Petplan Equine
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Do you need a membership of any association?

You do not need to be a member to enter pleasure and training rides, although to enter competitive rides you need to be a member of SERC, EGB, ILDRA or another recognised Endurance group.

• Scottish Endurance Riding Club (SERC): www.scottishendurance.com
• SERC Clubhouse: Endurance GB (EGB): www.endurancegb.co.uk
• Irish Long Distance Riding Association (ILDRA): www.enduranceridingireland.com

Closing dates for entries are 14 days before events or seven days with a late entry fee – the 14 day closing is preferable to organisers though! Online entry is available in Scotland via SERC Clubhouse or post. Rides and entry information can be also found on SERC Website, SERC Clubhouse, Branch websites or the Endurance GB website for England and Wales and ILDRA for Ireland.

Rules surrounding the sport

Horses must be four years old to participate in a pleasure ride, be sound and healthy and not on any prohibited medication (FEI drugs rules apply). In Scotland, riders must be eight years old and over and accompanied if under 16 years of age (once they have reached Bronze Thistle Final level and are over 14 they may ride alone). For EGB and ILDRA this may differ and should be checked with the organising group before entry.

The SERC Rulebook can be found here which will give you more detail on the rules for Endurance Riding: www.scottishendurance.com/uploads/2/6/5/1/26512190/sercruleconstitution2016.pdf

Fitness for horse and rider

My horses are prepared by doing a variety of different work on a variety of surfaces, including a fair bit of schooling, some dressage and occasional lunging. In the winter we tend to do more schooling, dressage and attend riding club training evenings for lessons to maintain suppleness and enhance the horses way of going to minimise risk of injury and to increase efficiency. Hacking is undertaken at weekends and as spring comes round, canter work is increased. As horses get fitter each year they come back to fitness much quicker.

If I am preparing for major competitions that will also include long journeys then I do monitor temperature in the weeks leading up to ensure there are no spikes which may indicate a low grade virus which the stress of travel and exertion of competition at high level would potentially cause a risk or increase chance of failure. I have at times had baseline bloods taken so I have that to refer to should I feel later in the season that there is something just not feeling quite right. Again this is only when I am competing at the higher distances with long journeys and periods away from home planned. For local pleasure rides this is not required.

I do regularly check my horse’s heart rates though, both at rest/relaxation in the stable/yard and after exercise so again I have a feel for what is normal. This can be really helpful for two reasons – one it gets your horse used to a stethoscope but secondly if you think your horse is a bit under the weather then you can take a heart rate and know if it is raised that there is more likely something wrong and that you should be getting the vet.

I think rider fitness is very important but again is relevant to the distance and level you are riding at. I have found Pilates particularly helpful when I am working on fitness and optimal performance. The fitter you are the better you can ride, balance, concentrate and focus and the less chance you have of letting your horse down! A focussed and alert rider can ease a tired horse home but a tired rider is asking a horse to carry them home and that I feel is unfair.

How to prepare for your first competition

I tend to bath my horses before competition because it helps remove grease from their coats which in turn means that when cooling them the water can get to the skin easier. It also means you have less grime coming out with sweat which I dislike!

I also tend to try to give my horses a leg stretch the day before a ride (unless they have travelled that day). This gives me a chance to feel how they are as well as just keep muscles gently worked to reduce any risk of tying up problems.

Depending on the competition I may clip them close to the ride to maximise cooling and make the job easier for them – I also find it easier to manage a clipped horse in terms of cooling off and keeping warm.

If horses have long or thick manes it is advisable to plait them into long plaits, lattice plaits or a running plait. Long plaits are most commonly seen. This is so heat is not retained under the mane and to allow more efficient cooling.

I highly advise you to prepare your ride information before the ride. Read through the map route/talkrounds making sure you know where the check points are (where you are ticked off as passed and safe - not a vet check). This makes keeping a check of where you are during the ride, much easier. This becomes particularly important if you have a problem on course and need to get assistance. It is a good idea to check you know how to give a six figure grid reference.

It is useful to have minimum and maximum times worked out not only for the finish but also for points throughout the ride – it is frustrating to have completed the ride well and find you are too fast or too slow when you could have prevented it. Here are some tips for calculating your speed and mileage: www.sercdumfries.org.uk/how-to-work-your-times-out

Are there any illness or injuries that are common for horses in this sport?

