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"Newbie Page" |
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Introduction Competitive Trail Riding (CTR) and Endurance are two distinct disciplines of distance riding. Competitive trail riding is a strategy sport. The objective is to bring your horse back in the same condition he left after negotiating a measured course in a set amount of time. Horses are examined before, during, and after the ride. Points are deducted for any changes that have occurred including pulse elevation, lameness, pain, fatigue, tack rubs, interference marks, etc. Points are also are deducted for coming in earlier or later than the time set by ride management to complete the course. Competitive trail rides are sanctioned by the governing organization for the particular region in which you are competing. Until you become familiar with the different governing bodies and their respective regions you should ask the ride manager what governing body you will be riding under and review the rules before the ride. The sanctioning bodies determine how the ride is to be run and judged. The six governing bodies in the US are OAATS, UMECRA, ECTRA, SEDRA, MOTDRA, and NATRC. Competitive trail rides vary in length but are usually 25 to 40 miles in one day, with novice rides of 12 to 20 miles in a day. The pace for competitive trail riding usually averages around 4 to 7 miles an hour. This pace and emphasis on condition of the horse make competitive trail riding an excellent tool for riders new to the distance riding sports. Endurance riding is a controlled race, all horses start at the same time and are placed as they cross the finish line. However all horses must pass a series of stringent veterinary inspections or "holds" along the way as well as pass a veterinary exam at the finish. A horse failing any of these exams is immediately disqualified from competition. All endurance rides held on the North American continent are governed by AERC (American Endurance Ride Conference). Endurance rides range from 50 to 100 miles in a day with novice rides (Limited Distance in endurance) being 25 to 35 miles in length. Successful endurance horses are easily capable of maintaining a 10 to 12 hour pace. There is no minimum time for an endurance ride however, all distances must be completed at a minimum speed of 4.17 mph including all holds. (25 miles in 6 hours, 50 in 12 hours, etc). See the list of organization and clubs included in this information for their full names and contact information. We will be focusing mainly on the rules and strategies for competitive trail riding in the following pages, although the suggestions for preparation of the equine apply equally well to other distance riding sports. Endurance, Ride & Tie (1 horse, 2 riders take turns riding and running over a set distance), and CMO (competitive mounted orienteering - teams of riders find hidden targets using compass readings and clues) all have different rules and different strategies. In endurance, competitive trail and ride & tie, horses are stopped along the way for veterinary evaluation to make sure the horse is fit to continue. Lameness, high pulse, or metabolic distress are some of the reasons a horse may be pulled in the middle of a ride. The rider is ultimately
responsible for the welfare of the horse and for knowing the rules under which
they are competing Getting Ready Most competitive rides are ridden at a 4 - 7 mph pace - this means a steady working trot for most horses. This also means you'll have to spend some time conditioning your horse for the speed and distance required. Most rides, including OAATS sanctioned rides, require the horse to be at least 4 years of age before starting competition. Endurance allows 4 years olds to compete in limited distance rides (25 to 35 miles per 2004 AERC rules) but a horse must be 5 or older to compete in longer rides. Fitness isn't the only thing you'll have to work on before your first ride. To be safe for you and everyone else involved, your horse should trot (or gait) willingly in hand and stand quietly for exam - including examination of the mouth, having all 4 legs picked up, and having his temperature taken. You should be able to be rate your horse while riding in a group - that means he should still be under control when other horses leave him, catch up to him, or pass him on the trail. Camping is another must, whether the horse is in a portable corral, tied to a trailer or picket line, he should be exposed to camping before you come to your first ride. Get him used to eating and drinking away from home and having lots of activity around him. So, how do we get ready? Miles, miles, miles! The pace on competitive trail rides (CTR) is set for mostly trotting. Even if your ultimate goal is endurance, a year or two of CTR will allow your horse the time to develop the ligament and bone strength needed for the longer and faster paces of endurance. You will also get a more thorough exam and learn how to rate your horse while riding CTR. It takes 4-6 weeks to get a horse's heart and lungs in shape to go 15-25 miles (a common starting point) and 6-8 weeks for muscles to respond. However, it takes an average of 2 YEARS for ligaments, tendons and bones to respond demands being put on them. This means that pushing your horse too fast in the first two years can mean career limiting lameness problems. Your horse will probably want to speed up as he gets in shape and you'll be tempted to take him on longer and faster rides - remember, he's the brawn and you're the brains in this team, ride wisely and you'll have a long, happy career as a team. Time on horseback is more important than speed during early training. Remember to start slow - skin and muscles have to toughen up in response to having a saddle and rider. Hikers can relate to having a new backpack or new shoes and having to get used to them when first starting to hike regularly. Once your horse is in shape, it doesn't take as much time to keep him there. Here's just one example of a slow leg-up schedule for a pleasure horse that's ridden regularly but hasn't done any distance work before. There are many schedules available, pick one that fits your schedule and your horse's fitness level. The numbers represent total number of miles trotted - it doesn't matter how much you walk in between so feel free to trot 1/4 mile, then walk, then trot again, whatever your horse can handle.
