Hints and Tips on Preparing for Horseshoe
If you are planning a trip down to Exmoor to try one of the classes at the ‘Horseshoe’ for the first time this year, the following hints may be helpful.
1) You and your horse will already be qualified to compete in whichever class you enter, so you will have the basic fitness to complete the distance.
2) Exmoor has a greater variety of terrain than almost any other ride you will have competed at – including many hills! If you have never ‘done’ the Red Dragon, Hexhamshire, Ludlow, or any of the Scottish Highlands rides, you could be taken by surprise. You would be well advised, therefore, to take in some serious hill training for a couple of months before the ‘Horseshoe’.
Once a week, you should incorporate a good two hours of hill work. If you live in a very flat area, you will need to box up to the nearest available ‘hilly’ area for this.
3) There are always several river crossings on every ‘Horseshoe’ route, so make sure your horse will go through water.
4) We have many gates on Exmoor, with several different kinds of latches. The landowners are very helpful in allowing us to have many of these gates open for the ride, and those which have to be shut usually have a rope tied onto them to make this easier. However, it is essential that you can negotiate the few gates that have to be left ‘au naturelle’. This requires practise at home.
5) As well as wonderful moorland where you can canter for miles, we also have stoney tracks. If you are concerned about your horse’s feet, you might like to discuss with your farrier the option of using pads.
6) If your horse has not completed a two day ride yet, try to do one before coming to Horseshoe. If this is not possible, before the end of April you should have completed a 40K or 80K (whichever daily distance you intend to enter at Horseshoe) and then the following day (at home) go out and complete at least half of that distance again over your training routes at competition speed. This is to give your horse the knowledge that when you ask him to go out a second day, he knows he can do it.
7) THE WEATHER! Exmoor weather is notoriously fickle. 2008 was wonderfully sunny, with a cooling breeze out on the moor – perfect for endurance riding. However, you must be prepared for every kind of weather during the course of the competition.
Tack and clothing for your horse needs to include a breast plate (a sweaty horse going up a steep hill is an invitation for the saddle to slip), spare reins (if very wet, the original ones may need swapping), several numnahs, (same reason as for the reins), every kind of rug you possess, in triplicate if you have enough (you may not use them all, but will be prepared if the weather changes suddenly), electrolytes and as many water carriers as you can manage.
It is also advisable to bring stable bandages (even if you don’t normally bandage your horse up at home) for the evenings in between & after the end of the competition.
Rider clothing should again include several sets of every kind of gear you have, as it is not unusual to have to change halfway round the course.
You also need to bring your sun block, just in case!
You may like to read the report sent to us by June West, who competed in 2004, 2007 and 2008, to give you a little insight into how different and special the Horseshoe can be.
SUNNY(S) HORSESHOE
By June West
In 2004 we did the 2 day 80km class at the Golden Horseshoe. We had a wonderful ride but just managed to get round with a completion. Coming from gently rolling North Bedfordshire I had not realised quite how arduous riding on Exmoor was. I vowed to do better next time but for the next 2 years the class wasn’t run. 2007 saw the class reinstated as the Exmoor Experience and I couldn’t wait to get there. The torrential rain, wind and mud of that week are now legendary, but that is Sunny’s element. He stormed round as fast as his little legs could go and finished day 1 well inside Silver time with a heart rate of 50. I couldn’t believe a pony could go that fast and on day 2 he came out raring to go again and like an idiot I just let him run. He charged up and down the steepest hills with his feet hardly seeming to touch the ground, over mud and rocks and gullies, keeping up with all the fast arabs. He was fine until about 2 miles from the end when the rain stopped, the wind dropped and the sun came out. The very worst thing for a stocky black pony, and he failed on pulse. So of course I had to do it again only next time using my brain instead of his.
May 2008, we arrived in Exford in a heatwave and my heart sank. I was on the verge of pulling out but was persuaded by the family to just go and have a nice ride, we’d come all this way and I was not allowed to withdraw without having a go. Robin and I and daughter Beverley had a cottage in Exford with stabling for Sunny and Monty. The hack up to the venue was quite a trek to start with, 8 gates up a steep track, but what a venue! Acres of lovely flat grass right on top of the hill, so at least a bit of breeze, but for those few days it was the sunburn capital of England. We vetted fine, watched some of the displays and the pleasure riders coming and going, had tea and cake, checked out the trade stands in the marquee, and prepared for day 1.
I knew Sunny wouldn’t make it all the way round in that heat unless I managed to keep his speed right down so I was determined to take the full time allowed, which was 4 hr 20 mins. Off we set in blazing sun, 80+, with Sunny neighing his head off because he’d had to leave Monty behind, whose start time was about 15mins later. Along the road we went and down to the river Exe, following the river along to Kemps Farm for a crew stop. Then very steeply up hill and over the top, down the road to Winsford where crowds and the television crew had gathered at the ford, through the village and up through the woods and onto the moor. I tried to keep the same steady trot and make him walk up the steepest bits but as everyone was overtaking us he got crosser and crosser, and I had my work cut out trying to stop him running after everybody. To anyone who heard the mad old bat swearing at the small black pony before they came into view I can only apologise.
