2 day Endurance Clinic and Fun Rides
March 21st and 22nd, 2020
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Valley Riders Arena, Ridgecrest, Ca
Hosted by The Valley Riders Equestrian Club.
Ride Manager: Gretchen Montgomery
775-376-6318
Clinic Host: Nick Warhol
510-537-2503
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Welcome to the Valley Riders 2-day Endurance Clinic for beginners! Bring a horse or just yourself. You can take part in the learning and camping experience, or enter one of the two fun rides on Sunday. The whole weekend will be designed to emulate a real, live, endurance ride. This includes arriving the day before, checking in, vetting in, a pot luck dinner, the ride meeting, and the next day there are 2 Introductory rides of different distances, complete with a vet check, the finish, awards, and a real live Best Condition judging. This is not a race; it is a learning experience, so we will draw 3 horses at random from each ride to be judged for Best Condition. When you leave this clinic you will be prepared to enter your first Endurance Ride, as soon as your horse is in shape!
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We will be camping at the Valley Riders Arena facility in Ridgecrest, Ca. (see map and info page) ALL RIDERS MUST WEAR A HELMET WHILE PARTICIPATING IN THE FUN RIDES! Junior riders are welcome, (under age 16) but must be accompanied on the trail by an adult.
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On Saturday morning we have a truck and trailering session- a demonstration of different truck, trailer, and camper types. What’s the right truck and why? How to hitch up. What to bring- see how experienced riders do it. Horse camping- see different types of horse containment. We have a special session on learning how to back up trailers taught by non-spouses! (Featuring ex-professional truck driver Gretchen Montgomery. She backs up better than me and most people I know!) On Saturday afternoon there will be about 6 hours of lectures on everything endurance related, including special guest speakers. Sessions: what is endurance? How to start. Preparing your horse. Preparing the rider. Saddles and tack. How it all works. (Ride times, vet checks, etc) Getting to your first ride. What to carry. How fast to ride. Setting goals. Hear different perspectives from beginning, experienced, and some of the best riders anywhere.
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The two fun rides will be held on Sunday March 22nd. (You don’t have to camp over on Saturday night, but it is highly recommended to complete the experience!) The 15-mile ride will start at 8am, and the 7 mile will start at 9am. Both rides will be two loops with a real endurance vet check in the middle. There are NO time limits (like there are in a real endurance ride); you can walk the whole 7 mile ride if you like. (We will encourage a mix of about 50/50 trotting/walking on the 15 mile ride). This insures pretty much any horse can do it. There will NOT be a mass start- the riders will go out in smaller groups accompanied by experienced endurance riders on their experienced horses. This will give the riders a safer and more realistic feel for their first real endurance ride. You can expect to ride at a realistic pace that is appropriate for finishing your first endurance ride, although the 7-mile ride may have a little more walking. You can even ride your own custom length ride, so you can walk 3 miles total and STILL get the whole experience and learn how a ride works. (You can even lead your horse on foot for the three miles!) You will NOT be racing at this ride.
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There will be a 15 mile fun ride for those who are not part of the clinic (people who did not attend the lectures on saturday) that will cost $35. This ride will start at 7:30 am on Saturday, and all riders must start by 7:40. You will NOT be racing on this fun ride.
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Pre-ride vetting for the horses entered will be Saturday afternoon at 5pm, just like a real ride. We will have a pot luck dinner Saturday at 6:30 pm, and the ride meeting at 7, just like a real ride. We have completion awards for everyone on the rides, with several other nice prizes for various things. We will also have a Best Condition evaluation on Sunday afternoon after the ride, and before the awards. It will be just like a real endurance ride BC judging, but we will be drawing 3 finishing horses at random from each ride for the BC competition. This is because we are not awarding any finishing placings or top ten awards like in a real endurance ride.
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When you sign up you select a rider weight division, just like a real ride. The divisions are based on your (the rider) weight and all the tack (saddle, pad, bridle, halter, breast collar, bags, water, etc) that you will carry on the horse. You don’t have to be 100% accurate, just select the division that you fit into the best.
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Featherweightup to 160 pounds
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Lightweight161 to 185 pounds
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Middleweight186 to 210 pounds
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Heavyweight 211 pounds and over
Camp is in a flat, fenced dirt lot with plenty of space. We will have a water trough for the horses in camp, but you need to bring your own people water. Porta-potties will be brought in for the event. Participants are responsible for all their other provisions. We need to leave the camp clean, so be prepared to haul off anything that came in with you, hay and manure included. Dogs must be kept on a leash at all times. People without horses are welcome to camp overnight as well. The ride camp is in town, so there are plenty of stores, restaurants, motels, gas stations, etc within a couple miles drive.
Directions: see the directions page and map on the entry form.
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Agenda- Saturday March 21st
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Trucks, Trailers, and Camping (9am to 11am)
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Hitching and Backing up your trailer
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Camping with horses
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Truck, trailer, camper, types
Lectures (11:30 to 5 pm)
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What is endurance riding?
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How it all works.
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Getting started
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Saddle fit and Tack
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Prepare your horse
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Special Guest Talks
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And more!
Fun Ride Vet in (5pm)
Pot Luck Dinner (6:30 pm)
Ride Meeting (7pm)
More Lectures (stories, Q&A, for as long as is reasonable)
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Agenda- Sunday, March 22nd
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Fun Rides
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7 mile Fun Ride(starts at 9am)
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15 mile fun ride(starts at 8am)
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Both with a real vet check!
Best Condition Judging (1pm)
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Real AERC BC evaluation
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(3 horses picked at random from each ride)
Awards Ceremony (2pm)
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Finisher awards for everyone
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Lots of other prizes
Wrap UP
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Pick your first ride!
Some Basic Ride Rules
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* All riders must wear a helmet while competing.
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* A Junior is a rider under the age of 16 as of December 1st of the year of competition. All Junior riders must be accompanied by a Senior rider sponsor, 18 years of age or older at all times and must finish within one minute of that sponsor. The sponsor must agree to remain with the Junior throughout the ride. If the sponsor is eliminated during the ride, the Junior may continue with another willing sponsor upon notification to ride officials. All Juniors are required to wear helmets.
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* Abusive behavior or harassment of ride personnel, veterinarians, riders, crews, or volunteers will not be tolerated, and may be grounds for disqualification or cause for future entry refusal.
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* Abuse of the horse and use of stimulants and/or pain killers and/or the use of injections of any kind are prohibited.
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* Riders / horse owners are responsible for the horse’s welfare and are financially responsible if emergency veterinary treatment is necessary.
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* Ride Veterinarians' opinions will be final on all matters concerning the horse.