S M T W T F S 1 1 1 - 2 1 2 2 1 2 - 2 3 4 3 1 2 - 1 3 4 5 3 2 - 4 5 6 6 4 3 - 4 6 7 7 5 3 - 4 6 8 6 4 2 - 6 7 9 6 4 4 - 5 8 10 8 6 4 - 7 9 11 9 7 5 - 8 10 12 10 8 6 - 10 8 12 12 2 8 - - 10 12 This is a 12 week schedule to get you ready for a 25 mile ride. You should be able to trot at least ½ the distance of your planned ride 2 weeks before you compete. Obviously the closer to the actual ride distance you can do at the planned speed, the better you will do in the competition. During the last 2 weeks, slow canters can take place of some of the trotting. Cantering will help build up the horse up aerobically but will lead to more lameness and muscle soreness if attempted before the horse is strong enough. Off days should never be completely off or you're asking for muscle soreness. Turning your horse out for a romp in the field, doing ground work, a 1-2 mile walk in the woods, ponying, or longing are all good ways to loosen up muscles. If you're riding a green horse and planning on competing in a novice ride (these are usually at a slower pace), use the above schedule as total miles ridden (even walking counts) while preparing for a 15 mile ride. Find a place where you can actually measure 1 mile. Walk the mile and see how much time it takes, then repeat at a slow trot, working trot and extended trot and even canter if you’re up to it. This will give you an idea of how to pace on a ride. The average horse's walk is 3-3.5 mph, the working trot is 6-8 mph and working canter is 8-10. Find out the average for yours. Remember to warm up and cool down at a walk. Learn to take your horse's pulse. If he's in shape for what you're asking, his pulse will drop into the 40's within 10 minutes of stopping. If he's being challenged, it should hit 60 within 10 minutes. Anything more than that and you should back off. Use his pulse to make sure you're not pushing your horse too fast. All this conditioning is for the first ride; it takes a lot less to keep a horse in shape than to get him there and you can tailor your training schedule to use competitions as part of conditioning. Get in the habit of taking your horse's pulse and noting his respirations before the ride, after you stop and every 10 minutes until he’s back to his normal. Values that increase with time are trouble signs - throw a cooler over your horse, listen for gut sounds and take his temperature. Lack of gut sounds and a temperature over 103 are both signs trouble signs. Dehydration and overheating are often involved. Soak the horse down but keep his large muscles warm - unless it's very hot out, don't put water over his back or on the large muscles of the shoulder and hindquarters. Put water on the bottom of the neck and on the legs and lower abdomen where the big vessels are and keep him walking so he can flush the waste products out of his muscles. If the horse is really hot, make sure you scrape off the excess water with a sweat scraper or it will act as an insulating layer retaining heat. If his temperature is down and his pulse is still up, look for signs of colic, lameness or soreness. Give your horse every opportunity to drink while on the trail. As long as you keep moving, don’t worry about him drinking too much on the trail - usually the problem is that the horse doesn't drink enough. Try adding Gatorade or Kool-aid powder, some sort of flavoring to the water at home if your horse is finicky at rides. That way you can flavor the water at rides to mask the difference somewhat. At the beginning levels, most horses don't need electrolytes unless it's very hot and humid. As the speeds and distances of competition increase, many riders add electrolytes to their routine. Make sure you try them at home so you can find out which ones are compatible with your horse, horses can get upset stomachs from electrolytes just like people. Keep a salt block (or free salt) available at all times at home and it's a good idea to bring one to the ride. Electrolytes used for distance riding should include calcium but that's getting ahead of ourselves since most horses don't need them until you get to the 50 mile level. Always make sure the horse is drinking before giving electrolytes and make sure he has access to plenty of fresh water afterwards. The fitter your horse gets, the fewer electrolytes he'll lose in sweat. Train in the tack you’ll be using for the ride. Would you like to take a 10 mile hike in new shoes? Any type of saddle is permissible as long as it fits your horse. Look for dry spots on his back after riding, they indicate areas of increased pressure. Many distance