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T O P I C R E V I E W
Nichole Waller
Posted - 02 Nov 2009 : 2:59:39 PM I've entered for the EGB ICENI pleasure ride on 22nd November and am now worrying if Ozzy is too young to go...?
He is 4 years 8 months and was backed in June this year.
We mostly hack for an 1 to 1.5 hours each ride and i tend to ride him every other day. The last two weeks i've been doing a longer ride at the weekend to increase his fitness.
He never seams to get tired and feels like he could carry me all day but i don't want to do too much with him while he is so young.
I was only planning on doing the shortest route which i think is 10 miles and i've estimated i'll do this in about 2 hours. This will be mainly walk (which is very fast) and trot with the occasional short canters.
The other thing to consider is i am quite heavy (11 stone) and Ozzy is 14.22hh. He never complains about my weight, but i'm conscious that i am probably the heaviest he should be carrying... (i do hope to loose a few pounds before 22nd Nov....)
What do all you endurance people think...?
5 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First)
sasha
Posted - 09 Nov 2009 : 11:42:09 AM 4 year olds can enter pleasure/social/training rides but can not enter competitive rides until they are 5 years old.
linda
Gemma
Posted - 02 Nov 2009 : 7:01:55 PM Yes,
Training Ride = Pleasure Ride = Non-Competitive Ride (NCR).
Nichole Waller
Posted - 02 Nov 2009 : 6:29:25 PM Thanks to you both.
Can you just confirm to me that a training ride is the same as a pleasure ride?
I suppose we normally do between 4 and 7 miles on our hacks at the moment so 10 miles is not a lot more...
Quite often there is a part on the route that you can do a short cut. I think i'll give them a ring and ask them if there is a bit where i can cut off a few miles. If i can get it down to 7 miles then this will be no more than one of our weekend hacks.
The ground where we are is not good at the moment so was really looking forward to lovely Thetford sandy soil....
Gemma
Posted - 02 Nov 2009 : 3:56:16 PM I've just checked my rule book and unless I'm being blind, I can't see mention of minimum age for training rides. However, the minimum for CRs is 5, so I would assume it's also 5 for TRs (but as Su says, check with the ride organiser).
For what it's worth, I would personally wait. Horses don't stop maturing until they are 7, 8 years old, and waiting another 6 months, or even longer, is no bad thing if you want him to have a long career. But then Marygold didn't do her first CR until she was 10, and fingers crossed Maj will be doing hers @ 8 years old in 2010.
Your weight shouldn't be an issue if he's coping with it at the moment.
Having said all that, the King's Forest is a fantastic ride! I did a 120km ER there this season and really enjoyed it. It's mostly flat and straight forward so it'd be a good place for his first ride - but maybe when he's a bit older.
Rozy Rider
Posted - 02 Nov 2009 : 3:16:50 PM I think officially he needs to be 5 years old, why don't you have a word with the organiser and ask her, he may be too young to get the egb insurance cover and then that could be a problem. I should say no more and just speak to the ride org..and see what they say..
I have never ridden in the Kings Forest, they say its lovely, so keep it on your list. Sue
(11 stone) and Ozzy is 14.22hh. He never complains about my weight, but i'm conscious that i am probably the heaviest he should be carrying...
(i do hope to loose a few pounds before 22nd Nov....)