anyone give comp horses time off in winter?plus few pics

[amandaco2]

If so why and whats the situation? Do you keep them stabled? Just curious!


some pics from our last training of the yr!

mine are going on a nice holiday over the worst of winter on a big hilly field, just hacking 1 to 4 x week.
hoping it refreshes them!
few pics from last training session of 2014

 

[star]

Mine has just had 3weeks off and will have a couple of weeks over Christmas just enjoying himself hacking and hunting. He has come back from his break full of enthusiasm for work again after starting to feel a bit tired so I think it has really benefited him. He lives out all year round.

 

[amandaco2]

Mine do too. They have plenty of energy but a nice holiday on a huge field of grass when the weathers so horrid....well I kinda like the idea of it myself lol.

 

[ilvpippa]

Mines not a competition horse anymore but brough her back into work after surgery & decided to give her a little holiday - partly due to my health but she's had the last two weeks off & will probably do a bit of hacking once a week until the new year & then start building her up again. She never lacks enthusiasm as she went galloping around her field this morning!!

 

[spookypony]

Nice pics!

The SP has had nearly 4 months off, and will start building up again after Xmas. The Ballerina Mare technically isn't meant to be having time off, but short days combined with heavy workload at work have meant that riding has been sporadic lately. That too will change after Xmas!

 

[only_me]

Bill is still living out but he isn't completely off as i ride him at the weekends - too hard to do during week with exams/uni/weather atm!
I try to let him live out all year as he loves it, and just pull him in out of field, quick goom to get mud off and then we ride! He is the best as he is a very low maintenance horse (apart from the white legs!!)

 

[blackhor2e]

I gave my eventer a month off after his last competition and now we are just schooling which is proving difficult as he is as fresh as a daisy. I have him a month off because he was feeling a little lacklustre. My other hasn't had any time off as I'm bringing her back from injury so she has a fitness programme I'm rigidly sticking to x

 

[khalswitz]

Geoff has had a month off, and quite a few of the eventers on the yard get turned away from October to January. Geoff still stabled during the day though.

 

[MagicMelon]

In the past I've always given mine 2 or 3 months off over the winter (they live out all year round). I didnt want to give my mare time of this winter as I only just backed her in the Spring (she's older) so I dont think it'd do her any favours however she certainly doesn't get ridden every day at the moment, I've not ridden her for a week as the field is rock solid (and its so damn cold!) and I have no school so if the field is frozen, I can't ride! I had intended to do local RC training through the winter but so far the roads have been too icy to take the trailer out.

I think if the horse is established and has competed all summer then it does them the world of good to have a good month or two off doing nothing, mine always stayed fresh jumping etc. Never had stale horses.

 

[LFD]

My wee eventer has just had a month off and is lovely and fluffy. He has started to behave way too well so thought he needed a holiday to bring back his cheekiness! I'll start to bring him back into work over Xmas with some hacking and light schooling before getting back into it properly next year.

My other boy is coming back from a year off with a ligament injury so is in a constant plan of work - hard at this time of year but I'm working away – fingers crossed for no more snow in Edinburgh!

 

[miss_c]

Yup, haven't sat on Genie for a month now. She usually has December off with the odd hack but she's done so much this year that it's come early and is extended. Will bring her back in after Christmas and expect her to be full of it! She gets turn out daily and is in overnight.

 

[amandaco2]

Well they are loving the huge space and grass, tho they all followed me around for the fence checks as they wanted lots of cuddles!

 

[chestnut cob]

not sure mine really classes as a "competition horse". We did some BE80, UA 90s and team chasing this year, and he's just come back in after about 7 weeks off in the field. He has turned into a hairy swamp donkey, grown a coat that an Exmoor would be proud of, and was delighted to be back in work. I think the break was needed and has done him good, but he has appeared quite bored in the field with only an ancient pony for company!

 

[amandaco2]

Nice pics!

Thanks

 

[PolarSkye]

Kali manages to engineer his own time off - usually by going lame/being broken .

As he's had most of this year off, he is most definitely NOT having this winter off.

P

 

[Auslander]

Not really a competition horse any more - although might see what next year brings. This is what a former PSG horse looks like in his natural state. The legs are killing me!

 

[Oscar]

Mine will get time off when the weather dictates no riding. Our school is up in the clouds (literally) and its a trek to get there so if we get snow, the school is cut off. If it doesn't snow I think he'll get from mid Jan to early March off.

 

[amandaco2]

My inter II pony looks similarly flouffy..... also grows fir tree legs! And hes been clipped 3x...Obviously now hes on holiday hes gradually donning a coat a shetty wouldnt be embarrassed of ....hehe