Most of our regular routes are between 15 and 20 miles long with a pub-stop about half-way. That normally equates to 2-3 hours riding in the morning and the same again in the afternoon. We find that terrain and environment have a bigger influence than distance on the time it takes to get from A to B. For example, a 15 mile ride over hilly terrain will take longer than a 19 mile ride with good going and few gates!

Each route can be ridden in a variety of ways. We tend walk if the ground is rutted or overgrown, and trot or canter on short grass we can see what's underfoot. We sometimes trot along minor roads if we need to make up time - but you need to be careful about too much of this because trotting on hard surfaces can cause extra concussion. We don't think that walking all the time is a good idea because you will get stiff and your knees and hips may "lock". It is also more tiring for your horse - so it's better to vary the pace and keep moving in order to cover the distances!

tiredness
It's speed and terrain rather than distance which tires a horse - although most horses that are ridden regularly will cope with a couple of days Bridle Riding if you take things gently! If you feel your horse is getting tired, remember that a gentle trot uses no more energy than a walk - so it pays to trot because you cover the ground more quickly for the same amount of energy. Hills, both up and down, use a lot of extra energy - over 40% more than on the flat.

If you get tired, you can either alter your stirrup lengths or get off and walk with your horse for 5 minutes. Your horse will also benefit from the brief respite of carrying you - but don't forget to run your stirrups up and loosen the girth a hole or two while you are dismounted. This should be enough to ease "locked" knees, hips and ankles, especially walking downhill because you use different muscles. In the old days, cavalry officers used to recommend walking for 5 minutes in every hour on long route marches!

sore bums
There are lots of ways of avoiding sore bums. Customers have passed on various tips including padded cycling shorts worn under jods, or wearing two pairs of knickers. It is friction and the siting of gusset seams in everyday knickers and underpants that cause the most problems!

Bobbie from Bridle Rides wears cotton ladies cycling shorts under her jods, which are brilliant. You can also get briefs (eg. Equibriefs) which have special padding that is designed to alleviate soreness and which are available from most of the big mail order companies like CAM and Robinsons. Bobbie also uses a seat saver. You can get inexpensive ones made of synthetic sheepskin fabric from Equikits (01568 760 267) for £10 to £12. If you're doing alot of distance riding, it might be worth investing in a Griffin nu-med wool or a Heather Moffatt seat saver if you are happy to spend up to £45.

the going
Obviously the going varies with terrain and weather. Its up to you to decide the best speed, taking into account both your horse and the local conditions. Horses can generally handle hard ground very well (think of Australia and the American West), but yours may not be used to it. If it is dry and hard in summer, ride on grass verges or centre-bits whenever you can - though watch out for drainage ditches on roadside verges.

If your horse has tender feet, it is worth consulting your farrier about fitting pads or corrective shoes to protect hooves from stony ground. Either way, we don't recommend going barefoot because horses hooves simply weren't designed to stand up to the sort of distance you cover over a wide variety of surfaces. If your horse is normally unshod, you could always try some of the new hoof boots that are on the market. You can get them from specialist endurance riding suppliers such as Performance Equestrian (tel : 01832 710 677) or Border Trails Endurance (01434 220 711).

your horse's holiday
Most horses love journeys. You can help your horse enjoy the holiday even more through your attitude and actions. Give him a chance to express himself; to look at the view, to drink or to graze if you stop to check the route. Guide him through any difficulties - and listen if he complains! When your horse realises you understand his communications, he will communicate even more.

mounting
You will have to mount your horse many times in the course of a bridle-riding day. About half the gates can't be opened from horse-back, and you will need loo-stops and rest-stops as well - so it's well worth taking a bit of trouble to minimise the strain on your horse's back. Use a makeshift mounting block if you possibly can - there is very often a log, bank, wall or slope which can be used provided your horse will stand still in the appropriate place!

stops for rest
Horses are very tough and can take long distances in their stride, especially if you give them a rest every now and then. We strongly recommend that you take a good break in the middle of your ride.

You shouldn't ride continuously for more than 3 hours. Horses are also used to grazing frequently. In the wild they graze for about 60% of each 24 hour period and their gut works best with a regular flow of forage (ie. grass), so you can allow grazing at any stop, whether for route-reading or rest. Grazing en route can be dangerous if it distracts your horse's attention from hazards like holes and ditches.

If you take a mid-day break, you and your horse will both enjoy the afternoon much more, and you'll be less likely to make mistakes reading the route-guides. If your horse really won't settle, a long break is not much value. Try getting off and walking for a bit instead.

water
Encourage your horse to drink often; that way he won't get dehydrated or drink too much in one go. Don't worry if he's not interested - some horses refuse water except on the very hottest days. Water from streams and drinking troughs in farms and grassy fields is usually OK, but we try to avoid troughs in cultivated fields in case it is contaminated with pesticide spray.

Some riders (including ourselves) carry a collapsible plastic or canvas water-bucket so that they can use taps or get water from a clean trough on the other side of a fence. These are fairly inexpensive and you can get them from most camping and angling shops.

In prolonged hot weather there is a real danger that riders will get dehydrated - with quite unpleasant consequences. Be sure to drink plenty of water whenever you can and take at least one water-bottle with you. Once again, you can get special ones with fittings that attach to the front saddle D's and girth from Robinsons mail order catalogue or from specialist endurance suppliers such as Performance Equestrian (tel : 01832 710 677) or Border Trails Endurance (01434 220 711).

poison plants
Don't let your horse eat yew (fatal), ivy, young shoots of bracken (only dangerous in quantity), dead foxgloves or ragwort (horses won't usually eat live plants, but they become more palatable when they have been cut). You don't tend to find them in livestock fields because they are also poisonous to sheep and cattle, but you may see them on road verges, in gardens and churchyards and near some of the pub-stops.
Watch out for pesticide spray on crops (you should not let your horse eat them anyway) as well as herbicides sprayed on docks, nettles, thistles etc along field margins. Herbicides can make poisonous plants such as foxgloves and ragwort palatable to horses, even when live.