Endurance Riding Equipment and Preparation: What to wear, take, and use

My current setup is a Bob Marshall trail saddle, Dixie Midnight no sweat vent pad and a Skito pad. I use a biothane bridle for easy clean up. I will upload a picture of my saddle and padding situation. After a few rides with this setup, I noticed my mare was getting some grey hair on her back, I am going to swap out the Dixie Midnight pad for a inexpensive vent pad which had surprisingly high reviews on various sites. The one I am ordering is at Chicks Saddlery for about $13. As for boots, I use the renegade boots, but would love to upgrade to the Renegade Vipers. I haven't found anything else that sticks to her feet as well. I have tried the Easyboot Trails, and was very disappointed, after about 10 miles total, the seems began coming apart, now they are my emergency back ups.

A really good article on tips can be found by clicking this link. An exerpt from the article:

"Apparel secret #1: Ditch street jeans. For every trail rider who's ever gawked at an endurance rider in a pair of brightly colored tights, there's an endurance rider cringing and muttering, "I can't believe that person is riding in blue jeans. Most tights designed for long-distance riding are made of a cotton/spandex blend specifically designed for saddle comfort. The fabric keeps you warm in inclement weather, cool on hot days, wicks moisture, and, most important, doesn't chafe or rub. Riding tights made by Carousel Action Wear, Inc., for example, are durable, breathable, and fast-drying, because they're made from a Dryflex cotton/poly/Lycra Tactel fabric. Other popular brands with endurance riders are Irideon, Kerrits PowerStretch, and Saddle Bums. (Guys, if you just can't bring yourself to don tights, then consider wearing them under your jeans.)"

"Tack secret #2: Buy biothane. One reason endurance riders appoint their horses in brightly colored tack is because they can. Biothane, which is what most endurance tack is made from, comes is more colors than a rainbow. Why biothane? This man-made material lasts virtually a lifetime and is easy to clean; you simply hose it off or dunk it in water. Or, to make it look sparkling new again, throw it in the dishwasher, bit and all. Biothane also doesn't chafe your horse or become stiff. Endurance riders especially like biothane halter-bridle combinations. "Combo halter-bridles allow you to unclip the bit, leaving you with a halter," notes endurance rider Terre O'Brennan. "Together with a single long rein, you can tie your horse, which is far superior to tying by the reins or bit (gasp!) or having to pack a halter." 

"Tack secret #6: Find a good saddle pad. While it's true that no saddle pad can make an ill-fitting saddle fit better, a proper saddle pad is important. For long hours in the saddle, a pad that wicks heat and moisture, distributes weight evenly, protects pressure points and is easy to keep clean is a must for endurance riders. Top on the list is the Skito Pad from Carousel, which can be custom-ordered to fit any saddle. Supracor pads also receive high marks from endurance riders."

On-trail secret #2: Carry a safety kit. Endurance rider Karla Perkins recommends always carrying an Easyboot, a hoof pick, a knife, Vetrap, and a small roll of duct tape. "I have been on rides when all of this stuff has been used, and not necessarily by me," she says.An Easyboot - or other top-quality temporary hoof boot - is a necessity if your horse has the misfortune of losing a shoe. Duct tape comes in handy for just about anything you need to fix, and also works well to help keep on the Easyboot; just wrap it a few times round the hoof, avoiding the coronet band, before applying the boot. The teeth inside the boot will grip the tape.

"With Vetrap or duct tape you can spell words out on the ground," Perkins says. "I did that during the Pony Express endurance ride. The famous Dave Rabe and Holy Toledo got stuck in mud. None of us noticed. With the Vetrap, Laura Hayes and I spelled out 'NO' in bright colors, so those after us didn't make the same error."

Another fellow rider, uses a very similar liner to the one at Chicks, and an Equipedic pad. She is a professional trainer and endurance rider. She has a really nice endurance saddle, I am unsure of the brand, and also uses a biothane bridle and a snaffle bit, along with Renegade boots.

Another long time endurance rider I ride with occasionally uses a variety of saddles, but mostly sticks to Bob Marshall and her Skito pad along with a biothane bridle and Renegade boots.

I plan to continue to add to this list, just to get an idea of which setups people have. Granted, I have seen people riding endurance in their dressage saddles with a nice wool pad and a leather headstall, and others in very heavy rawhide tree saddles. There really is no wrong or right, but just finding what is comfortable for you and your horse