July 15, 2009
Hopkins County, KY - Local resident competes in endurance riding.
To have a horse in your life is truly a gift. It is a lifelong passion that began for me as a child. Now well into middle age I continue my obsession as I compete as an Endurance rider. My background in riding has always been in Cross Country jumping and Dressage. Nothing has captivated my spirit like teaming up with my horse to cover 25-50 miles of trail at a time.
Endurance riding is an equestrian competition where horse and rider as a team ride cross country on marked trails for 25-50-100 miles. You and your horse must be fit as you are evaluated at the start, middle and end of your ride by a veterinarian.
To keep my horse’s fitness level where it needs to be ,I take advantage of Western Kentucky’s many trails. I train during the week either at Pennyrile State Park, or Land Between the Lakes. My competition horse Guinness and I log around 15-30 miles a week. Most Endurance horses are Arabian; however my little guy is a Pinto. I have seen walking horses, Quarter horses and even ponies at rides. I don’t receive ribbons or trophies, but the satisfaction of completion. Rides are sanctioned by AERC(American Endurance Ride Conference) and there are rules to follow. All mileage and points are recorded by AERC.The motto of any Endurance rider is “To finish is to win”.
If you face your fears, swallow your pride and are willing to work at it, you’ll learn lessons in courage, commitment, and compassion. You’ll discover just how hard you’re willing to work toward a goal, how little you know, and how much you have to learn. If you would like to know more about the wonderful sport of Endurance please feel free to email me at : scollins36@yahoo.com.This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
Submitted to iSurf News by Staci Collins
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