FIRST STEPS TO 40KM

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!

Spending time with your horse, discovering new areas to ride in, are all part of the joy of endurance riding.

Photo courtesy of Helen Newton

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 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 your horse, then take the rate as soon as you finish working him, then ten minutes after finishing, then half an hour after finishing. You should find, as he gets fitter, that his heart rate returns to resting rate, or close to it, much more quickly. Get used to keeping a record of this.

HOW DO I KNOW HOW FAST I AM GOING? OR HOW FAR I HAVE RIDDEN?

The easiest way to check how fast your horse travels in a specific gait, is to find a place where you regularly ride, that you can measure the distance. If you can measure a kilometer, then this will make life much simpler. Then time your horse over that distance, in walk, trot and canter. This will give you a rough idea, and you can work at riding at different pace within the gaits, so that you will gradually learn what the different speeds feel like.

Alternatively, you can use an app such as Endomondo, MapMyRide, Equi-Lab, or one of the Garmin devices, in order to see what pace you were riding at, how far you rode at that pace, and what your average speed was. Again, do your best to keep records!

DO I NEED SPECIAL TACK?

Providing that your tack fits your horse well and that you are comfortable riding in it, then it is fine to use the tack you are currently using on your horse. However, if you have any little niggles, make changes and use the new tack regularly before you use it to compete. Never use new items for the first time at an event! Make sure that all stitching is sound, and that there is not excessive wear on any part of the tack that will be taking any strain.

There are many specialist items of tack that you may wish to use, once you have started to ride at more endurance events, particularly synthetic bridles, as well as lightweight saddles, and other items. However, ride with what you know works well for you, as you get started.

WHAT ABOUT SHOES?

For you, or the horse? For the rider, if you want to ride in trainers or footwear without a heel, you will need to use stirrups that have cages, in order to prevent your foot from slipping through the stirrup. Otherwise, again, comfort and stability, plus durability, are the important factors in rider footwear. Long boots or short boots with or without chaps are fine.

For your horse, ensure that he is adequately shod, and that he has good foot balance; horses cannot be completely re-shod at a competition, and you should make sure that the shoes are acceptable for the distance you are going to cover. Horses are also allowed to compete barefoot or booted.

HOW DO I START TRAINING FOR 40KM?

Start off by taking an honest look at how much work you actually do currently with your horse. Make a note of how often you ride, and for how long. Remember his fitness is scored not only on how far and how fast he travels, but also on how much time he carries you. Once you can see what your base lines are, you can start to put in a plan.

The base of any fitness plan is long, slow distance, at an aerobic level, meaning that the horse makes this effort without incurring an oxygen debt. This sort of work prepares and trains the systems of the horse to utilize oxygen efficiently, and to increase muscle slowly.

Horses walk at approx. 2 to 3 miles per hour (3-5kph) but the speed of the trot will vary more between horses. A steady trot should be around 6-7 mph (9-11kph)

Start working your horse for about an hour in a good walk pace; this should take you for about 5 miles (8km) adding in some trot, not too fast, after 4-5 days. Gradually increase the amount of trotting, over a period of about 3-4 weeks. At the end of the first month you should be able to ride about 10 miles (16km) in two hours.

Try to add variety to your schedule, instead of riding out, on one or two days a week, add in some schooling, or a lesson, in order to develop both the relationship with your horse and increase his suppleness and responsiveness to your aids and cues.

If possible, introduce some hill work in the fifth to eighth week…this means that the horse will be working harder, increasing heart rate and muscular effort, without working at a faster pace. Speed is not the aim; increasing strength and condition is.

As you approach weeks eight to twelve, you can start to add in some canter work, again, reducing distance as you increase the speed, and making sure that your canters are controlled and fairly short to start with. Distance cantered will increase as the horse becomes fitter. Frequent speed work can be counter-productive, as the horse can become too excitable and you are adding to the risk of injury.

BUILDING EXPERIENCE

Check out your local Endurance GB Group to see if there are Training or Pleasure Rides in your local area, as this will give you opportunity to add new experiences for your horse, through travelling, accessing new riding trails, and working with strange horses. All good experience to build upon before entering a 40km competition.