To Finish is To Win!Endurance riding is all about your crew. Even if you´re only a crew of two, you and your horse, you need to have built a good relationship over time so that you are both prepared for your endurance race.I have done a little of many equine disciplines over the years, including jumping and dressage. But for me there is nothing like that gallop along the beach or a trek to the top of a mountain, being completely at one with your horse and nature. When I discovered Endurance riding I discovered a new lease of life. As I already mentioned (!) I have an Appaloosa stallion, the realisation of my childhood dream. These horses come with history, lots of potent history of great runs across the plains being chased by cavalry for days. (You can learn more at History of the Appaloosa ) So why could this horse not compete in Endurance? Hey, the question is rhetoric, I´m not one to be told no! The sport is dominated by Arabs, because there are lots of them. But any horse, with the right training and diet can compete. Heck, even Mules compete and do very well. I started on an 18 year-old Pure Spanish Mare who I had rescued 7 years earlier and who has major stifle problems due to bad treatment. People laughed at me when I told them what I was going to do. Chiclanera, my horse, had been fed on white bread and bad health for years before I rescued her. She freaked at her own shadow and had a completely disjointed canter due to her old injuries. We completed a 40 kilometer introductory competition in 3 hours 25 minutes, barefoot. A very respectable 9th place out of 36 starters and 28 finishers. But most important of all - good to go on. Chiclanera´s endurance career was only ever going to be short, but unfortunately it was bought to a close sooner when a completely unrelated ligament injury, 6 weeks later, took her to early retirement. Retirement from competition yes, but she will still happily, soundly, do a casual trek out of 50 to 60 km´s in a day!
His first competition was 45 kilometers. I hoped we´d come in around 3 hours 45 minutes. It was a lot to ask of a young stud in a new, and charged, situation. Lots of unknown horses milling around and calling to each other had Heart dizzy and using all his energy before I´d even tacked him up! The winner finished in 3 hours 7 minutes. We came in a very respectable and proud 16 minutes later. But more importantly with a horse ´good to go´. We also did it BAREFOOT.
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