Endurance riding

Orayda equestrian center is an endurance horse training center. For more than 10 years, the founder of the center, Nikolay Melbard, has been going in for endurance riding. Due to many years of his experience, Nikolay arrived at the decision of setting up the equestrian center at the Caucasus of all other places. This is because the Caucasus is the land where man and horse are sacredly united.

But let's leave history aside and turn our attention to endurance riding. No doubt, the Caucasus is one of the best places in Russia to train endurance sport horses. Endless grounds and meadows, hills and mountains allow to train a horse all the year round. Training conditions help the horses to gain the necessary experience for any kind of rides. Variety of grass makes up the best pastures at the Caucuses, which provides the horses with the necessary nutrition, so that there is no need for additional feeding and vitamins. Constant grazing, which means balanced diet for a sport horse, and natural physical exercises have a good impact on the health of horses of local breeds, as well as on the health of Arab horses that are so often used in endurance riding.

What is endurance riding?

Endurance riding is perhaps the most natural kind of sport involving a horse and a rider. The main point of endurance riding is to find the horse that is sturdiest, strongest, and fastest. Competition, as well as training, takes place at open grounds in the natural habitat of horses. First, a horse is trained for short distances, up to 30 km. Then the horse's workload and the distance are gradually increased. The ride is divided into phases. Between the phases, there is a veterinary inspection, where horses are checked for good health and where the decision of the horse and rider's further competing is taken.

There is a qualification system in endurance riding like in many other kinds of sport. A rider and horse without qualification cannot take part in long distance rides.

Competitions are categorized as follows:

· distance up to 40 km,

· distance from 40 to 79 km,

· distance from 80 to 119 km,

· distance from 120 to 160 km,

· distance of 160 km and more.

Of course, there is age limit as well. If you are interested in going in for endurance riding, you can find more detailed description of rules at the website www.probegi.info

Not long ago a training center of Arab racehorses was opened at Orayda equestrian center. Being also the owner of Veles stud farm (www.veles-stud.ru), Nikolay Melbard uses all the potential of his stud farm. There are superb stallions at Veles whose descendants achieve excellent results at races. This is Barkas, John, Maybe, Belfast and others. Veles Arab horses are also used in endurance riding.