Endurance Trail Rides On Horses

Question
Hi I am wanting to ride my horse for long distances and i have a Saddle pack but i need a list of exactly what to put in it?

Answer
Dear Abigail

When I rode my horse long distances it was 2,400 miles. What you carry depends on how long you will be away from supplies.  A few critical items would be an "Easy Boot" that fits your horse well in case of a lost shoe and a multipurpose tool that can be a leather punch, a hoof pick, a knife and other things is very handy.  I would also recommend a bit of strong leather or nylon thong for repairs. Bug spray for you and your horse. A rain poncho that can double as a sleep shelter and a lightweight sleeping bag if you'll be out overnight.  Nowadays, a cell phone in case you get in a pickle. (A cell phone was not an option for me, I had to solve my problems without help.) If you'll be out overnight, you'll need to figure out what you will do with your horse at night. My horses were well hobble broken and would stay with me and graze all night. Another option would be a picket line or a stake out line. The picket line is an easy solution for ANY horse since they usually don't need to be taught to stand tied. The disadvantage is while you are sleeping, your horse can't be eating. I prefer hobbles, but your horse has to be accustomed and cooperative.

As far as other things, it depends whether you are talking traveling 40 miles in two days or being out for 5 1/2 months like I was.  For a two day trip, you can obviously carry some food and water.  For a race, a power bar or two is usually sufficient. For 5 1/2 months I couldn't carry enough food to do any good, so I carried some fishing line and hooks, some salt and pepper for flavoring and knowledge of which plants I could make a meal of. I carried salve for minor wounds on me and the horses

If I were you, I would check out http://www.endurance.net and chat with other riders doing the same thing you have in mind. Since you didn't tell me whether a long distance to you is 40 miles or 2,400 it's hard to make recommendations.  You also didn't specify if you are endurance racing or just traveling some distances. In either case, you want to keep things as light as possible.  For a race, you can and must keep it much lighter than a really long trip. In a race, there is a vet at the next rest stop. For me, there was usually no vet within 5 days distance.

I recommend you sit down and figure EXACTLY what you want to do and therefore what you could possibly need.  One of the most important things you need to carry is a good head on your shoulders.  Learn how to do repairs and make do with what you can find around.  Do some studying.  Really long distance riding requires more than just the right equipment, you need to know what to do with what you have.

Good luck.

Lynne Curtis Gudes
"Common sense isn't."