Spotted Saddle Horses in Distance

Spotted Saddle Horses in Distance

I have been competing in the sport of distance riding, mostly endurance riding, with my Spotted Saddle Horses on and off for more than 25 years, and it has been an amazing adventure! With hard work and dedication, I am here to tell you that you can do well in the sport of distance riding with your gaited horse!

I first learned about endurance riding from a horse trainer neighbor who competed regularly with her Arabians during my ten years living in East Tennessee. I was already an avid trail rider who loved going to different places to ride and camp, and loved challenges, so I thought I would try it. My very first 25-mile endurance ride (called a “Limited Distance” or “LD” ride, a misnomer in my opinion) was a very difficult mountain ride in September 1997 at Big South Fork. I rode my 4-year-old Spotted Saddle Horse, Dakota, while someone else rode her mother, my Appaloosa mare. We finished on time (barely), and our horses passed all the vet inspections. Since we did not know what we were doing, I’m sure we were the subject of many jokes. While most people were friendly and helpful, it was my first experience receiving negative comments regard-

ing competing in endurance with a gaited horse.

I was hooked and got serious the next spring, competing with my Appaloosa. I learned everything I could