When most people go horseback riding, they head out for about an hour, but for Uma Mencia Uranga, a one-hour ride is nothing.
Uma, a professional endurance rider, grew up in northern Spain before moving to Dubai at age 18. She's now lived in Dubai for 10 years and loves that she can spend time in the city before quickly heading out into the desert for a ride.
Uma travels great distances on horseback during races, but there's also extensive conditioning and training that must be put in ahead of time. Both horses and riders need to be fit and conditioned in order to cover those distances safely, and when you're dealing with desert temperatures and conditions, the feat is even more challenging.
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If you'd like to give endurance riding a try, you might want to start on a smaller scale. There are shorter endurance rides available that make competing accessible to just about anyone, no matter what breed horse you ride or how experienced you are.
If you do decide to participate in an endurance race, it's best to find someone experienced to accompany you with the training and preparation. You'll need a team to help you through vet checks and rest stops, too.
Endurance riding is a great way to connect with your horse, see some amazing scenery, and find out just what you and your horse are capable of as a team.
Would you ever like to give endurance riding a try? Tell us in the comments!
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