A question for all you allrounders....

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251libby

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I know people who compeate in a high level at a specific disipline give there horses time off out of the season (usually 3 months and then get them fit for next season).
But what if you mainly compeate at local level, do you give your horse a long break (like 3 months)?
Or do you give them a couple of weeks off?
Or a week here and there?
Or notning?

Thanks in advance !
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no cos he would pile on the pounds and both ours like routine! I do different things at diff times of year. SJ/drsg/xc showing etc so try and keep it nice and varied depending whats on so we will do a bit of dressage, get bored so go to a hunter trials etc. I hunt a bit too.

In summer go out most weekends to local shows - they get mondays off. and I figure he gets 22(ish!) hours a day in the field doing what he wants anyway.

He had some time of flat lessons/flatwork as field was too wet in the autumn and we were busy doing shows and hunter trials so couldn't fit any lessons in. Never again, he is 16 and had really become much less supple and found it really hard for a couple of months. So best just to keep him going.
 
No, never give them more than a week or two off and thats either because I've gone on holiday myself or they're lame or the weather.

They do have a varied life though, lots of hacking, dressage and jumping and are out all day in the winter and 24/7 in the summer, so I reckon an hour a time is not too much to give. I also believe it helps them with their general fitness and wellbeing. I only work them 5 maybe 6 days a week as well - although thats because of my work, not choice.
 
If i am competing during the show season Apr - Oct then i normally go on holiday in Oct so he gets 2 weeks off then i tend to do lots of hacking till Christmas and then back in the school ready for the show season again.
 
Mine has 3 weeks off before he starts eventing - and then 2 weeks off before he starts hunting.

he also has the odd 4-5 days here and there if i feel he needs it.
 
Pharaoh, my endurance horse had time off from the last ride of the season (in October) until Christmas, when I started to bring him back into work. An end of season break is quite common in the endurance world.

Warrior, my dressage horse has been kept ticking over all winter, although due to me not having a school and working full time, I have been limited to riding him weekends only. Have competed with him at dressage about once per month since November. So he hasn't had a break, but his workload has not exactly been heavy.

Miri, my other Arab, has had all winter off. Mainly because I felt he needed some time to chill out, and also once again because of the time factor, trying to keep 3 fit with limited daylight is pretty much impossible (fortunately mine all live out so get plenty of exercise). However, normally I would be riding him all year round.
 
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