Lameness is the most common performance limiting factor in endurance horses. I’ve been very lucky with my horses in competition and Marco has only ever been lame at one ride (he has done over 5000km and 15 years of endurance). That was at a pre ride vetting due to a tender hoof from a lost shoe earlier in the week and the shoe only just being replaced. Spangle has not had lameness issues in competition but had a period of time off work due to an awful abscess in her hoof.

Marco has had an episode of azotoria once, it happened at home a week after competition and I think was related to a muscle being damaged when he had been cast in a stable the morning of the competition, and while I’d worked on the muscle at the time and got it okay and he had been fine on the ride and at the vetting’s, the damage was there and manifested in an all over tie up on returning to light work, after a rest period of a few days. He has never tied up at any other time but it is something I am aware of and look out for signs of with both horses.

I pride myself on my competition record and low number of failures, in what is now 17 years of endurance competition. I put this down to a training regime that involves cross training with plenty of flatwork, schooling and dressage and in addition training rides and hacking over a variety of ground conditions and in all weather conditions. I think another important factor that helps keep my horses fit and well is the fact they live outdoors 24/7 generally which keeps them active and helps keep their tendons and ligaments ‘worked’.

Top tips on what to bring to a competition and what to expect

I tend to be prepared for every eventuality if I have prepared well – I have become more relaxed in recent years but that is not always a good thing as I now get frustrated if I don’t have something with me that I should have had. Spare bridle parts, bits, stirrup leathers, stirrups, lotions and potions, arnica, spare set of shoes are always on my packing list.

The more sensible essentials are:

• Water
• Feed
• Rugs
• First Aid Kit with the minimum contents - Triangular Bandage Whistle, Vet Wrap, Glucose Tablet, Wound Bandage, Rider Medical Card, Space Blanket
• Spare shoes
• Riders drinks and food
• Map case
• Change of clothes for rider

Additional information is also available online at www.scottishendurance.com/quick-guide-for-new-and-day-members.html

A short video has been produced showing what you can expect at a pleasure ride

What can you wear (horse and rider).

Tack

There are tack restrictions but generally these are not items that most riders would use anyway. Martingales and a large variety of bits etc are all allowed – as is coloured and synthetic tack, bitless bridles and different types of stirrups that offer support. If caged stirrups are used you can ride in trainers or boots with no heel, otherwise footwear must have a heel for safety.

Rider

A hard hat must be worn at all times. A whip of no more than 75cm in length may be carried. In Endurance Rides, no whips will be allowed in the final phase (after the final vet gate).

Waterproofs can be worn if desired but you should be aware it can make it slippy in the saddle. Comfort is important and if it is wet I would advise that you consider the materials you are wearing as you may get rubbed or chafed. I find running or cycling tights, endurance specific riding tights or jodhpurs with high lycra or nylon content and low cotton content suit me best – but everyone is different. You will learn yourself too which underwear suits you and which doesn’t and you won’t make the mistake the next time – I have a ‘not for endurance’ drawer!

Progressing through the levels

As you progress up the levels you tend to have a ‘crew’ who meet you on the course to provide snacks and fluids for horse and rider, and assist at vet gates. Crewing can be a lot of fun and it is possible for crews to become as competitive or even more so than the riders. A crew can also develop a deep bond with a horse they crew regularly.

In SERC we have a grading system and Endurance GB have one as well. This is to ensure that horses only attempt distances and speeds that they are fit enough for. It is compulsory for members who want to progress to go through the grades.

The SERC version is:

• Step 1 - the Bronze Thistle, where the combination of horse and rider has to successfully complete two 30 or 40km rides, and then one 50km ride, all at a minimum speed of 9.5kph.
• Step 2 - the Silver Thistle, where the combination has to successfully complete two 60km rides, and then one 80km ride, all at a minimum speed of 11kph.
• Step 3 - the Gold Thistle, where the combination has to successfully complete either two 80km rides at a minimum speed of 11kph, or one 80km ride at a minimum of 13kph.

There is no time limit for progressing through the grading system, and many members are happy to stop after completing the first one or two steps. Those who gain their Gold Thistle are sometimes motivated enough to attempt a further two awards, which are not part of the grading system: the 120kms Platinum Thistle and the 160kms Diamond Thistle.

All these distances have to be ridden in one day – multiple day classes do not count.

Here is a video clip describing in practical detail about moving up levels as well