If you are planning your first endurance ride, training your horse for a long ride is key in ensuring a safe and successful ride. Your horse needs to be conditioned for that kind of distance. One thing I did not know prior to going on my first ride, is that you cannot walk the entire thing and finish in time. You should attempt to maintain a trotting pace the majority of the time. You should also be sure that you have the proper equipment for the ride. I personally like Biothane bridles, a Dixi Midnight pad, and a Skitto pad with my Bob Marshall Saddle. I use Renegade hoof boots to protect my mares feet.
Training for a ride like that can not be taken lightly. I personally like to do 10 mile rides at a trot/lope pace. I don't get to ride as often as I would like, so I have to make the most of my time in saddle.
A good training plan might start with 3-5 days a week.
Here are some sample goals for training, obviously walk through obstacles and on hard ground, but this is a general starting point if you have a relatively in shape horse, but the horse has not been conditioned for long distance rides:
- 5 miles walk
2 miles trot,
- 3 miles walk
5 miles trot
- 5 miles trot, 2 miles walk
- 7 miles trot
7 miles trot,
- 2 miles walk
and so on.
With some consistency, you can have a good horse ready to go with a month or two of training. Be sure to keep your horse out of harms way and protect it as much as you can, the last thing you want is an injury after all of that work.
Also, be sure that you consider the tack that you are using when putting your horse through the equivalent of a marathon. For more info on endurance tack, check out my other post where I have asked trainers, and several other endurance riders about what they use.
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