The Complete Guide to Endurance Riding and Competition - Hardcover

by Donna Snyder-Smith (Author)

First Star to the Right and Straight on Till Morning.... At the 90-mile vet check she sat in the middle of the road crying, claiming extreme illness and trying to avoid her nightmarish fears her horse would die of founder or colic, or anything. The last ten miles of trail stretched forever in her mind, black like licorice taffy. After a large measure of TLC from her patient and understanding crew, she and the gelding were out of the check and on the trail again. The entire universe shrank to center on the pair in the moonlight. Time stopped and the world faded into nothingness. They were running in a small, ever-changing pocket of existence, the rhythm of his hooves, the heartbeat of that universe. Ribbons and trail appeared before them and lost substance as they moved past. For the rider, clinging to the saddle, there was no thought, no pain, no emotion, only the instinctive drive to chase past each ribbon as it appeared. Suddenly her horse jumped sideways, eyes and ears frozen forward. Awakened from her trance, she oriented herself on his suspected woods troll, a familiar embankment that meant they were a half-mile from home. Easing him past the scary object, she sent the gelding on, clinging to his neck. As his soft lope swept them across the finish line, she wanted to laugh out loud or cry, but was unable to summon the strength for either. A few small tears trickled down her cheek, the only sign of the enormous pride she felt inside. Becky Huffman Endurance rider, wife, mother of two, and student of author Donna Snyder-Smith
The Howell Equestrian Library

Front Jacket

Have you ever wanted to ride down a country lane or a pine forest path and feel a special connection with your horse? Does the thought of challenging yourself and your horse on the paths of history--where pioneers, Pony Express riders and Native Americans have traveled before you--set your imagination on fire? If so, you're an endurance rider at heart. Although The Complete Guide to Endurance Riding and Competition offers training insights and insider information on the new and dynamic sport of endurance riding, it is also a valuable resource for pleasure, competitive trail, and experienced endurance riders alike. Non-riders (family or friends) who have volunteered or have been drafted to serve as "crew" will find the special tips in the chapter on crewing tremendously helpful. The book addresses the important concepts of rider balance and the gymnastic training of the horse in achieving the overall success of the long-distance team. Donna Snyder-Smith's commonsense approach to conditioning, feeding, tack and equipment, and the mental preparation of the horse and rider all lay the foundation for a long and successful association with endurance riding. It does not matter whether your goal is to experience the joys of trail riding or the adrenaline high that comes from an all-out race to the finish, The Complete Guide to Endurance Riding and Competition will help you reach it.

Back Jacket

First Star to the Right and Straight on Till Morning.... At the 90-mile vet check she sat in the middle of the road crying, claiming extreme illness and trying to avoid her nightmarish fears her horse would die of founder or colic, or anything. The last ten miles of trail stretched forever in her mind, black like licorice taffy. After a large measure of TLC from her patient and understanding crew, she and the gelding were out of the check and on the trail again. The entire universe shrank to center on the pair in the moonlight. Time stopped and the world faded into nothingness. They were running in a small, ever-changing pocket of existence, the rhythm of his hooves, the heartbeat of that universe. Ribbons and trail appeared before them and lost substance as they moved past. For the rider, clinging to the saddle, there was no thought, no pain, no emotion, only the instinctive drive to chase past each ribbon as it appeared. Suddenly her horse jumped sideways, eyes and ears frozen forward. Awakened from her trance, she oriented herself on his suspected woods troll, a familiar embankment that meant they were a half-mile from home. Easing him past the scary object, she sent the gelding on, clinging to his neck. As his soft lope swept them across the finish line, she wanted to laugh out loud or cry, but was unable to summon the strength for either. A few small tears trickled down her cheek, the only sign of the enormous pride she felt inside. ?Becky Huffman Endurance rider, wife, mother of two, and student of author Donna Snyder-Smith
The Howell Equestrian Library"

Author Biography

DONNA SNYDER-SMITH is widely acknowledged as a gifted teacher who has competed horses successfully and coached students in open jumping, dressage, three-day eventing, western pleasure and trail, and endurance riding. In 1966, on her first attempt at endurance riding, she won the prestigious silver Tevis buckle by completing the famous 100 Mile One Day Ride. She has been a freelance journalist for more than thirty years and was editor of Trail Blazer magazine for two years. In 1991, the American Riding Instructor's Association honored her with their Lifetime Achievement Award for her writing and teaching. The Complete Guide to Endurance Riding and Competition is her first book.