Q: What can ILDRA offer me?
A: ILDRA (the Irish Long Distance Riding Association) runs numerous ‘rides’ all around Ireland throughout most of the year. The season generally starts in January and runs through to the end of October. Most ride venues offer Pleasure Rides. These are open to members and non-members alike and the distance is always below twenty miles. Pleasure Rides tend to take less than two hours to complete. This is how most riders start to get involved. However, ILDRA offers much more just Pleasure Riding - read on to find out more.
Q: What are Pleasure Rides?
A: Pleasure Rides (PRs) are quite simply; rides that are for pure pleasure! There is no competitive element (although a Pleasure Ride Trophy is awarded annually to the member who has accumulated the highest PR miles throughout the year). ILDRA has a number of members and non-members who regularly turn out simply to take part in the Pleasure Rides. Indeed an ILDRA Pleasure Ride is a lovely way to pass a day in the company of your horse and friends. ILDRA runs events all over the country and so each weekend you could find yourself exploring new places. Pleasure Riding is an excellent hobby for many.
Q: Who can take part in ILDRA Pleasure Rides?
A: Anyone who has a mannerly horse is welcome to join ILDRA on a Pleasure Ride! You do not need to be a member. However, Riders must be at least six years old and horses at least four years old before they can start Pleasure Riding. Junior riders must ride with an accompanying adult until they are fourteen years old (or until twelve years old if they have attained their Bronze Shamrock) and adults can only accompany two juniors at a time. The accompanying adult may walk or ride as suits their circumstances. ILDRA has been delighted to welcome individuals from many disciplines to their pleasure rides. Dressage horses, show-jumpers, point-to-pointers, and even pacers have all been seen enjoying a day out with ILDRA!
Q: What happens at a Pleasure Ride?
A: Generally you will arrive between 10.30am and 12.30am and make yourself known to the organisers, who will then explain the route for the day. The fee is £10 for a non-member or £5 for a member or junior. You will then ride out along the marked route in your own group. Some people enjoy riding individually, but most people end up riding in groups of two to four. The route is marked with orange tape and yellow spray paint. You will usually also receive a map of the route from the organisers and a contact mobile phone number. At the end of the ride, you should let the organisers know that you have returned. You will then receive a rosette with the name of the ride on the ribbons to remind you of your day. If you are a member, you can also have your Rider Card and your horse’s Log Book signed up with the distance you have completed.
Q: What does it cost to be a member of ILDRA?
A: The cost depends on the type of riding you intend to do. If you only want to take part in Pleasure Rides then the membership for an adult is £25. Those taking part in CTRs pay a slightly higher fee. (You can upgrade your membership at any time.) Junior membership is only £15. There are also special rates for OAPs and Families. More information on membership is available at any ride.
Q: What should I bring to an ILDRA ride?
A: Most people treat Pleasure Riding as a good day out. The obvious essentials for your horse include tack; sweat sheets/ rugs as necessary; water buckets & water (most venues do not have a supply) and a haynet for the way home. A picnic for yourself and your supporters is a good idea too! Other useful items include a mobile phone and a change of clothing!! If you are planning to ride in a CTR then you may also include items such as a stethoscope or heart rate monitor.
Q: What is the dress code at an ILDRA ride?
A: Suitable footwear and a hardhat of a recognised standard are essential. Beyond that, ILDRA encourages a tidy turnout with most riders tending to gear their clothing towards practicality and comfort rather than appearance! A waterproof coat is always a good idea, as is a small bumbag or saddle bag to carry things such as a hoofpick, a mobile phone, and some nibbles for the route (especially useful if you are riding with children).
Q: Is ILDRA suitable for children?
A: There are a number of families who bring their children out on ILDRA rides; indeed several junior members who started riding with ILDRA on a leading rein and have now progressed to CTRs. Certainly, a Pleasure Ride is a good way of developing a child’s balance and co-ordination while having a bit of fun. ILDRA has also introduced a special set of awards for under thirteens. The Horse Shoe Awards are a series of awards that are designed to encourage our youngest riders. Please read the article on the Horse Shoe Awards for more details. However it should be noted that juniors must be accompanied by an adult (either mounted or on foot) on every ride.
Q: What are CTRs?
A: CTR stands for Competitive Trail Ride. These rides are longer than twenty miles. You must be a member to take part in a CTR and your horse must have an ILDRA Log Book (or a Log Book from another recognised long distance organisation). If you take part in a CTR then your horse is vetted both before and after the ride. Rides of forty miles or more will also involve one or more vettings during the ride. CTRs are ridden within predetermined time parameters. At this stage you are not ‘competing’ each time you venture out. However, you will be able to work towards attaining Shamrock Awards. These start at Bronze level and run through Silver, Gold, Platinum and Diamond levels. Gold Shamrock qualification allows you and your horse to start to compete in Endurance Races (ERs).
