I love endurance riding. I plan to compete in it, one because it's full of adventure, two, because it's competitive, three, I love Arabians! So here is a little about it:
Endurance riding is an equestrian sport based on controlled long-distance races. It is one of the international competitions recognized by the FEI. There are endurance rides worldwide.
There are two main types of long-distance riding, competitive trail riding
and endurance rides. In an endurance ride, discussed in this article,
the winning horse is the first one to cross the finish line while
stopping periodically to pass a veterinary
check that deems the animal in good health and fit to continue. In the
United States, most endurance rides are either 50 or 100 miles (160 km)
long. Shorter rides, called Limited Distance rides (LD), are organized
for new riders to the sport or young horses being trained. However, LD's
have evolved into a competition of their own, in which more experienced
riders and horses also participate. There are also longer, usually
multi-day, rides as well. As with human marathon running, many riders
will participate to improve their horse's personal best performance and
consider finishing the distance with a proper vet completion record to
be a "win". In the USA, the American Endurance Ride Conference (AERC)
sanctions endurance rides. In the UK, Endurance GB is the governing
body. Winning riders can complete 100-mile (160 km) rides in 14 to 15
hours.
Any breed can compete, but the Arabian generally dominates the top levels because of the breed's stamina and natural endurance abilities.
bonus:
You should be careful around all horses but be especially careful around horses with red ribbons tied to their tails. Riders do that to signal other riders that their horse is a kicker.
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