training
FIRST STEPS TO 40KM What do you have to do to get started in endurance? Where do you begin? Who can you ask? Starting out in the sport of endurance can appear rather daunting, but take heart, it really can be very simple. Cindy Russell UKCC Level 4 Coach, BHS APC Senior Coach answers some Frequently Asked Questions!
CAN ANY HORSE DO ENDURANCE?
Yes, more or less any horse can do the shorter rides; most people start out with the horse they already have, and progress to higher mileage over time. Some breeds are predominant in the sport, such as Arabs and cross bred Arabs, and the Native breeds and cross breds do well too, but as long as you enjoy spending a great deal of time with your horse, caring for him as well as riding him, then you can start in endurance.
HOW FIT DOES MY HORSE HAVE TO BE?
More or less any horse can take part in the lower mileage rides, however if your horse is not in regular work, it will be harder for him to complete a longer ride and remain sound, healthy and happy. It is important to plan a training regime that will optimize his ability (and yours) to take on the mileage you are planning to do. The bottom line in endurance is that welfare of the horse is paramount, so bear this in mind, and consider what your horse needs to do to enable him to finish your ride healthy, happy and sound.
HOW DO I MONITOR HIS FITNESS?
Unless you are already competing in another discipline, most people only have a vague idea of how fit their horse is. It is important to understand where your horse is, regarding fitness, before you embark on
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a regime to improve this. You will need to get to know your horses really well. Become the expert on your horse! One of the parameters for competing in a 40km ride, is that the horse’s heart rate is taken at the start and the finish, to establish how well he has recovered from the effort of the ride. One of the first things you should do to start to understand your horse’s fitness, is know his resting heart rate. I would encourage you to monitor this on a regular basis, and keep records of it. So, equip yourself with a stethoscope (basic models are not expensive…and that is all you need to get started) and start practicing! Make sure you have got the stethoscope set up properly; some have a bezel that turns in order to optimize the level of sound, others have a twist shank where the metal part connects to the plastic ear tubes. Some do not have this facility at all. In the stable or a quiet place, stand next to your horse, on the near side, and place the skin of the stethoscope on his side, just behind his elbow…now listen for a few seconds, you should hear a distinctive lub-dub sound from his heart. That is one heartbeat. Count the beats over the course of a minute to find his resting heart rate. If you can’t find the heart beat, move the stethoscope around in the area, until you find it. To start monitoring recovery time, take the heart rate before you work
