Lesley Bailey, the former editor of Your Horse, sketched out for us a fitness and practice programme. Click to see it. As she says, practice at standing still and opening gates is important as well as actual fitness.

Here are a few extra points; you probably know/do them already, so use them as a checklist.

Your horse should be wormed before your ride (ideally 3-5 days before) for the benefit both of your own horse and that of others using the grazing after you.

The same goes for vaccination against equine flu and tetanus. We insist on this to protect our hosts' horses, particularly as some of them also take paying liveries - and when you sign up to our Terms of Business on the Booking Form you are undertaking that all the horses in the party have or will be wormed and vaccinated before the start of the ride. The BHS issues a free leaflet called Is your horse protected ? Remember to allow enough time before the start of your ride for the vaccinations to take effect - your vet will advise you on this.

It is vital that your horse is properly shod. We recommend a visit from your own farrier 7-10 days before the start of your ride because most shoes come off either immediately after fitting or when they are worn. If your horse casts a shoe during a ride, it can cause you irritating delay and extra cost (and perhaps damage) and you may find it hard to reach your accommodation or lose a day's riding. Even though we supply you with a list of farriers in each area, they can be busy, hard to get hold of or understandably reluctant to give you priority over regular customers who have pre-booked. Surprisingly, they almost always do - but obviously its better not to have to ask them.

Be sure to take the measurements of your horse's shoes with you just in case (ask your farrier how to measure them if you're doubtful) - or take a spare set of shoes and leave them in the trailer/box at the start of the ride, so that they are within reasonable distance should the need arise.

Many endurance riders carry an emergency boot such as a Shoof with them. It is more expense, but it can be used to replace a lost shoe as well as forming part of your first aid kit for treating an injured or damaged hoof at home. You can get them from specialist endurance riding suppliers such as Performance Equestrian (tel : 01832 710 677).

We also have lots of hints and tips on riding the bridleways which cover everything from coping with tiredness to sore bums! Click here for details.