On we went over Winsford hill, then down over the river Barle and up again to a lovely stretch over Withypool Common and CP 2. A bit more road, getting hotter by the minute, then a long track out into the wilds, past the old couple sitting in front of their isolated cottage offering water to drink. I stopped and had a brief word then off again. We were all alone for quite some time and Sunny settled down and stopped pulling my arms out.
It seemed like miles then whilst we were on our own, up over another hill, then down to another river crossing and alongside the river Barle by Cow Castle until we climbed up again to the moor at CP 3 to be joined again by more horses. The valleys were dreadfully hot so it was wonderful when you got up on the tops and out in the open to catch a little bit of breeze. A long stretch of lane followed and I made Sunny walk down the slippery tarmac into Withypool, where we stopped by the bridge to have a splash in the river, watched by the crowds gathered to see the film crew waiting for Adam Henson. Not far to go now, down to South Hill and through the river again, following it for a while until a very steep hill up towards Comers Gate. I pulled Sunny up and made him walk the rest of the way with one eye on the time. We strolled across the finish line at 4hrs 14 mins to hear Beverley shouting ‘Quick Mum over here’ Monty was in the vetting area careering around her on the end of his lead rope as he’d spotted Sunny, so before we could start crewing I had to stand Sunny next to Monty so he could have his pulse taken. The heat was intense as we poured gallons of water over Sunny. He has such thick black skin and is very difficult to cool down but my strategy had paid off and he had not overworked so he passed sound at heart rate 48.
Luckily for us Day 2 dawned cool and misty. The organisers had decided to start us in order of slowness! so once again we started before Beverley and Monty, this time going in the opposite direction. We slithered down the hill to the river and on to Withypool. We got to CP3 in no time at all then found that my Garmin had stopped, I must have knocked it opening a gate, so would have to rely on the trusty old stopwatch. We were on our own again for quite a few miles after that and had a chance to do wildlife and wildflower spotting.
Just before the crew point at Withypool Common Monty caught us up and we trotted up the road together. This time I got off to give Beverley a chance to get away and also to take a layer of clothes off as it was steamy hot again. Sunny was furious when Monty left him and it took Robin and Steve to hold him still enough for me to get back on board.
All the way across the open moor Sunny was neighing and fighting for his head, but I insisted he stayed at the speed I wanted. Several times he stood still and stamped on the ground like an angry bull, but bless his little heart he allowed me to have my way and on we trotted. As we went over Winsford hill I think everyone in our class had passed us and we were alone again. Sunny had settled down at last and what wonderful feeling, riding over the moors on your faithful friend, the sun shining, birds singing, ponies with foals watching you pass, spectators encouraging you on, smiles and kind words from all the cheerful stewards, offers of water sloshes from complete strangers – believe me there is no better way to spend your time in the whole world.
We dropped down through the woods into Winsford and began the long trudge up over the hill and down to the river Exe. The track along the river seemed endless as we’d been alone for a long time now but at last we were plodding up the last hill to the road, where I shared my nut bar with Sunny ( he loves nut bars!). As we approached the fields into the venue we were caught up by Candy Cameron, the first rider to finish in the Horseshoe. _w500_h332/Tuesday (473)_12030434.jpg)
We rode along together for a few minutes then she went on to the finish to well earned applause, while Sunny and I walked in, watching the time again to finish at 4 hours 16 mins. Monty had finished and vetted long since gaining a Silver award so it was all hands to Sunny and several hundred gallons of water and many ice blocks later he trotted up sound and quite perky for him as he’s usually very grumpy at his trot ups, with a heart rate of 48/50 and a Bronze award. It may not seem much to the superstars of endurance but to Mrs Average on the old age pension and a short thickset hairy New Forest pony it is fantastic.
Quite a lot of riders had made the mistake I made last year, let their horses get carried along with the faster ones and vetted out with high pulse, so anyone who would love to have a go but thinks the ‘ordinary’ pony or cob isn’t up to it , just remember that they can do the distance but not the speed, it’s the speed that exhausts them, they can trot along steadily all day and if any ride is worth travelling right across the country for it’s this one, it’s still far and away the best ride on the calendar. Many, many thanks to all concerned for giving me such a wonderful time and although Sunny will be 16 next year and may be even grumpier, if he’s still fit and well then who knows……perhaps just one more time.
(The lovely photo of June and Sunny was taken in 2008 by Ian Wigley - husband of Ride Organiser, Barbara)