MEET THE JUNIOR Amos Cader

Meet Amos Cader, a 12-year-old rider from the Northeast Region:

Q. How many distance rides have you done?

A. Four. I did a ride in Pennsylvania in July with Visa, our Icelandic mare. I had to pull at the hold because my sponsor's horse was lame. Then I did a 25-mile competitive trail Ride in New Jersey on her. I finished my first 30-mile ride in New Mexico on Tracy and David Kaden's Arabian mare FLF Blaze Star. And I recently did the Mustang Memorial in New Jersey on Stellar Visa. I started riding in hunter paces when I was 8, and I did a 15-mile CTR clinic just before I turned 11.

Q. What do you feel are some of the things that really prepared you for doing a 30-mile ride?

A. Probably the CTR I did before my ride in New Mexico. Obviously CTR is a very different thing from endurance but just riding that many miles helped because I don't do that at home and it gave me the experience of that length of ride.

Q. What are the differences between CTR and endurance?

A. Obviously endurance is more about the horse's pulse and when you finish. In CTR, as long as you finish within a certain time frame, what really matters is how the horse's feet look and things like that. They are way pickier about the horse's body, I'd say. Honestly, I prefer endurance because it's more about the riding.

Q. What are some of the riding techniques you learned that helped you prepare for a 30-mile ride?

A. There are a bunch! One is to make it easier on the horse by switching your diagonal every once in a while. And also not staying in trot the whole time, alternating between trot and canter.

Q. Were there any techniques that helped you in case the horse started to misbehave or act unpredictable?

A. Yes, the horse I rode in Texas actually had never competed before. So she was spooking at a lot of stuff. The advice my trainer gave was to really put your feet forward and your shoulders back, which actually saved me from being on the ground a couple of times!

Q. What is it like competing on an Arabian vs. an Icelandic?

A. Mainly the pulse -- and it's kind of unfair. For instance, my mother's Arabian has a resting pulse of 28 and the Icelandic mare I rode has a resting rate of 48. So it can take longer for an Icelandic to pulse down to 64. And Icelandics are way smoother than Arabs! Because of riding jumping ponies, I definitely lean forward more than someone who grew up doing western riding.

Q. Do you prefer flat rides like in the desert or northeastern terrain which you know from riding hunter paces?

A. They are very different but I like them equally.

Q. What did you feel you really had to focus on in New Mexico, for instance? Or how was a flat ride through the New Jersey Pine Barrens compared with a hilly, rocky or muddy technical ride?

A. On a hilly technical ride, there is often rocky footing or drop-offs so you really have to watch out. The good thing is the horse is also watching out for terrain so they don't flat-out gallop and you don't have to hold them back so much. You can't go too fast but on a flatter ride you have to hold them so they don't tire themselves out.

Q. What advice would you give a kid just starting out in distance riding? How could they prepare themselves?

A. Do hunter paces first and see if you like those, then gradually do more, like 10 miles, then 15 miles. Don't just do one trail ride and decide to do a 30. Gradually build up the mileage to get ready for a 30.

Q. Is there any kind of cross training you do? Are other sports helpful?

A. Skiing and skating especially because they are really about strengthening your leg muscles. Strong legs are a huge bonus for horseback riding. They also help you with balance.

Q. What are your goals going forward in the 2007 ride year and beyond?

A. I want to eventually do a 50. I also want accumulate 400 to 500 miles before I turn 15 or 16.

Q. Do you have an ultimate goal in the sport of endurance riding?

A. Obviously long-term I would like to place in the top ten or even five and get a best condition but right now I pretty much do it because I want to have fun.

Return to Top