Jo Barsby has been competing in Endurance riding for 20 years. Throughout those 20 years she has ridden at many locations, in various different terrains and climates.
We asked Jo to tell us a little bit about endurance riding and how she has been using the Earlwood Tights for her long hours in the saddle, training for her endurance competitions.
"Endurance riding is an international sport recognised by FEI. It’s an equestrian sport based on controlled long distance races. Endurance races can be any distance, but rarely exceed 160km for a one day competition. Competitions can run through the night and you can be on the move and in the saddle for many hours. You reach checkpoints throughout your course and will be stopped for a veterinary inspection. To continue on with the ride your horse must pass a series of tests to continue. Those tests include a pulse, soundness, dehydration and respiration check. The winner of the competition will cross the finish line first with a fit healthy horse."
What challenges do you face leading up to these rides?
"One of the most important parts to preparing your horse for a ride is to have them fit! They need to be fit and physically sound so that they can make it around the tough terrains and over the long distances with a nice recovery rate. This will give yourself and your horse the best chance of nothing going wrong. During an event there is certainly a lot to consider, especially as you are often riding in the dark for most or at least part of your ride. You need to judge the terrain, hills and your speed, and the way your horse is travelling. You also need to know how well your horse recovers in the given time frame."
How did you find the Earlwood Tights?
"I found them to be an all round great product for training my Arabs. I highly recommend these tights for anyone who spends long hours in the saddle and is looking for tough, breathable material that lasts. I have found them to be extremely comfortable, good waist height, nice and thick, with deep pockets on both sides which are extremely practical. They are a generous fit and wash up fine."
Jo’s main future goal is to win a 160km race, whether that's a state championship or the big one, Tom Quilty, on one of her own horses. Jo currently competes on her cheeky purebred Arab, 'Obe'. One of their most recent successes was the Warwick 80km ride which was held at Killarney. Together they won the best conditioned middle weight in a riding time of 5 hours and 20 minutes and she also won best condition horse - very much deserved after all the hard work that has been going on behind the scenes.
We wish you luck for your future endurance rides Jo!