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Home Horse Riding Disciplines Endurance and Competitive Trail

Endurance and Competitive Trail

Read more about endurance riding and competitive trail riding, how to get involved, how to improve your skills, news, stories from participants, and more with Horse Illustrated's articles.Endurance riding is an internationally recognized discipline that involves riding long-distance race while the horse must pass veterinary inspections along the way. They are usually 50- or 100-mile long rides, while limited distance rides are only 25 miles for new riders to the sport. Many different breeds participate, but Arabians are by far the most popular breed for this sport. Endurance is governed internationally by the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) and in the U.S. by the American Endurance Ride Conference (AERC).Competitive trail riding (CTR) involves riding a set distance (usually 40 miles per day) for usually one to three days. Speed is not the main factor, with it being more of a judged trail ride. Timed events mean the horse-and-rider must finish in a certain time range, but veterinary checks, rider behavior, performance of the horse and ability to recover, manners, and other criteria are evaluated.    

Crossing ditches is a must when you’re working around a ranch; the move can also be part of ranch riding competitions set up to mimic real working conditions. While some horses will walk, trot, or jump over any ditch,...
The Mongol Derby, the world’s longest and toughest horse race, has been thundering across Mongolia’s steppe for ten days this month. In one of the closest ever races, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran from Massachusetts, Matthew Perella, took second place. Based...
For the first time, the sport of mountain trail was experienced in Israel, thanks to Noam Sitbon Alimi – board member of the Summit Association – who arranged to have Mark and Lee Bolender from Bolender Horse Park in...
The Thoroughbred horse is the fastest in the world, and it’s no wonder. Since the 1700s, Thoroughbreds have been bred for pure speed.First developed in England strictly for the purpose of racing, the Thoroughbred began with three foundation stallions:...
When it comes to equine history, many believe you can’t go further back than the Arabian horse.For centuries, the ancestors of today’s Arabians were carefully bred by the Bedouin tribes of the Sahara Desert. Used for war and for...
Preparing for a 100-mile horse ride is no small feat. I’ve trekked across Mongolia as an official for an endurance horse race, but that seems like a warm-up for The Tevis Cup, which spans across the Sierra Nevada mountains...
Trail riding is among the most popular equestrian pastimes, and competing on the trail was once something many trail riders enjoyed. But due to a variety of factors, two organizations that sanction competition on the trail have seen a...
Not many people would consider climbing aboard a horse soon after breaking ribs. But not everybody is Suzanne Hayes, who won the Big Horn 100 endurance ride just six weeks after a fall that resulted in 10 broken ribs...
Will your horse allow you to pick up and swing a rain slicker? The noise and fast-moving fabric on both sides of his body can be spook-inducing. Whether you’re preparing for a trail class that includes the slicker as...
To win the world’s longest horse race, Robert Long employed equal parts preparation and smarts. In August, the 70-year-old became the oldest winner of the Mongol Derby, which involves racing more than 600 miles across the Mongolian Steppe, recreating...
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