The Endurance Rider
Who does endurance?
Anybody with a passion for horses and horseback riding can do endurance. Many endurance riders used to do other equine sports with their horses. Many are trail riders that finally found a sport that fit them. And even people who don't have horses get into endurance by volunteering and crewing or even borrowing a horse from another rider and riding with them. In sum, if riding your horse for long distances across beautiful landscapes is a fun idea to you, you'd probably make a good endurance rider (if not, many people have surprised themselves at how much they actually did enjoy it when they gave it a shot!)
What makes a good endurance rider?
Do I need a crew?
You might have noticed that "A Crew" was not listed as one of the necessary items. Instead, there was just "A rider". Why? Because that's all you really need! Granted, it's always nice to have someone take care of your horse and let you rest for a moment, but only a lucky few of us have that privilege. Rather, most riders attend rides on their own or with fellow riders and all take care of their horses themselves.
Anybody with a passion for horses and horseback riding can do endurance. Many endurance riders used to do other equine sports with their horses. Many are trail riders that finally found a sport that fit them. And even people who don't have horses get into endurance by volunteering and crewing or even borrowing a horse from another rider and riding with them. In sum, if riding your horse for long distances across beautiful landscapes is a fun idea to you, you'd probably make a good endurance rider (if not, many people have surprised themselves at how much they actually did enjoy it when they gave it a shot!)
What makes a good endurance rider?
- Willingness to learn (and being humble) - there will always be something to learn from someone in this sport
- Patience - conditioning, competing, and overcoming obstacles will take time
- Perseverance - this sport will test you and your horse both emotionally and physically
- Dedication - you must be willing to dedicate a fair amount of time to the conditioning and care of your horse as well as for ride events. However, many riders work full-time jobs and have kids in addition to doing endurance, so it's not impossible.
- Horsemanship - you and your horse will be a team and must learn to work together efficiently and effectively. It's not uncommon to hear from experienced horse people that they never knew what they didn't know until they started doing endurance.
- Common Sense - this is a sport in which using your best judgement is critical for the safety and welfare of your horse, you, and those around you
Do I need a crew?
You might have noticed that "A Crew" was not listed as one of the necessary items. Instead, there was just "A rider". Why? Because that's all you really need! Granted, it's always nice to have someone take care of your horse and let you rest for a moment, but only a lucky few of us have that privilege. Rather, most riders attend rides on their own or with fellow riders and all take care of their horses themselves.