You've done your homework, you've put in many miles of long slow distance, you've successfully completed a fair number of rides with your horse finishing in good shape -- you're ready to try to be a little competitive! What's the next step?
Ride smarter
Before asking your horse to start working harder, perhaps it's only fair to ensure that you yourself are doing all you can to make a successful team. You can shorten your ride time considerably by riding smarter -- a wise way to begin riding faster. Analyze all the ways you "lose" time on the trail, and work to eliminate them.
If the tack fits... One obvious way is to ensure, ahead of time, that all your tack fits, is in good shape, and works correctly. There is nothing more annoying, time-consuming, and potentially dangerous than having a pad slip, or a boot come off on the trail.
Take a test drive. Test drive all your gear at home; know how it is supposed to fit, and make sure nothing is broken or wearing out. Figure out how to tie down things that flap or bounce. Make sure all your gear will work together. For example, if you don't usually use a rump rug but do use a cantle bag, make sure, ahead of time, you can use them both together -- in the middle of a rainstorm is no place to be trying to pull strings out of the cantle bag's zipper!
Don't get lost! Even going just a short distance off trail and having to retrace your steps is a huge time-waster -- and demoralizing. Pay attention at the rider meeting, review your map in the checks, and above all pay attention on the trail! A very common scenario is two riders trotting down the trail, chatting. The rider on the right turns slightly to the left to converse with her friend -- and rides by a turn. The rider on the left can't see the ribbons because the rider on the right is obstructing her view. If you want to be competitive you must focus on the trail. Your horse doesn't need to do any extra miles -- and he certainly doesn't need to do them faster to make up for lost time!
Multitask on the trail. You're getting warm, and want to take your jacket off. You're regretting the second cup of coffee, and thinking a short visit behind a bush may be in order. Is your saddle a little loose? If you know there is a gate, or a water set coming up, wait until you get there and then do everything at once -- remove your jacket while ducking behind a tree. Check your girth before remounting. Stop only once, and do everything then; you lose momentum each time you stop. If you are riding with a friend, agree on a time or place where you'll both stop. If one of you needs to stop unexpectedly, take advantage of the break rather than losing time.
Pack in preparation
Getting out of the holds on time can be hard to do, especially if you have no crew. You need to be really organized.
Rider food and drink. As far as possible, prepare your food in advance, even to the extent of cutting it up into bite-sized pieces. You might want to find food you can eat while riding. Pre-fill extra water bottles, or bottles of electrolyte drink, and leave them in a cooler or fridge where you can pick them up easily. If it's cold, prepare a thermos of hot drink or soup beforehand.
Horse food and drink. Do the same with your horse's lunch; pre-mix everything that you can, and cut up carrots and apples. Have plenty of buckets of water close to hand for adding to his food.
Be a quick-change artist. If you anticipate a change of clothes or tack, lay it out in advance so that you don't have to go hunting for it. Keep scissors, duct tape, and cable ties readily available for quick repairs.
Keep track of time. Prepare to go out earlier than you really need to, so that you aren't rushing around your horse during his precious break time. (Note: Losing time in the hold is not really a "waste," since your horse benefits from the extra minutes. Much better than doing extra miles!)
Ride to the conditions
I believe it was Matthew Mackay-Smith, DVM, who coined the phrase "never hurry, never tarry." In other words, slow down for bad footing, or steep hills -- don't hurry over them. On the other hand, if the footing is good or level -- even for just a short distance -- trot or canter. Don't waste time walking unnecessarily.
Keys to success
The keys here are planning and focus. Perhaps this sounds more like work than fun? You are right -- it is. It's more stressful, and takes away some of the enjoyment of the ride. For this reason, many people choose never to take this step; they very sanely concentrate on enjoying the trail with their horse as the "ultimate reward." If, however, you decide you do want to "go for it," you have to expect to work as hard as your horse does!
As you begin to implement these ideas, and others of your own, your attitude will change. Instead of approaching each ride as a social occasion involving a long trail ride, you will begin to view endurance competitions as serious business requiring your full attention and effort. This is the mindset you need to adopt in all aspects of competition, from maintenance, through training, all the way to racing. Your "team" is taking on a new challenge -- the physical aspect will rely mostly on the horse; the mental aspect is all yours!
