[a novel about] Andie + me, Endurance Riding, and Ponying!

[ihorse]

Hi guys! How's everyone doing? :)
ETA: More cuts. :'( Sorry this is so huge!

Comments

[luxekitten]

For the bug issue, try Tea Tree Oil (I'm in Australia, it's common here not sure where you are).

1. How/when do I know if my horse is cut out for endurance riding? While some breeds are more suited (ie arabs and lighter types) however I've seen everything from a shetland through to a percheron successfully compete in endurance over here in Australia. I had a QH/arab and she was great. What’s more important is the level of training you put in, the care you give your horse (correct feed amount and type for the workload, regular farrier, electrolytes for heavy sweating etc)

2. I currently have limited access to trails, because I don't have a trailer (although may be able to occasionally bum a ride from friends), but I live in a fairly rural area, so the roads are pretty safe to ride on. What can I do to get Andie in shape for long rides? Ride. A lot. In metric, a horses gait is roughl;y - 6 kilometres per hour at the walk, 12 at trot and 20 at canter. So work that out in miles (I’m assuming you’re in the States) and then work out a

[ihorse]

Thanks for the information, it's been really helpful! :)

[blitzen_]

wow, the sponge idea is SUPER clever!

[dappled_dreams]

In general, it seems "endurance" gets the cop-out of being the "easy" discipline to do when someone feels they and their horse do not have the finesse/training to do a traditional discipline. I am not saying this is what led to your decision, this is just what I see more often than not. So much goes into endurance, even for those who aren't going into the Tevis Cup - if you want to do it correctly, you still need a ton of preparation. Most riders have/should have pit crews that follow them to rest stops in vehicles to be able to give riders needed items along the way and to cart around electrolytes (capillary refill rates are checked often on rides), food, etc. for the horse. I think just about every rider has a heart montior on the horse nowadays to check heart rate, because that is a determining factor in being allowed out of your hold and onto the next leg of a race. Saddle is also very, very important because even at the most basic events, there are checks for soundness and soreness and if the horse is at all stiff or sore, you're

[ihorse]

I realize that you specifically said you're not saying I'm looking for an "easy" discipline, but I just wanted to clarify that and make sure we're all on the same page. :)

My intent for trying endurance is so Andie and I can do something, with a solid goal in mind, establish a routine, and develop a better bond with each other. I think we're both up to the challenge, granted we prepare for it the best way possible, but that's why I'm here asking for advice before I go out and do a 50-mile ride with my unfit horse. ;)

[dappled_dreams]

Kudos to you for making effort! =) I just hear so many people that talk about trying the sport like, "Wah? I can't get my horse to half-pass, tuck up his legs over fences, or keep contact with me - oh wellz! Endurance is just like a trail ride, right? We can do that!" And I do totally realize that's not your attitude, and that makes you awesome XD. But if you can't do all those things in a ring, people don't realize you're not going to be able to do that when you're dodging random branches in muddy quagmires and trying to go over fallen trees, either. And if you can't get a horse to respect a bit in the ring? Good luck - lord knows how far he'll take you in the great outdoors.

I think you will thoroughly enjoy endurance if you choose to get into it. I can find no greater peace than when I'm out in random woods, and I get a real sense of harmony between my horse and I. Just fantastic stuff - and totally underrated! I sincerely wish you the best of luck once again!

[ihorse]

Thank you! It's nice to know that I can officially separate myself from the poor sports and ignorant nuts. ;) In general, I've always had pretty good control of her, except when she's being all herd bound and scary without a buddy. I'm hoping I'll eventually be able to either wean her off from 'needing' a buddy, or find someone I can regularly ride with. As long as she's fairly comfortable, and I'm confident, she'll pretty much do anything. Her steering is good, she bends pretty well, I can do a sort of half pass, and she's a talented jumper, so I think she's going to be pretty cut out for trail work. She's super smart (used to come up with all kinds of freaky ways to try to time her bucks just right to get me off... COUGH like after a fence COUGH), and knows where to put her feet in tricky spots, so with a little more work and conditioning, I think she'll be fantastic, and have much more fun with endurance than me fighting with her to get her head under control and try to force a better trot out of her

[wldhrsjen3]

I agree with both the above. If you want some great information about conditioning, training, and feeding an endurance horse, I HIGHLY recommend Go the Distance by Nancy S. Loving, DVM.

You can also check the AERC website - they keep an archive of articles for newbies and you'll find advice about feeding and fitness and gear. You can also find a schedule of rides in your area, and if you join AERC you can find a mentor.

Keep in mind that endurance requires as much commitment, practice, and training as any other equestrian discipline.

[athystle]

Don't think you are going to have much success ponying a mini from your horse. Take them both for a walk together and you'll see what I mean. Your mini will have to constantly trot to keep up and will tire easily doing it.

[ihorse]

Nah, my mini is really high energy and generally is so excited to be out, he likes going faster than Andie. She tends to plod along because she's got a short choppy stride, which will hopefully improve once her feet are in better condition (they're too flat and flared out), and she's more fit. At that point, I'm hoping I won't have to take BJ out with us anymore, because he'll probably have a harder time keeping up then. We always take them out together (unless I'm going jogging with BJ... he's a better jogging partner than my dog), and he's never had trouble keeping up. Granted, we usually only go for a couple of miles, so I don't know how he'd do with longer distances.

[young_modern]

there are a couple things you'll have to be REALLY careful about if you're going to pony a mini while you're on a full-size horse on trails. the possibility of the leadrope getting tangled on something along the trail, and the possibility of the mini getting too close to the horse with slack in the line and getting the horse's legs tangled in the leadrope. DO NOT tie the leadrope to your saddle or anything. always hold it in your hand, and always pay attention to how much slack is in the line. the best thing to do is keep your reins in one hand and keep the leadrope in the other.

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[ihorse]

I don't think I'll be ponying him on trails, only on the road, because I don't have trails on my property, but I do have friends that live close by. If I'm ever on a trail, it'll be with another rider, in which case Andie usually does fine as long as she is with another horse. So getting tangled in something isn't much of an issue, I don't think, except for Andie's legs, which shouldn't be a big problem either. He's bigger than I think you guys are imagining... I don't remember how tall he is exactly, but this picture will SORT of give you an idea of how tall he is.

Re: ...

[wastedrock]

NO NO LOOP!!!
I've ponied plenty of horses and ponies from my horse, and my horse from others. Your pony seems like a good leader, but he needs to respect your horse and stay at her shoulder. you shouldn't let him get to far behind or ahead. If your horse doesn't know how to neck rein, it's gonna be a lot harder on you, possibly teaching her that first would be better.
I think you should just keep jogging with him, and teach her she doesn't NEED a friend to listen. If she's being herd bound really badly, you can even just lead her far away with all the tack instead of riding her.
Good luck.