Endurance is an exciting activity for RDA with the aim of:-
- Encouraging riding outside of an arena where possible
- Offering RDA riders a new and different challenge
- Providing an opportunity to compete at a variety of levels
RDA Endurance is open to all members of RDA; assistance and escort riders are permitted and at the lower levels 1km – 3km leaders are permitted to accompany the rider around the course.
Why get involved?
- It’s fun and open to all riders, horses and ponies
- More involvement and variety for leaders and helpers
- Greater knowledge of horsemanship, especially fitness heart rates, metabolic rates and dehydration
- Knowledge of speed and distance – do you know how fast your pony walks, trots and canters?
- Have a go, start at 1km and progress to 16km!
Endurance rides will be determined by the availability of suitable routes. Groups that are already able to hack out would be an ideal venue to hold Endurance sessions, although shorter distance rides can be organised within an arena. A loop would need to be created of either 1km, 2km, 3km, 5km or 10km long. For shorter rides this may take place within an arena; it may make things more interesting to include obstacles such as poles and a gate. A 1km ride within an arena would be approximately 8 circuits depending on the size of the arena.