Endurance riding
Endurance riding is a long-distance race against the clock over natural terrain, with compulsory veterinary checks that a horse must pass to continue.
At a glance
| Governing body | Federation Equestrian International (FEI) internationally. |
|---|---|
| Distances | FEI rides run from 40 km up to 160 km in a single day. |
| Vet gates | Horses must pass heart-rate and soundness checks at set points; failing one is elimination. |
| Winning | The first horse to finish that also passes the final vet check wins; welfare gates are as decisive as speed. |
Endurance is ridden over marked trails across open country. The route is broken into loops separated by vet gates, where each horse's pulse must drop below a set rate within a time limit and the horse must be judged sound before it is allowed to carry on.
Because the sport covers many miles over hard and varied ground, hoof protection matters more here than in most disciplines. Riders often use hoof boots to cushion the sole and protect the hoof wall over long, abrasive distances.
Because this discipline works horses over hard or abrasive ground, hoof protection can matter. The HoofBootFit sizing tool matches a fresh-trim length and width to the hoof boots that fit.
Sources: Federation Equestrian International (FEI) ยท British Equestrian