riders use biothane tack since it can be sponged or hosed off for easy cleaning. Nylon tack is easily laundered. A sponge or scoop on a string is a way for you to pour water on your horse without dismounting - definitely practice this at home as it can be exciting the first time you try it. The same goes for tying a slicker on your saddle and trying to put it on (rides go on rain or shine) or using a rump rug for chilly mornings. Try to expose your horse to as many situations and obstacles as possible before the ride so it becomes old hat by ride time. Practice riding both alone and with a group. During the ride you'll want to keep the pace you trained at, you may not always find someone who rides like you do. Regular maintenance including worming, shots and visits from the farrier are important throughout the year. You don't want to come to a ride needing a reset - while there is usually a farrier available, don't count on it and they seldom trim like yours does at home. You want to avoid any sudden changes in angle right before the ride. Many horses are sore or feel a little punky after vaccinations so time them accordingly. If you need a coggins or health certificate, leave plenty of time to get them done. Check the rules, but most rides allow no medications of any kind including salves and liniments and especially bute and banamine. Discontinue any medications your horse may be on long enough in advance so they won't show up on a drug test if one is taken during the ride. This includes herbal medications. Make a list (see page 6) of everything you'll need for the ride to have on hand when you pack your trailer. You're bound to forget something but it’s a start! You’ll find that distance riders are some of the friendliest people on earth and odds are someone will help you out if you’ve forgotten something. A quick note on nutrition - most distance horses are on all the good grass hay they can eat, but you want to keep the amount of alfalfa down to less than 20% between rides to enable the horse to use his stored calcium when he needs it. Most are on just enough grain (very little) to keep their weight up. Consult with your vet on any supplements you may be giving to make sure they won’t cause a positive drug test if one is taken. At the RideEven for local rides, plan on getting there the day before to allow time to get your horse vetted in and set up camp before dark. Ride management and the judges appreciate it if you register as soon as you get there. (They will appreciate you more if you have pre-entered and pre-paid so they know how many to prepare for!) You will have to fill out some forms, sign a release and pay for the ride. Let the ride secretary know if this is your first time or if you have any questions and they'll help you out. You will be given a score sheet. You should mark the picture of the horse with a pencil to show any preexisting boo-boos that you want to make sure the judges see. Since you are only scored on things that change during the ride, you will want to make sure they see everything that’s already there. Feel free to ask questions of the judge about anything they do or don’t see. They are there to help you get through the ride as well as to score. Judges prefer to get all the vetting in done at once or at least before dark. It's better for you also since lesions and way of going are much easier to see in broad daylight than twilight and your horse and you will be much calmer than early in the morning when the rest of the riders are getting ready to go out. Horses that are too fractious to examine will be considered 100% sound with no lesions and even preexisting lesions will be counted off at the end. They may also lose manners points. If they are still too fractious at the end, they will get maximum points off for anything that cannot be examined. Any horses that are considered dangerous whether to people or other horses will be disqualified. Your horse should trot (or gait) quietly in-hand on a straight line and in circles. Some vets will allow you to lunge your horse if that is easier for you. Horses that are consistently lame (grade 3 or more, see page 12 for grading lameness), have an elevated temperature or soreness that would worsen during the ride are not allowed to start. Known kickers should wear a red ribbon in their tail to warn others, stallions should wear a yellow ribbon. The evening before the ride there is usually a riders meeting. Be considerate to ride management and make every effort to be there. During the meeting, management will go over the trail, how it is