My first sport endurance ride!

[yanny]

I know, he's not a Dales but I know a few of the Dalesfans are endurance fans too and I thought it'd be fun to post how much I enjoyed it!
Last week my cousin who takes me hunting asked me to come on a sport endurance pleasure ride this Sunday. She was going to take her step daughter, so they were booked in and paid for but unfortunately she broke her finger so I was asked and jumped at the chance!
It was at Rother Valley country park which was so scenic and a beautiful place to ride. However it was absolutely blowing a gale when we got there and there were jetskiers, hundreds of bikes, loose dogs, playful children and frightening benches!!! So great bombproofing territory
Anyway after 20 minutes of freshness and spooking we were well on our way. We'd planned to do 16 miles as it sounded like the nicest ride, but accidentally must've took a wrong turn because we ended up doing the full shebang; 20 miles which was the longest option!!!
I was very proud as Cuba took the lead over some scary bridges, styles and through truly terrifying creaky gates!! Just had one big spook moment when a small child was playing on a hill near us, I think the horses thought it was an ambush! Loud, splashy jetskiers just got a slight look whereas a 6 year old boy gets a full on spook and shy?! That's horses for you!!
We adored our day and thought it was so nice that we got rosettes at the end; I think it's a great thing to give people rosettes for taking part and having a fun day, it shows what's really important with horses
I really want to get into this more as ever since watching the film Hidalgo (has anyone else seen it? Amazing film!!!) it made me want to do endurance and now I've found it's not only great fun, a great way to bond with your horse, and everyone seems so friendly too, it's all the more reason to get involved.
Looking into getting trailer lessons tomorrow and gonna get a "mum loan" to buy a trailer too as there are no rides within hacking distance here. Then I wanna try and get Cal out doing some as well because I'm sure he'd adore it as well! Don't think he'd stand up to a 20 miler with his leg at the minute, but I'm sure the 3 mile or even 6 would have been fine.

[harveydales]

Well done! I'm glad you enjoyed the ride. Endurance really is a great sport and I wish I'd discovered it sooner. As you say, the people are all very friendly and helpful. Harvey loves it, but then he loves any sort of activity or competition.

I've been wanting to take Harvey over to Rother Valley for a ride, meeting up with friends, for a while now. I've never been so good to hear such a good report. It's a long way for me to travel but just about feasible.

Endurance GB covers all of our area very comprehensively so I've never gone with Sport Endurance but I'm sure they are very similar. Good luck with your trailer lessons and getting mobile - it opens up so much fun riding.

[colmworthdales]

Well done Yanny and Cuba. Glad you enjoyed yourselves so much. I always like the chance to ride on fresh ground with a range of different horses and riders - great learning for the horses as you say, and a good change to make friends and contacts. Good luck with the trailer lessons - shame the test to tow a vehicle is so stupidly expensive!

[dalesnfellfan]

Well done, glad you enjoyed the ride, I'm another big fan of pleasure rides, they're a lovely way to have a good day out with your horse and yes the people are lovely and very helpful. I hope to get out to some this year with Connie, just need the confidence now.

[yanny]

I've been looking on the lindum egb website and sport endurance and planning to do all these rides! So excited!
I've found a towing instructor who is based about 5 miles from me, booked an assessment and he says if you're good enough in the assessment you can do a 2 day course which is £252 (including the price of the test which is £110) so not too bad really!
Just got to hope I can pass first time it's not as dear as I thought it'd be!

[yanny]

Apr 13, 2015 14:56:14 GMT -1 dalesnfellfan said:

Well done, glad you enjoyed the ride, I'm another big fan of pleasure rides, they're a lovely way to have a good day out with your horse and yes the people are lovely and very helpful. I hope to get out to some this year with Connie, just need the confidence now.

I'm sure you'll get the confidence on her; you'll learn all her ways and what she might spook at etc. but she sounds like an honest, kind pony and she'd be great for these rides I bet it'd be funny if we were on the same ride!

[Fi]

Sounds like a fab day, and a great place. I've heard of Rother Valley as it's not so far from me, but never actually been - glad to hear good reports of it.

One day I'd like to do more pleasure rides and long distance stuff - that poor 'next pony' of mine is going to be very busy!

[cadeby]

Well done. Sounds like great fun in a nice area.
They'll be no stopping you when you have wheels

[Debbie]

I love hearing about your adventures with Cuba! He's a Dalesfans' pony (horse), so of course we love to hear about him too

I know Dundee would adore doing something like this with me. If only I could wave a wand

That training actually sounds a very reasonable cost for what you're getting. Best of luck with the course!

[yanny]

Aww thank you Debbie honestly can't wait to start the towing lessons

[jaycee]

Good luck with towing lessons. That's one good thing about being older, we don't have to take a test! Look forward to seeing you at Lindum rides.

[kathnsonny]

I did my trailer test about 5 years ago - that price sounds very reasonable! I missed out on having Grandfather rights by 11 months which I was annoyed about but to be honest I ended up being really glad I'd had lessons as I tow with much more confidence (and competence!) than I would otherwise.

[dalesnfellfan]

Apr 16, 2015 6:24:00 GMT -1 kathnsonny said:

I did my trailer test about 5 years ago - that price sounds very reasonable! I missed out on having Grandfather rights by 11 months which I was annoyed about but to be honest I ended up being really glad I'd had lessons as I tow with much more confidence (and competence!) than I would otherwise.

I, of course had grandfather rights, and although I started towing 35 years ago when my daughter was doing pony club I was never any good at reversing and used to worry all the way there about parking or worse taking the wrong turn and having to turn round or meeting something on a narrow lane.  Over the years 2 husbands tried to teach me but when I couldn't get it both ended up getting frustrated and cross and I'd get more nervous, not a good combination to aid learning. 

4 years ago I had decided I was going to do a proper towing course, but then bought a Sec D mare who wouldn't travel in a trailer but was fine in a box so I ended up swapping the trailer for an old lorry, so much easier on the nerves.  If I ever went back to a trailer though I would definitely have some proper towing lessons.