Published February 8, 2025 by the Highland-Bath Recorder

February is the longest month of the year, at least it always seems that way to me. This winter has been more intense than usual, and finding a window for productive outside training has been challenging. The Wellness Center is where I’ve been spending a fair amount of time working on my own strength, endurance, and balance; when I get tired, my horse has to consume more of her energy carrying me and that is costly. Winter is a good time to level up my own condition to then maintain and hold it as the riding opportunities expand in Spring.

I still get out to ride or hike with Khaleesi, even in the snow and ice, but the rides are shorter and slower. February has gifted an occasional warm day and the Jackson River Scenic Trail is our best bet when the wooded trails are sketchy. The Scenic (Rails) Trail is flat with prepared footing that stays pretty reliable in all seasons. This means when the mountain trails are muddy and slick, if we travel to the Cedar Creek Trailhead we can get onto flat gravel and even do some trotting if there’s no ice. I’m fortunate to live in a place with access to mountains to climb out my front door, but the mountains can be treacherous in deep winter. We will use them later.

Any kind of time spent intentionally moving is valuable. I want to bring this horse, who spent half a year as a couch potato, back to being an active creature. Physical condition heavily revolves around heart rate. In endurance, heart rate is a central indicator, and everyone who looks at the horse from the pre-exam vet to the finish line vet will check the pulse of the horse numerous times to confirm the horse is healthy and well.

When I take my horse to “vet-in” the day before the race, the first thing the vet will do is check her heart rate. Khaleesi’s day before resting heart rate is usually between 38-48 BPM which is standard for a healthy and fit horse. Her heart rate for moderate work which we want to stay within as much as possible is 110 – 150 BPM. When we are in a high intensity segment either for training or a short burst in a ride event she could get into the 180 range but that is unsustainable and a zone that will create problems if we over use it on a race day. When I come off the trail from my first “loop” I have a mandatory hold where my horse will get to take a break, eat and drink, and get checked over by a vet to ensure she is still healthy to continue the race. These mandatory holds are put in place to protect horses from competitive humans and level the playing field giving all horses what is determined an appropriate break.

In a 50-mile equine endurance event, two holds usually break the total mileage up into segments (more holds for longer distances), and each hold is 45 or 50 minutes. However, as I trot up to the “in-timer” who will mark my arrival, my hold time will not begin until my horse meets the heart rate criteria of 64 BPM. Time is of the essence here, so once I arrive into the hold area I will find my crew and we will pull off my saddle, sponge the horse with cool water, and keep checking her pulse–thankfully my horse tends to drop her pulse quickly. As soon as she is down to 64 we will walk her calmly but with purpose to the “pulse box” where they will confirm her pulse and give us our “out time.”

Next we are sent to the vet who will go over the horse from ears to hooves looking for soreness, muscle tension, hydration, gut sounds, and just before we trot out and back (where the vet is grading for lameness, impulsion, and attitude), the vet will also check heart rate. One minute after the horse returns from the trot out and back, the vet will record the last key heart rate figure before the horse can be cleared to go; this is called the Cardio Recovery Index or CRI. If the horse is doing well the heart rate will be the same or lower after the trot out.  For example 60 BPM before the trot, 58 BPM one minute after, that’s a horse doing well. If the horse was 60 BPM before and 72 BPM after, that horse is probably having trouble. The CRI indicates trouble brewing internally before it shows up externally, and gives a rider time to find and address the issue before it becomes a serious problem.

Once we are released (hopefully with a score card of all “As”) we will spend the rest of our hold time at the crewing area where Khaleesi will relax and eat, and I will prepare for the next segment of the ride–this includes eating and drinking because a rider must also stay hydrated and fueled up! Someone in my crew has an alarm set for the ten minute warning and this is when we will get the horse saddled and with five minutes until our “out time” I’ll don my hydration pack and get on the horse, careful not to lose any time that I can be on trail. I will be waiting those last seconds at the little tent with the volunteer whose job it is to confirm the horse and rider went back out on trail, and did not leave one second before the “out time.”After all, it is a race.

All sanctioned endurance events have a maximum time within a single day: six hours for every 25 miles. When I go to Vermont, the 100-mile ride must be completed in 24 hours or less. Time matters, and though the sport’s motto is To Finish is To Win, we in fact have placings, points, and to further complicate matters, there are awards for Turtle and Best Condition.

Regardless of where you finish in the pack, if you are prepared and fortunate enough to cross the finish line within the official time allowed, celebrate lightly because a placing and completion is only given when the horse passes the final vet check. This exam is identical to the check during the event that allows a horse to continue the race. In fact, for the horse to officially complete the ride and be placed as a finisher the vet must grade the horse Fit to Continue. Technically this means the horse would be released to run another segment if there were one. This is another safeguard to deter competitive humans from over-riding a horse in those last miles, and to help remind us all to ride smart all the way to the end. The finish line pull is real and I have also experienced this tough end to a long day.

In endurance riding, we always TRY to put the horse’s well-being first, and mostly we do.  Pretty much all endurance riders have a failure story–I have more than one, (but we will leave that for another column!). In this time honored tradition of putting high value on longevity and taking good care of our horses, the most coveted awards are not First to Finish. Last place or the Turtle award- is highly regarded, it means a rider did his or her best, probably took good care of their horse, possibly had complications, and persevered to finish the ride healthy and strong. My Turtle awards almost always have a story behind them. The highest valued prize and true winner of every event is the horse and rider who wins Best Condition. This coveted prize brings more prestige than first to finish, though if you can take both you are a true super-star. The in-depth final exam given by the head vet is offered to all the horses that place in the Top Ten, and determines the horse who is in Best Condition after finishing. 

In the decade I have participated in equine endurance events I’ve won my fair share of Turtles, and I’ve stood for the head vets to present for Best Condition award as well–though I have yet to receive this title, it is my hope someday we will. 

I hope this segment helped to give an idea of how an event flows. As we emerge from frozen February, we will begin to trot on into more activity. As the days get longer and warmer and the trails dry out we will be out riding the mountains. I will take you on board as we see our farrier for new (composite) horse shoes and an update with our nutrition specialist. We have a horsemanship clinic with our favorite horseman and author Tom Moates in March–I’ll include information on how to visit with us in person. Meanwhile I have been posting videos about our winter conditioning on a YouTube playlist (www.tinyurl.com/HopeHorse) or you can scan the QR code with your device. Subscribe or check back from time to time if you want a window into what we’re doing as we dig into the work. Stay warm and dry, until next time!