marked, the time allowed for completion and the parameters for the ride. Parameters include the pulse (and in some regions the respiration) that a horse must come down to within 10 minutes (20 minutes for some organizations) after being stopped in order to continue on the ride. If the pulse is not down by 10 minutes, usually it is retaken in another 10; if it is still not down, you are disqualified. (For example, in an OAATS ride, 60 is a common parameter - if you come into a vet check with a pulse of 60 or under, you can continue, you will however lose points for anything over 44 as part of the scoring. If the pulse is over 60, it will be taken again in 10 minutes and you will get penalty points. If still over 60, you are disqualified) Starting time for the ride will also be announced at the ride meeting. Riders are usually sent out at ½ to 1 minute intervals; many clubs allow you to start in groups of 2 or 3 if you ask ahead of time. (Juniors – persons under 16 or 18 depending on the club -- are required to ride with an adult at all times.) Riders often find it easier to set their watch to 12:00 at their start time rather then having to do the math and calculate the ride time added to the start time. That way if they have 3 ½ hours, they just have to be in by 3:30. P&R (Pulse and Respiration) stops are announced - the number of them and the location. UMECRA rules allow surprise P&R checks. Most rides give you a card when you come into the stop with your time on it. 10 minutes from that time, you have to present to the people taking pulses. During that 10 minutes, you can put water on your horse to cool it (not all organizations allow this), use a blanket, take off tack, let your horse eat or do whatever is needed (and allowed) to get your horse’s pulse as low as possible. In CTR, no crews are allowed which means you must do everything for your horse yourself including walking, cooling, feeding, hauling water and hauling tack. Other people are allowed to act like a tree so you can tie up your horse if you have to use the facilities but that’s about it. Other people are allowed to bring food and water for the riders themselves. If ride management fills up water buckets, they must do it for all riders equally. Some P&R stops are vet checks as well - you will be required to stop by the judges so they can quickly evaluate your horse’s gait and metabolic status. You may then be held for an additional rest period which will be announced during the riders meeting. If management is hauling water buckets to the stops for the riders, it will be announced at the meeting - that's why you always want to bring extra buckets to the ride. You will want enough extras to be able to send some out to all the vet checks away from camp and still have some for the finish line and back at camp. After the meeting, check on your horse, give him plenty of hay and water, make sure everything is ready for the morning, set your alarm clock and try to get some sleep. You'll want to wake up 1-2 hours before ride time to give your horse a small meal and get ready. Your ride time starts whether you're at the starting line or not so try to be there early enough to check in and warm up before you start. Ride at the pace you trained at. Take the time penalties if you are going too fast or slow for the set ride time - better that your horse comes in healthy and sound than on time. This first ride is mostly to get used to everything so don't get too hung up on points. Allow your horse to drink at every opportunity though they may be too keyed up in the beginning to drink much. If your horse is tired, slow down! Don't get sucked up by horses passing you at a pace you're not used to or ready for. Remember, your horse is ultimately your responsibility and he's not acting right or is slightly off, you should "pull" the horse yourself rather than risk injury. There will always be another ride. Trail courtesy requires you to ask permission to pass on the left or right (be specific) of the horse in front of you. Look for red and yellow tail ribbons when coming up on another horse and when waiting in lines at P&R stops and vetting. Trail courtesy also suggests that you ask before leaving horses that are drinking or having their pulses taken as they may get excited when you leave. If you get pulled during the ride away from camp, ride management will make arrangements to haul your horse back to camp. Make sure your horse loads willingly in as many types of trailers as you can practice on. If it"s going to be especially hot during a ride, consider adding electrolytes