I have read with interest the thread on horse abuse at a LD ride. Some of you have queried what we do here in Australia, so here goes:
EVERY rider in Australia who wishes to try endurance riding MUST successfully complete 2 x 40km "Training Rides". These rides are usually held in conjunction with an 80km ride, however several clubs hold dedicated Training Ride weekends for newcomers to the sport, which also include short seminars on feeding, saddle-fit, training, etc.
It is possible to continue doing Training Rides for years on end without needing to get an official Logbook for your horse. There are many riders here who just love doing the Training Rides, and don't bother with longer distances.
Training Rides are NOT races. There are no places awarded, just completion prizes. There are no Best Condition awards either. There is a minimum time requirment.... usually 3 hours for 40km (25 miles), and never faster than this. If you arrive earlier than 3 hours you are disqualified. The vetting is exactly the same as for endurance rides, and the horse must recover to 55bpm within 30 minutes of arrival.
It is not until you have successfully completed 2 x 40km training rides that you are allowed to enter official Endurance Rides. At this stage, your horse MUST have a Logbook, and at this stage the rider MUST join the State Endurance Association (a division of AERA).
The next step is that both the horse and the rider MUST successfully complete 3 x 80km rides at a restricted pace (6 hours minimum for 80km). Again, disqualification occurs if the horse comes in earlier than this time.
Also, all results are entered in the horses' Logbook from this time onwards, and are available to view at any time, allowing a permanent record of all health parameters, times, and other issues. The Logbook is a valuable tool for tracking the progress of the horse throughout its career.
I must also say that because we have Logbooks, each rider is VERY careful to maintain the "cleanest" Logbook possible, as ALL results are entered every ride. So a Logbook that shows multiple issues such as lamenesses, metabolic problems, disqualifications, etc, becomes an embarrassment to the rider/owner/trainer!
It is only after the rider and the horse have both successfully completed 3 x 80km (50 mile) rides that they are then allowed to go a bit faster, if circumstances allow. Most of the horses started in endurance here in Australia only do a maximum of the 2 x 40km and the 3 x 80km rides in their first year, and are then turned out. When they come back into work the following year, they are re-commenced as if they are "Novice" horses, and do the first 1 or 2 rides at the restricted speed.
No horse under the age of 6 years is allowed to enter a 160km (100 mile) ride at all. Usually a 160km ride is something to aim for at the end of their second or third year in the sport.
Both horses and riders here MUST progress through the system.... from Novice to Open. If a problem occurs along the way, the rider and/or the horse is "knocked back" into Novice status, and must remain there until successful completion of a number of rides before being allowed back into the Open ranks.
Oh, and by the way, NO WHIPS OR SPURS are allowed AT ALL here in Australia. I find it horrifying to think about a horse whipped or spurred to complete a ride.
All our rules are available at: www.aera.asn.au
Best regards
Jay Randle SPLENDACREST ENDURANCE TRAINING www.freewebs.com/splendacrest Sell your car for just $30 at CarPoint.com.au. It's simple!
