Am i old fashioned

[Widgeon]

I do think just grabbing your horse that hasn't worked out of a field or stable and riding harder than you should is a thing here. There's also far too many horse standing in stables all of the time, and most are leisure horses in light work....Many leisure time riders around here won't ride for weeks then grab their horse and spend 4 hours galloping around the forest ?...So it is a thing, might vary based on area. I think a well rounded steady routine is best. I do give my horse some more days off in the summer when he's on the field but he doesn't lose much fitness and it sort of counter balances the winter working.

Where are you, CC? Are you UK or elsewhere (Europe)? Just curious. I've heard that leisure horses tend to be stabled much more in the winter in Germany than here in the UK, but I've no idea how true that is or whether it's a massive generalization.

 

[CanteringCarrot]

Where are you, CC? Are you UK or elsewhere (Europe)? Just curious. I've heard that leisure horses tend to be stabled much more in the winter in Germany than here in the UK, but I've no idea how true that is or whether it's a massive generalization.

Yep, I'm in Germany. It holds true in my area.

Granted, there are some horses on various rented fields (usually rented from a farmer) that aren't ridden and don't have stables. Their condition varies, but for the most part the horses look well (good weight and sound or mostly sound).

There are some horses who aren't ridden but lunged on random occasion who live in boxes 24/7 and I feel so bad for them. Especially when there was a mare and foal kept in a single box nearly 24/7. Why people think this is ok, is beyond me.

 

[Lois Lame]

In my thinking of working horses??

I believe that a horse should be fit enough for the work its expected to do. So why is it becoming a trend to not ride for months, maybe a short hack every Fortnight, then either go for a lesson or go competing ? I believe in little and often and I wouldn't dream of taking my horse out to do something strenuous if I hadn't built up to it. Is that old fashioned?

It wouldn't matter if it's old fashioned or not. I ignore fashions if they are silly, and do old fashioned things if they make sense.

 

[SEL]

I’d completely disagree with the notion that it is a ‘thing’ for hunting people not to have fully fit horses. I’ve groomed for hunt yards/masters/regular hunting people since I was a teen as I loved the amount of riding I got to do as a groom! Many hours spent walking, riding and leading hunters during the summer days.

I got a lot of hours of riding in as a teenager helping get other people's horse fit for hunting!

And if you think getting 'normal' horses fit is an unrecognised issue these days then try being a member on many of the PSSM forums. You'd think people would understand that horses with compromised muscles are going to take longer to get fit and to recover from strenuous exercise - but apparently not.