Have you ever planned to go to a ride, just to find out that your horse is either not sound enough or will not be ready in time? Did you go anyway? Of course you did not take your horse, but did you still go?

It takes a lot of people to put on an endurance ride. Nearly all of them are other endurance riders and their families and friends volunteering to help. Many rides are put on by equestrian groups and the members of that group all volunteer at their ride. But have you ever considered helping out as a ride volunteer at a ride your group did not put on, such as when your horse isnŐt up to it, or even when you could ride but the ride manager just needed more help?

You ask, "Why would anybody go to an endurance ride if they couldnŐt ride?" Well, one main reason might be that you still get to participate in the endurance ride. By helping on trail or at vet checks, you get to go to many of the same remote places and see much of the same scenic beauty. You get to help fellow endurance riders and their horses. You can still sit around the campfire and tell stories.

But it is more than that. By volunteering you can experience a different facet of the sport. You can learn a lot about crewing, pacing, nutrition, shoeing, electrolyting, equine physiology and medicine, and many other such trade secrets by volunteering as a P&R taker, a vet recorder, or vet check supervisor. Many of the tidbits you learn will be very different than those you can learn while riding on the trail.

At a minimum, you will learn what it really takes to put on a ride. You will develop a deeper appreciation for ride volunteers. Next time you ride, you will remember your own volunteer experience.

There are those, however, who would quickly remind me of the reasons why they would not go if they cannot ride, not even to volunteer. The number one reason to them is that they do not get to ride their horse. The personal bonding and close relationship with their horse is the true and only meaning of endurance riding for them. Without that, they have no reason to be at a ride.

I would ask these people to try volunteering just once and then decide if helping at a ride is endurance. Many are quite surprised how much they get out of being a ride volunteer. It is difficult to stay on the ground when everyone else is saddling up and heading to the starting line. The day ahead as a ride volunteer can be just as rewarding as riding, so just be careful you do not make a habit of it.

There is a lot to be learned at a ride, and not just from riding. Next time you get a chance, consider volunteering to help the ride manager. Keep in mind that the sooner you commit to the ride manager that you will volunteer, the more likely the most favored jobs will still be open. Ride every chance you can, but when you cannot ride, still take part in the sport by volunteering at an endurance ride.