News | 10 July 2024
Discover the benefits of Endurance riding
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What is Endurance all about?
Endurance riding is an exhilarating adventure that offers excitement, growth, and plenty of enjoyment! Whether you’re a Pony Club member or an experienced rider passionate about dressage, eventing, or show jumping, exploring endurance riding could be your next great endeavor. This unique equestrian sport involves long rides across scenic landscapes—imagine trotting through forests, cantering over hills, and splashing through streams alongside your horse or pony. It’s a fantastic way to bond with friends and family, suitable for all ages and abilities.
Endurance rides typically last several hours, making them excellent value for your entry fee. Beyond the thrill and beauty of the journey, endurance riding offers numerous benefits.
Read on to find out about all the benefits of Endurance riding…
The benefits of Endurance
- Enhanced Horse Fitness: Boost your horse’s heart and lung capacity, develop muscle strength through varied terrain, and maintain joint health for overall performance and longevity.
- Personal Fitness: Improve cardiovascular health, core strength, and balance while enjoying the physical challenge of endurance riding.
- Bonding and Communication: Strengthen your relationship with your horse through shared experiences, improving communication and trust.
- Calm and Focus: Teach your horse to remain composed and focused during extended outings, which can translate to better performance in other equestrian disciplines.
- Cross-Training Advantages: Enhance performance in dressage, eventing, and show jumping through improved stamina, strength, and resilience gained from endurance training.
How can I get involved with Endurance?
Pony Club members can get FREE Club membership with EGB. This allows you to enter any National EGB ride or pleasure ride without having to pay for full EGB membership!
The best place to start with Endurance is at an EGB ride holding specific Pony Club classes. You’ll ride the same route as other competitors, but you’ll only be competing against other Pony Club members. One of the best places to have a go is at the Endurance Championships on the 23rd August at Well Vale in Lincolnshire. There’ll be lots of people on hand to make your first Endurance ride as enjoyable as possible, including the Endurance Chairman, Robert Blane. Encourage other members in your Branch to come along and form a team, or even your friends from other nearby Branches or Centres because Endurance allows mixed teams. Don’t be put off by the word ‘Championships’ – this is the ideal venue to have a go at with lots of Pony Club support!
The Grassroots class (20km) requires no previous experience at all, and is open to ANY Pony Club member to enter.
The Novice class (32km) is open to members of the Hacking Challenge who completed 100 miles since 23rd August 2023. It is also open to members who have qualified via to route detailed in the Endurance Rulebook.