Q; Tell me more about CTRs and the Shamrock Awards.
A: CTRs are graded as Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum and Diamond Shamrocks. Both horse and rider must complete a set number of rides at each level before moving on to the next level. You can spend as long as you like at each level. The qualification distances are as follows:
Bronze Shamrock - two qualifiers of 20miles and one final of 30 miles (32 and 48km).
Silver Shamrock - two rides of 40 miles each (64km).
Gold Shamrock - two rides of 50 miles each (80km).
Platinum Shamrock - one ride of 63 miles (100km)
Diamond Shamrock – one ride of 72miles (120km).
Each level must be completed within certain time parameters, for example Bronze rides must be ridden at speeds between 6 and 8 mph (10 – 13km/hour). These speed restrictions ensure that the horse is built-up steadily with out being pushed to too high a speed too early in their career. (Horses must be at least five years old before starting CTRs and jockeys must be at least nine years old. See ILDRA rules for full details.)
Many people find that doing CTRs is enough, but others often want to take the sport further and so they move on to Endurance Racing. This is the domain of the Gold Qualified horse and rider, as races usually cover a minimum of fifty miles. ILDRA now has a small but growing group of top riders at this level. However it should be said that there is still room for new talent!!
Q: What does ‘vetting’ entail?
A: If your horse is doing a CTR or an Endurance Race then it will be ‘vetted’ by a vet before and after the ride. Longer rides will also include ‘Vet Gates’ which are a simply a vetting followed by a compulsory rest period. At each vetting, the horse’s heart rate is recorded; the horse is also tested for signs of dehydration and lameness. The horse’s heart rate must be below 60 beats per minute at the first test of each vetting. It must also be below 64 beats per minute after the trot up. Should the heart rate not meet these criteria, or the horse not appear sound or fit by any other measure then the vet will ‘fail’ the horse. If a horse ‘fails the vet’ it cannot continue, the miles ridden cannot be counted and the horse is effectively eliminated. These fairly strict parameters prevent an unprepared horse being pushed beyond its abilities.
Q: How is a CTR timed?
A: As you leave the venue you are timed-out on the ride clock – this is displayed for all to view. You will know the time parameters that you need to meet and will have checked your watch against the ride clock. (Some people set their watches to twelve noon to represent time zero.) You will then aim to finish the distance within the set time parameters. Once finished, you have half an hour to tend to the needs of your horse before the final vetting takes place. You must present to the vet within half an hour of your finishing time; if you do not you risk elimination.
For longer rides, with a vet gate, you remain on ‘ride time’ until you present to the vet. Once you have presented to the vet your ‘hold time’ (compulsory rest period) starts. This is the point at which your crew takes over and looks after your horse while you tend to your own needs! You will aim to restart as close to the end of the hold time as possible.
Q: Are there any special tactics to riding a CTR?
A: Basically it is important to know that your horse is fit enough to do what you are asking it to do. Your training period should also have helped you to build up a good knowledge of how your horse reacts when ridden over distance. (Some horses go out slowly and then ‘get into their stride’, others set off fast and then find the going tough later – these are things it is useful for you to know about your horse.) As a general rule, however it is better to cover the first half of the ride at a slightly faster pace than the second half. This allows you some time in hand should something unforeseen happen. It is also a good idea to reduce the pace as you come in to the vet gates or the finish. This allows your horse’s heart rate to start to drop while you are still riding.
Q: What do I need to do to start Endurance Racing?
A: Endurance Racing is a very specialised sport. To start with; horses and riders must have both worked their way up through the Shamrock Awards to Gold level before they are able to start racing. Once both the horse and the rider are Gold Qualified then an Endurance Race becomes a possibility. However, an Endurance Rider needs to build up a considerable level of knowledge, experience and fitness in order to ride effectively in a long distance race. There is no point in pushing your horse to finish first if it is then eliminated from the race by the vet. Tactics, training and experience are all of paramount importance. ILDRA has a small but growing number of riders who compete at this level both nationally and internationally and most are happy to share their experience. If you are keen to learn more about Endurance Racing, then you should come along to any of our rides, join ILDRA and start to ride CTRs. You could also offer to assist at one of the Endurance Races being held in Ireland this year. In a year or two, perhaps you will be racing against the best of them!
Q: Who can I contact if I want to know more?
A: You have several options. If your query is about a particular ride, then the ride organiser listed against that ride in the calendar is an obvious choice. You could also contact the webmaster on the ILDRA website or any of the directors or committee members whose numbers are listed on this site. However your best option is probably to come out to an ILDRA ride and see for yourself what it is all about! We look forward to welcoming you to one of our rides.
My thanks go to Sally Burch for this Article
ILDRA, The More Frequently Asked Questions!