The Complete Guide to Endurance Riding and Competition (Howell reference books) [Hardcover]

Donna Snyder-Smith (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 23, 1998 | ISBN-10: 0876052847 | ISBN-13: 978-0876052846 | Edition: 1

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

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Whether you're saddled and ready for the dynamic new sport of endurance riding, or more content to lope down a pretty country lane, this thorough guide provides plenty of updated information to keep horse and rider on the right path. While it's most suited to the endurance rider, the author covers training procedures (conditioning, feeding, equipment) that are also useful to noncompetitive equestrians. Photos, drawings, and charts accompany the straightforward text.

From the Inside Flap

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.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Howell Book House; 1 edition (April 23, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0876052847
• ISBN-13: 978-0876052846
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 7.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #165,181 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

51 of 53 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars How to ride far and fast on a healthy horse, July 10, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Complete Guide to Endurance Riding and Competition (Howell reference books) (Hardcover)

Want to feel good, cover a lot of ground, and enjoy a real sense of accomplishment? And spend a lot of time with your horse? Then read this book. Endurance riding (strictly speaking, going 50-100 miles a day across the countryside for 1-5 days on or with your horse) should not be attempted unless you and your horse have some basic training, including physical conditioning, but with the right approach almost anyone can do it. Donna shows you how, from basics to true competition (not only how to reach the finish line in one piece but how to be one of the first arrivals on a horse that is ready and able to keep going). There are a number of books offering advice on endurance riding, and most provide valuable information, but I find this one the best starting point. Besides covering the fundamentals found in almost every endurance book, Donna offers exercises for you and your horse that help you both to finish without being cramped, exhausted or otherwise unfit to continue (I can testify to this!). She also injects many nuggets of wisdom from her extensive personal experience. Finally, the format includes many helpful diagrams, illustrations, photos, boxes, summaries, lists and references that get the necessary concepts across much better than plain words in a paragraph, which makes for easier reading and quicker comprehension. My only complaint is that the book is too big to fit in my saddlebag.

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Resource for Every Rider, April 25, 2000

By 

Kim Schiavone - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Complete Guide to Endurance Riding and Competition (Howell reference books) (Hardcover)

This book gives a good, solid foundation to the sport of endurance riding, and for every rider who wants a horse at its' prime. I am just starting in the sport and this book tells you where to start and how to prime your horse and get it ready for the competitions ahead. Through this book, I have broadened my knowledge of both the sport and how to work with a horse to get it in its best condition. The author includes valuable tips, exercises and pictures which demonstrate what you need and how to use them. I highly suggest this book for anyone interested in getting started with endurance riding.

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Read and Live (comfortably), July 12, 2000

By 

Mccarthy Law Offices (Independence Oregon) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Complete Guide to Endurance Riding and Competition (Howell reference books) (Hardcover)

I trained with the Ms. Snyder-Smith and worked with Ms. Kanavy in a week long clinic, and I can say unequivocally that the two practice all they talk about in the book. If you want to learn the basics of endurance riding, horse and human biomechanics, and just soak up some real state of the art saavy, Donna Snyder Smith and Valerie Kanavy are the ticket!