| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Kes |
Posted - 21 Apr 2013 : 3:07:43 PM
I'd like to find out what sort of distances people did with their Arabs/ PBA's in their first/ novice year.
To date I have completed just one 33km novice GER. As this is our first year I was limiting my rides (max of 10) to around the 40k mark with the exception of Windsor - as I ride on the South Downs Kes is fit and used to undulating terrain (that's being polite with some of our hills!!), Windsor being flat I think he should manage 50km.
I know there are other pairs out there also starting their first year so would be interested in other peoples ideas and plans, and also from people who are in the second/third/fourth etc years, what did you do in your first year? |
| 20 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Cinnypony |
Posted - 22 Apr 2013 : 10:14:22 PM
Yes there may only be so many miles/km in a horse's legs, but if you get it right that can be more than enough for most people - look at Grey Medlar, last year's supreme champion with 7,548km on his legs from EGB competitions.
Last season for us was light as everything (or it seemed) that we entered was cancelled, but this year we're aiming for a big season |
| Kes |
Posted - 22 Apr 2013 : 8:59:22 PM
I'm very glad this has been said above, although as stated Kes is rising 8, he is my horse of a lifetime who I want to last my lifetime. I'm more than happy to do 2/3/4/5 rides this year and be very happy with what we achieve, and build on that the following years - of course there's plenty of hooning around inbetween!! |
| Callisto |
Posted - 22 Apr 2013 : 8:07:57 PM
I would definitely agree with Caroline, a horse does only have so many miles in it's legs, one of the reasons that I am not too bothered about pushing Lily - she is my last horse all being well, when I am 70 she will be 25. I have seen a number of horses rise very quickly in endurance and then disappear, far better to take it steady, keep them sound and compete them into their late teens and twenties. |
| Kes |
Posted - 22 Apr 2013 : 6:33:11 PM
That's interesting Caro, I have to be honest though, I was quite stunned that he took to it/ did so well having been bred for and shown as an in-hand horse, goes to show yet again how versatile these little horse are  |
| Caro23 |
Posted - 22 Apr 2013 : 3:32:48 PM
Some very wise experienced endurance riders have also said - "there are only so many miles in their legs"!!
Dulciya's career has been taken slowly because for that very reason she is my horse for life and I want her to keep going for as many years as possible (as well as lack of transport). She was also late to mature physically and mentally.
It's great you are enjoying it
|
| Kes |
Posted - 22 Apr 2013 : 1:02:34 PM
More good tips, thank you :)
For the lists of rides people have put, many thanks, I can use that as reference point, although of course, every horse is different, but this was the info I was looking for |
| Callisto |
Posted - 22 Apr 2013 : 11:38:34 AM
The other thing about Windsor was horseflies!! Persistent ones, take a good fly repellent  |
| Cinnypony |
Posted - 22 Apr 2013 : 11:08:46 AM
Cinny's 1st season was:
28k CR Hardys
25k PR Golden Horseshoe
40k CR Breamore
32k CR Windsor
33k CR Tally Ho
32k + 40k CR Barbury Castle (did novice rides 2 days in a row)
She handled all this fine with grades 1-3, mainly 2s, so was handling fine. |
| Gemma |
Posted - 22 Apr 2013 : 09:49:55 AM
Marygold's 1st season was
32km Primrose
33km Devil's Dyke (back when it was held in the summer!)
34km Ashdown Forest
50km Windsor
And there was 1 more 32km after Windsor but I can't remember where!
I'd had her for 18 months, she was 10 and used to long, reasonably fast hacks and got grade 1 and 2 every time, with good recoveries so I was confident she was coping. Just listen to Kes. If he is managing the distances with good recoveries then go for it. Windsor IS relatively flat but the sand can be deep, and if it's a hot day it can be a challenge. |
| Callisto |
Posted - 21 Apr 2013 : 10:02:09 PM
I have no problem calculating in km's (I work in metric), it's just that when I started endurance it was in miles, so I know how far a mile is to ride and I know what speed I am doing in miles, mentally converting by a factor of 1.6 approx while on horseback and reading a map, checking the route,watching for hazards and coping with Lily's teleporting habits does not come easily - it's probably my age... |
| Cinnypony |
Posted - 21 Apr 2013 : 7:19:35 PM
As long as your horse is old enough you can also compete at open (up to 80k GER in 1 day) and upgrade to advanced at the beginning of your 2nd season. However whether you stay novice or upgrade, the no. of rides and km limits still apply.
I think in km now when riding, and having started FEI this year wouldn't want to be working out in miles then swapping to km when reaching FEI. |
| Judith S |
Posted - 21 Apr 2013 : 7:06:04 PM
Originally posted by Libby Frost
why is it in kilometers when we do miles in this country ?
Something that is still discussed long and hard on occasion on the EGB forum - there are still many of us dinosaurs about |
| Kes |
Posted - 21 Apr 2013 : 6:59:52 PM
Thanks for your replies everyone, really useful, I like the 'aims' not 'plans'
Kes is rising 8 but has only been a ridden horse for 2 years, I have worked hard on his (and my) fitness and I think I got it about right for Findon, it was tough though prior to the ride because of the snow etc.
