Endurance is an FEI sport which has a dedicated following in Australia.  Endurance riding in Australia is organized under the Australian Endurance Riders Association (AERA) a federation of state associations. The sport of endurance riding in Australia includes training rides from as little as 20km up to around 50km.  Endurance rides start at 80km in one day up to 160km in one day.  There are also marathon rides up to 400km or more over several days.

The essential philosophy of the sport is that completing a ride with a sound horse is more important than attempting to “win” by risking the well-being of the horse.  This philosophy produces high completion rates, and riders who are highly skilled in bringing on horses which stay sound ride after ride – another factor in the development of quality endurance horses, which are often only reaching their peak in their early teens and after many seasons of solid conditioning. 

Australia also enjoys a reputation for breeding world class Arabians purpose bred to excel at Endurance riding.  A key factor is the unique and valuable bloodlines from which many of the best Australian horses derive.  Australia was fortunate to acquire a series of Arabian horses who have proven to be outstanding endurance progenitors.  Among these was the legendary stallion Shahzada, who showed himself an exceptional performer in endurance tests in England before his importation to Australia in the 1920s.  Many of the best Australian horses carry multiple crosses to this stallion. 

Valley Country stocks a range of products suitable to Arabians and the sport of Endurance Riding.  Please choose Endurance from our Interests menu at the top of the page for a range of suitable products.

Further information about endurance riding is available here:

Australian Endurance Riders Association 

Equestrian Federation of Australia