anybody into endurance riding events in southern ireland?

s.behan

Hi Irondeh,
I started out endurance riding last year in southern Ireland, and i'm starting back soon. I can try to answer any questions you might have.

irondeh

Well the first question would have to be, are there any events coming up and where?
I've got the use of a very tough but willing little horse who would love this sort of thing. Everything seems to be happening up north.
Irondeh.

eorna

hi irondeh,
have you checked out www.enduranceridingireland.com? It gives you a list of all their events for the year. There's plenty down south, at least one a month if not more. A good few in Wicklow, Donard mostly. They advertise the next event in the Farmers Journal , under trail riding and as far as I know in The Field too. Have you started training your horse for longer distances yet?
Nice to hear from someone in the same !:)

irondeh

I did'ent know about the Farmers journal and Irish field. although had checked out the website.
Yes, wicklow seems to have a lot going on.
I'm amazed it has not caught on in the south as much. There is great potential in the Ballyhoura mts.

s.behan

Its staring to catch on by the end or last year there was loads of new people starting. I can highly recommend the one in castleruddery in wicklow, its run really well and its got some fantastic scenery. Its a nice one to start with, they do a 12km pleasure ride which is great for getting your horse used to it. The more experienced riders reccommend trying to get your horse to a point where he can keep the same pace ideally trot throughout, pleasure rides are ideall to start out because your not on the clock. Keep an eye out for race riders on the tracks, if they approach from behind pull in to the left and let them pass. There normally riding Arabs.

irondeh

Yes, it all sounds good, unfortunately wiclow is quite a distance away.
will see how things go!

Irondeh