Endurance riding

It is one of the international competitions recognized by the FEI and all over the world endurance riding races of any length are held, although it is rarely exceeded 160 km for a single day race.

In an endurance riding race, the horse who crosses the finish line first wins by stopping at the controls along the route where the vets make sure that the horse is in good health and able to continue, even if many participants consider it a victory to complete the entire course with the horse in good health.

The sport of endurance riding began in 1955 when Wendell Robie and a group of riders ridden from the Lake Tahoe area through the Sierra Nevada to Auburn in less than 24 hours following the historic Western States Trail.

This race soon became known as the Tevis Cup and still remains the most difficult of the 100-mile races around the world today due to its rugged terrain, high altitude and temperatures of 100 degrees (~ 37 ° C). while in Europe endurance riding was introduced for the first time in the 1960s.

Tevis Cup

Before the race all horses are examined by a veterinarian to make sure they are fit for the race and riders can be provided with a map or GPS waypoint for the route, showing the route, places for mandatory stops (called “taken”). and any natural obstacles (such as ditches, steep hills and water crossings) and trails are often marked with colored ribbons at regular intervals with additional ribbons or small arrow marks at the trail turns.

At the end of each section, the horses are subjected to a veterinary inspection (sometimes called “vetgate”) where solidity, dehydration, heartbeat and breathing are checked.

To continue the race the horse must pass the visit, during which time continues to flow although the terrain and weather conditions may require the race vets to set a different maximum goal.

Therefore it is important that horses recover as soon as possible and any horse deemed unfit to continue the race (for example due to lameness or excessive fatigue) is eliminated from further competition.

After the veterinary inspection, the horse is restrained for a further period, usually between 40 and 60 minutes, minutes taken to feed and water it while the riders can continue the ride without other aids although many riders have collaborators to help them. during veterinary checks.

During the endurance riding competition, participants are free to choose their own pace, adapting it to the terrain they encounter.

For this reason they need to know when to slow down or when to speed up and, above all, have a great knowledge of their horse, its condition, the signs of fatigue and they can also get off and jog alongside their horse without any penalty.

Endurance riding The rules for the rider

In CEI races, competitors must have a minimum weight of 75 kilograms (165 pounds) with their saddle.

If the weight is lower, weights must be added up to 75 kilograms and the weighings are generally carried out before and after the competition even if there may be unscheduled weighings even during the competition.

Endurance riding. The equipment

Endurance riding is less formal than other equestrian disciplines and those who compete choose clothes for their comfort and we can suggest our clothing collection, very comfortable sweatshirts also for your free time.

In FEI competitions, competitors must wear a riding helmet, riding pants, suitable footwear and usually a light saddle is used, to prevent the horse from carrying unnecessary weight, and comfortable for the rider for the long hours that the competition requires.

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