Australian Endurance

["Sue J Henderson" <dalkeith@net-tech.com.au>]

I am a bit behind in the posts but was reading about your Limited Distances
and stuff.

You may already be aware but in Australia you have a different type of
system.

You have the Social Training Ride of 16km (10 Miles)  Your horse needs to
be 4.5years or older and you need a day membership to the AERA to ride in
that and you vet in and out.  This is for completion only - no placings.

Next is usually a 40 km ride (25miles) this is also only a training ride
for completion.  A novice horse has to successfully complete 2 of these
before it is allowed to do an 80km (50 mile).  The heart rate must be 55 or
under at the vet check.

There is a 56km (35 mile) ride that is also a training ride for completion
only.

The 80km or 50 mile is the next and a novice horse completes 3 of these
successfully before becoming an endurance horse with a heart rate of 55 or
under necessary.

Once this criteria is met the horse then is an endurance horse. It is then
allowed to vet in at 60 bpm after the first vet check - I think that is
right.

If a horse has not successfully completed an 80m km or greater for 13
months it then drops its status from Endurance to Novice and has to start
again.  A horse must be a novice for a minimum of 90 days.

I think that is the basic outline.  Oh - a horse must be 5 years old to do
an 80km or over.

I am only new to this game and have so far only done my 16km social
training ride but am aiming for my first 40 in a month or so.  It seems a
fair system to me and I hope I get through OK!

Bit different to the American system.

Sue & Chance