Thanks Callisto, I'll have a look at your sisters record for that year. I'm aiming for the 50k at Windsor, but yes, if I don't feel that's right on the day I'll downgrade, and I'll see you at Plumpton |
| Etoile |
Posted - 21 Apr 2013 : 6:31:33 PM
I too wish it was still in miles but think that's because of my grey hairs.
Salad and Heather only started at the end of the season and did a few 20 km pleasure rides as his level of fitness was so poor when I bought him. We only moved up to novice rides after a couple of pleasure rides at the start of the next year, and made the decision to try a novice ride after he stormed round the pleasure ride at Haywood Oaks at somewhat above PR speed. He then only managed two novice rides before his feet fell to bits, and we than spent the rest of the year trying remedial farriery until we gave up and pulled the shoes at the end of the season (in hindsight one of our better decisions and wish we'd done it straight away). He has since managed two partial seasons and got up to 80km in amongst having several different problems, but is now limited to shorter rides due to a major systolic heart murmur which presumably turned up sometimes over the winter as a ride vet found it at our first ride this year.
Senj, who I originally bought to do endurance with took several years to get to a ride due to his multiple issues (including terrorising me), which is why I got my instructor to take him to his first pleasure ride, and he was so delighted I really had to take him again. I was very honest about his issues, but found a young rider who was happy to take him out for me, and the plan was to get in his three novice rides and get him to 64km by the end of the season, but as you'll soon find when it comes to endurance plans are bad! He only managed two novice rides before he broke, then made it to another ride near the end of the season by which time I had no rider so persuaded poor Heather to ride him, then he promptly fell onto his knees and broke again when walking from the finish to the trailer (vetted out lame - though this was the only time he's ever managed a reasonable heart rate, he started Haywood Oaks last week on a heart rate of 60 with the vet enquiring if that was normal, to which we had to reply sadly yes!). He's never managed a full season, and nothing has ever gone to plan, but he still managed to get up to ER's last year, and we hope to go further this year.
So in conclusion what we have found is that plans are bad and go for it while you can because tomorrow they may be broken, though both of ours were mature when they started endurance, presumably it's a bit different and you have to be a bit more cautious if you're starting with a youngster. One thing that we were guilty of neglecting initially, and which has really made a difference to them, is regular schooling. We don't do anything too strenuous, only low level stuff once of twice a week for 30 mins, but it has made a real difference to their strength and manoeuvrability (typically Senj thanks us by showing his ability to canter at walking pace when the nasty humans are trying to make him slow down!) |
| Pasch |
Posted - 21 Apr 2013 : 5:35:45 PM
Libby,maybe because most of the world now uses kilometers?  |
| Esther |
Posted - 21 Apr 2013 : 4:27:19 PM
I think it depends on the age of the horse and how much it's done before. You could probably aim (not plan) to do a bit more with an older horse who already has a bit of life experience. Where as with a baby you'll want to go much more slowly.
Re kms - once you actually start to think in kms and not mentally convert them into miles, it's actually much easier. A 40km ride, divide the route roughly into 4, take an hour over each section, and bob's yer uncle you'll get a completion in any EGB ride out there. Just treat the hour per section as a minimum if you're doing an open/advanced level ride. |
| Callisto |
Posted - 21 Apr 2013 : 3:54:06 PM
Used to be miles Libby, wish it still was - I find it much easier to work in. I assume it was to do with the FEI?? No doubt someone will correct me if I've got the wrong end of the stick |
| Libby Frost |
Posted - 21 Apr 2013 : 3:42:45 PM
why is it in kilometers when we do miles in this country ? |
| Callisto |
Posted - 21 Apr 2013 : 3:32:57 PM
I did 50km over Scottish Hills (the Grampians) with my 10 year old Anglo in his Novice season, he was mature and fit, I am taking it slower with Lily because she is young and slow to mature (however I didn't plan to take it this slowly - the year before last she injured herself in the field and had most of the season off, and last year a high percentage of the rides we were aiming at were cancelled due to the weather). So I'm giving her one more chance at Novice level (although she is qualified to go open if I wanted), but if it all works out I would like to get her up to 50km this season, preferably over a flattish course. Bear in mind that although Windsor is flat, a lot of the going is on quite deep sandy all weather tracks, which they can find tiring, however I'm sure Kes would cope with it fine after his performance at Findon. Lily got a grade 2 there (windsor) at the 33km when she was still 4 (tho' officially 5 according to EGB). Go for it - you know your horse, and you can always revise your choice of ride length shorter if you feel it necessary closer to the time.
Windsor fills up quickly, so don't be slow getting your entry in. My fittening plan has suffered from a combination of the weather and having to go away for a month at a time to work, so only really getting down to it now, am looking at Plumpton for our first outing of the year (will be offshore until 3 days beforehand, so will probably go for the 20km, Three Rivers is probably our first GER...
But it is never a good idea to make plans 
My sister Trilby won the SE group Novice Trophy with her gelding the year before last look him up on the EGB results pages - Shiram to see what they did (Although it wasn't his first year of competing, it was the first year they took it seriously) |
| Cinnypony |
Posted - 21 Apr 2013 : 3:23:02 PM
From EGB handbook: "a horse of any age is considered to be Novice Level in 1st season. A horse in its first season cannot start more than 10 endurance rides and may only start rides to a maximum distance of 450k, whether or not the rides are completed successfully. |
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