- Oct 6, 2011
- 121
- 4
- 91
I have a reg. Missouri Foxtrotter that my pre-teen won grand reserve champ with at a local 4H show here once, but that's all she cared to do - she thinks the show lifestyle takes too much work. LOL! I dabbled in Western Pleasure and Showmanship for a couple of years myself, and at that point my horses had more hair care products in their collection than I had in my life time...LOL. I sew, so we made all of our own clothes including chaps, and it saved cash but down here in TX, no one likes to wear last years style and no one wants to buy last years style, so it all ended up being such a waste and more $ than I cared to spend on that particular discipline. I had quarter horses for years and years, and now only have gaited horses and Arabs. I'm slowly going gaited!
I have always been a distance rider - for something close to 25 years. I only recently joined the AERC a few years ago and love doing limited distance, which is all I have time to train for while having babies and family mixed in as well. A couple of years ago I got a really nice new Arab and hope to get him going later this fall. He has great potential to be a 50 miler horse and has a long stride, so that will mean less time in the saddle. I love the endurance lifestyle - it is something I do for ME. It keeps me in shape physically and it keeps me strong mentally. I leave the family behind and go camping with my horses for the weekend. I usually ride the first day, then volunteer that afternoon after the ride and then all of the next day. I love just watching everything that goes on in ride camp. Any type of horse or tack that you've been wanting to see or try, you'll find it at an endurance ride.
I have broke/trained my own horses over my lifetime. I also teach some of them to drive, and I've gone to driving show and ride out with the local driving club here from time to time. I've tried several disciplines over the years but my mainstays are distance riding, driving and dressage. I got my first horse at 14 yrs (after many years of pining for one) and have never been able to get out of it (who would want to?). But my oldest kiddo grew up with them and she doesn't have the bug. My youngest is only 2.5yrs old and she will ride with me in the saddle for two solid hours happy as a clam and still wants more. Maybe she will get the bug and want to do endurance rides with mommy later on - I can only hope!
I have always been a distance rider - for something close to 25 years. I only recently joined the AERC a few years ago and love doing limited distance, which is all I have time to train for while having babies and family mixed in as well. A couple of years ago I got a really nice new Arab and hope to get him going later this fall. He has great potential to be a 50 miler horse and has a long stride, so that will mean less time in the saddle. I love the endurance lifestyle - it is something I do for ME. It keeps me in shape physically and it keeps me strong mentally. I leave the family behind and go camping with my horses for the weekend. I usually ride the first day, then volunteer that afternoon after the ride and then all of the next day. I love just watching everything that goes on in ride camp. Any type of horse or tack that you've been wanting to see or try, you'll find it at an endurance ride.
I have broke/trained my own horses over my lifetime. I also teach some of them to drive, and I've gone to driving show and ride out with the local driving club here from time to time. I've tried several disciplines over the years but my mainstays are distance riding, driving and dressage. I got my first horse at 14 yrs (after many years of pining for one) and have never been able to get out of it (who would want to?). But my oldest kiddo grew up with them and she doesn't have the bug. My youngest is only 2.5yrs old and she will ride with me in the saddle for two solid hours happy as a clam and still wants more. Maybe she will get the bug and want to do endurance rides with mommy later on - I can only hope!
