Articles and Stories
Endurance riding is FUN! It can have amazing highs from succesfully vetting your horse through his first social ride (20 km approximately) to a trainer (40 km usually) to finally an endurance ride of 80 km! There can be some lows but the lows are worth it for the many satisfying achievements, endurance can be a challenging sport, a great opportunity to learn about horse management and training. Best thing is that if you don't know a lot about endurance, you will find many people keen to help and mentor.
I first started by turning up to an endurance ride one weekend. I didn't know one person but I volunteered to help out with pencilling for the vets and in the secretary's tent. I listened and watched and admired the magnficient fit horses, a feast for my eyes. Everyone was welcoming and answered all of my questions. I was hooked. Several people offered to help me get started.
If you would like to find out what endurance is all about, I recommend doing the same. Turn up to a ride and introduce yourself. Call the contact on the Calendar and explain you would like to learn about endurance and help out. They will love to hear from you!
In the meantime, here are some articles and stories about endurance.....
Starting Out - A guide to how to get started in endurance, what you need, what to expect and many helpful tips.
Four Health Hazards of Endurance - Dr Steve Roberts, one of our endurance vets.
Rider's health - tips from a nurse on head injuries and dehydration - Lyn Taylor, retired nurse.
The Importance of Electrolytes - Carol Layton B.Sc M.Ed, an independent equine nutritionist.
The Barefoot Endurance Horse Vol 1 and Vol 2 - Dr Steve Roberts, one of our endurance vets.
The Big 3 Award - John Howe instigated an award for the horse and rider combinations that successfully complete the big 3 rides in a year; The Tom Quilty Gold Cup, our national championship (160 km), Shahzada, the 400 km marathon and the NSW State Championships (160 km).
Shahzada - A story about the highs of marathon riding.
