IS THERE AN ENDURANCE PROSPECT IN YOUR PASTURE?

by Kathy Irvine

Short answer:  Possibly.  Probably.

Images of lean Arabian horses pop up on pages of glossy horse magazines and along with them stories about the small percentage of riders who endurance race at elite levels.    On the other hand, the grass roots of Endurance riding boasts a broad range of breeds and no end to the body styles.   There’s no secret to identifying whether your horse can enter a Limited Distance (LD), the 25-mile, introductory style ride. 

These are things to assess

1.      First and last, the horse must be sound.  There’s no getting around this.  A veterinary judge will evaluate your horse’s gait at trot several times during the competition and your horse must show a level gait.  There is no excuses such as “He always goes that way,” or “She just has scratches.”  If you are unsure have your own veterinarian look at your horse. 

2.      Next, you need to make sure your horse stays sound.  There are several ways to make a mark in Endurance riding.  Many riders consider longevity a goal in a horse’s competitive career.  Start by going back to basics of conformation, to those books and articles with examples of conformation ideals.  There is no such thing as perfect conformation and any horse and the same is true for endurance horses, but it’s good to know your horse’s weak points and see if imperfections can be managed over the long haul.

3.      Your horse must be able to cope with the stresses of being away from home and feel comfortable in temporary accommodations in your camp. You can practice at home.  There are as many ways contain your horse as there are campsites.  Panels, electric tape, high lines, even tied to trailer are suitable stabling methods.  It’s important that you know your horse is safe overnight.  You need your sleep too! 

4.      He needs to tolerate a vet examination.  Teach him to accept a stethoscope for heart rate, thermometer for temperature, skin pinch on neck and shoulder for hydration, thumb pressed on gums for capillary refill, and to have back palpated for sore spots.  Your horse must willingly trot at a steady pace away from vet and trail buddies, and back again. Any hazing by vet and volunteers or slapping with reins can detract from the horse’s true gait.  Trotting out can be practiced at home before and after your conditioning rides, or anytime during. He’ll learn it’s not such a bad deal to leave his buddies for a moment or two.

5.      Your horse needs to be reliable on the trail. It’s unlikely he’ll be prepared for every eventuality, but you need to be confident if an unplanned “event” (moose, bear, other horses etc) occurs, you have some control.  In the same vein, you need to be able to pace your horse.  If he blasts off the start line with mouth gaping, setting an uncontrollable pace, he runs the risk of injury to himself or to you.  Also, if he’s stressed and in a total body sweat he’ll run out of energy reserves before you reach the finish line.

These are the main things.  Any breed of horse is welcome.  The clubs across Canada are graced with ponies, Fjord horses, Tennessee Walkers, Thoroughbreds, Quarter Horses, Paints, Mustangs, Morgans, mules, donkeys.  In fact, by definition, if anyone had a Zebra, it would be welcome.

Of course, body style becomes more important as speed increases.  Heat dissipation becomes a major concern and Arabians have a body style that works very well for that.