When Is Our Next In House Endurance Event?

Young people have a hard time understanding it, but our next in house endurance event is today, tomorrow, and every day that I can make it happen. We will have the event just before Turkey season comes in in the spring--likely early April. But that event itself is a bit anticlimactic for me. I love the preparation--the conditioning--the honing of my horse and myself. I love the feeling that riding when I don't feel like riding gives me. I love the freedom that self discipline gives me. 

The event itself will be great. The best part of that will be watching riders demonstrate their increase in riding skills--especially kids and new riders. I love watching how much better horses move when their bodies are rock hard from months of conditioning. I love seeing healthy horses and no horse is healthy unless it is well conditioned.

 Endurance work is the only kind of equine competition in which I have any interest. It is the only form of equine competition that I know of that has been good for the horse. And conditioning a horse is spectacular exercise for the rider. The increase in balance, and core strength that comes from spending hundreds of hours in the saddle is a great benefit to older riders.

 But most of all, it is the self discipline that is needed to get up early, morning after morning to ride that transfers over to every other challenge in life. Where one finishes compared to other riders is of great interest to younger riders. I am not being condescending when I say that. Twenty years ago it would have been of great interest to me. I stopped competing against others years ago. Now I only compete against myself and endurance riding has made me a very worthy opponent of myself. For me the formal event is desert--likely a wonderful desert--something that I really enjoy--but not sustenance for for living.

 Training and conditioning are my main meals--they keep me growing--even at my age.