to the horse’s feed 3 days before the ride as long as you’ve practiced using them before, otherwise you may just upset their stomachs. Once back at camp, a final pulse will be taken, then you will be required to trot out in hand again. Metabolics will be checked and then you will be allowed to take your horse to your trailer to feed, untack and clean up before the hands-on examination takes place. Be kind to the judges and present the horse as clean as possible. Depending on the region you live in, this may occur as soon as you’re untacked or an hour after your finish time depending on when the other riders come in. This will take a little longer than vet-in since any new lesions should be pointed out to the rider along with any suggestions for follow up care. After that, the cards will be scored and awards handed out. You are considered in competition from the vet-in until after the vet-out is completed so NO medications, wraps, ice, hoses etc. are allowed until then - read the rules for specifics. While at the ride, take time to look around at all the different camping, hauling, saddling, cooling, etc. methods being used and see which may work well for you. Feel free to ask questions - we are generally a friendly bunch! You may even find a rider that lives near you so you can train together. Once home, it is better to turn your horse out so they can move around unless the ride vet recommends differently. Warm up like on off days (turn out, longing, ponying, hand walking or a 1-2 mile walk in the woods) for 2 or 3 days after the ride, then you can get back to conditioning for the next one.
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What to Bring The best way to prepare is to consider that you will be pulling into a field with only water provided for your horse. Practice at home or nearby - camp over night and take a ride the next day - it's amazing how many things you'll think of to make your life easier. Consider such things as washing up, lack of restrooms, how to keep food cold, how to prepare meals, what needs to be available at the finish line, etc. ) Horse (definitely!) FeedingFeed - for the meals you'll be camping (plus one or two more in case of emergency)Hay - they'll eat more than at home, at least a bale a day Hay bag or net Water buckets (at least six 5 gallon buckets) Muck tub Electrolytes and supplements Salt Carrots, apples, other goodies TackSaddle Bridle Saddle pad and extra if possible Girth (and an extra if possible) Blankets – heavy, light sheet and cooler depending on weather Rump rug Sponges and scoops (1/2 detergent bottle works well) Grooming equipment Lead ropes (2) Halter(2) Fly spray and fly mask Sweat Scraper Easy Boot
CampingPortable corral or picket line, stakes Charger and Batteries if used Shovel or rake for clean up
First Aid kit including:Coggins and health papers if needed Bandage material for support wraps Or booboos if needed after the ride Vet wrap, quilts, gauze, ointments Bute and/or banamine - remember, do not use until after the ride and get vet advice before using! Thermometer Stethoscope Vet checks (away checks and/or finish line) Scoop and sponges Feed (carrots, grain, hay) Buckets Muck Tub Cooler Sweat scraper Easy boot Halter and lead rope Stethoscope Drinking water/food for you
YouFood - include food you can eat while riding like fruit or Powerbars Cooking supplies Plenty to drink and something to put it in Caffeinated beverages - not all rides offer morning Coffee Ice and cooler First Aid kit Sting Kill Ibuprofen or aspirin Clothes you're used to riding in Extra clothes for when you get wet Extra shoes for when you get wet Rain gear (notice a trend ?) Sleeping bag or camping gear Extra blankets Helmet and an extra if possible Alarm clock Watch (one that's easy to set and has a second hand) Ride entry form and fee (pre-pay and pre-enter and that'll be one less thing to worry about!) Personal hygiene items Fanny pack (for water and food during ride and cell phone if you ride with one) Duct tape - you never know! Tissue Chap Stick Sun Block Flashlight and extra batteries Pens and Pencils
Grading Lameness Grade I - not consistently evident at a trot Grade II - evident consistently under certain (but not all) circumstances. Example –consistent shortening of the stride of one leg when circling to the right at a trot Grade III - evident consistently at a trot in both circles and a straight line Grade IV - evident consistently at a walk often with obvious head bobbing or hitching Grade V - non-weight bearing |
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