Endurance Horse Podcast

It started with a Valentine’s Day surprise.

Years ago, Dennis Summers surprised his wife Sue a Paint/Arabian cross — before the fence was even up. The horse had to be tied to a tree while they finished preparing the property. That moment would become part of a lifelong journey with horses and eventually into endurance riding for both Sue and Dennis Summers.

In this episode of Endurance Horse Podcast, we trace that journey — from an article in Western Horseman that sparked a deep curiosity about endurance, to competing at some of the top rides in the world, and eventually back to the grassroots level of growing and protecting the sport he loves.

Dennis is an international endurance rider, author of 4th Gear and The Long and Winding Road, and a founding member of the Equine Distance Riding Association (EDRA). But more than titles or accolades, this is a story about partnership, perspective, and the horses that shape us.

Along the way, we talk about more than one special horse — including the one that truly inspired his most recent book. We talk about training, longevity, listening to the horse, and what matters after thousands of miles.

So sit down, grab a cup of your favorite beverage, and enjoy this story as it unfolds around our virtual campfire.

Every mile a memory.

Dennis is the author of:

• 4th Gear: Power Up Your Endurance Horse

• The Long and Winding Road

Both titles are available on Kindle through Amazon.

Dennis is a founding member of the Equine Distance Riding Association (EDRA), an organization focused on horse welfare, education, and supporting endurance riders.

🔗 EDRA- Equine Distance Riding Association

If you enjoyed this episode and want to be part of a supportive endurance community, we invite you to join us at:

🔗WARHORSE Challenges fb group

🔗 https://warhorseendurance.com

Log miles. Share stories. Encourage one another.

You can also join our WARHORSE ENDURANCE® Facebook community and connect with riders from around the world who believe in honoring the horse, the journey, and the miles in between. Your participation in our virtual challenges helps keep this community growing.

This podcast is a Christina Hyke Photography, LLC & WARHORSE ENDURANCE® production

THIS IS ENDURANCE HORSE PODCAST SIGNING OFF FOR NOW — Every mile a memory.

What happens when a rider from the hunter-jumper and Warmblood world heads out on her first endurance ride and quickly learns that endurance has a sense of humor of its own?

In this episode of Endurance Horse Podcast, host Christina Hyke sits down with JayaMae Kaur for a fun, honest, and heartfelt conversation that includes plenty of laughter, learning, and long miles.

JayaMae shares her journey from hunter jumpers to trails and endurance, exchanging Warmbloods for a remarkable Missouri Fox Trotter mare who became her decade team horse and carried her to three Tevis buckles. She reflects on what surprised her most at her very first endurance ride, what she learned along the way, and why that experience made her stick with the sport.

Beyond riding, JayaMae also brings an important ride-manager perspective, sharing the deeply meaningful reason she became involved in managing a memorial ride. We talk about the heart behind the Kristina Chesterman Memorial Ride, the importance of community fundraising, and how endurance riders can support education, remembrance, and one another.

This episode is part of our Year of the Horse series, highlighting different breeds and the riders who love them — and reminding us that every breed has a place and can achieve great things at any distance.

Expect laughter, honest stories, and a whole lot of heart.

JayaMae Kaur – Lightfoot Horse Farm 🌐 https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1AYAtDHFBF/

Support Endurance Horse Podcast & Learn More 🌐 https://warhorseendurance.com

Join the WARHORSE Challenges Community 📘 Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1C6Fdc1TBJ/

Thank you for listening to Endurance Horse Podcast. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a positive review, sharing it with a friend, or supporting the podcast by joining one of our WARHORSE Endurance challenges.

Endurance Horse Podcast is a production of Christina Hyke Photography, LLC, and WARHORSE Endurance®.

THIS IS ENDURANCE HORSE PODCAST SIGNING OFF FOR NOW — Every mile a memory.

Decade Team Wisdom: Dr. Ashley Sansome, DVM, MPVM & Her Missouri Fox Trotter Barney’s Single Shot

(click the image above to go to free online journal-will need a login)

What does it really take to go the distance in endurance—especially with a non-traditional breed?

In this upbeat and encouraging episode of Endurance Horse Podcast, we’re joined by Dr. Ashley Sansome, DVM, MPVM, as she shares with us about her AERC Decade Team partner, Missouri Fox Trotter gelding Barney’s Single Shot. Together, they share a story rooted in patience, partnership, and showing up year after year.

We talk about finding horses, discovering endurance, and what made Ashley stick with the sport for the long haul. Ashley also offers practical insight into conditioning a heavier-muscled horse, managing heat and muscle recovery, and adapting expectations when your endurance partner doesn’t fit the “traditional” mold.

Sprinkled throughout the conversation is sage, real-life advice about saddling up again after 50, listening to your body, and giving yourself permission to ride smart—not fast.

We’re also celebrating The Year of the Horse by giving away a free online Year of the Horse journal, and yes—we made a few “oops” along the way and left them in, because that’s real life and real horsemanship.

If you’re riding a gaited horse, a stocky horse, a comeback horse—or you’re a comeback rider yourself—this episode is for you.

Our gift to you to celebrate the Year of the Horse, a free online journal that helps you keep track of your year with your horse, simply follow this link and create a log in! yearofthehorse.warhorseenduranc.com