BSJA Riders- what work program do you use for your horses?

mellissa

mellissa

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Hello there I wanted to know how other BSJA riders prepare their horses for competitions throughout the year.

I have a 17.2hh Belgian Warmblood 11year old that up until about three months ago has competed sporadically, since I have owned him for the past three years. This was due to my personal circumstances- I finished Uni, did not have transport etc, and not any reasons from him. He competed BD with a friend whilst I finshed Uni, and is currently competing Newcomers to Fox every weekend.

He recently spent 5 weeks with a professional showjumper and came back really fit. I have had him home since December. This rider suggested he is to be worked six days a week- at least once in the pessoa, one hack out, one jumping, one flat and competing once in the week.


I would like to know other BSJA riders ways on keeping their horses fit, how often they compete etc. The reason being is that as the shows are year round, when do you give you horse holidays- and for how long? As my horse is heavy I thought I would continue every weekend indoor until the outdoor season starts- at least you know the surface will be good. Then perhaps not do quite every weekend but focus more on the away shows such as Wales and West for a couple of days as the ground will be good.

Any thoughts from the rest of you and what you do throughout the year with your jumping horses would be appreciated.


Thanks

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Hello!

I have to say that in winter I am pretty bad at keeping my warmblood as fit as i should as i work full time so can only use menage in the week with floodlights. Then we compete at least every other weekend if not every weekend. You would be suprised at how horses actually keep a reasonable level of fitness though!! In summer when clocks have changed I ride every day usually similar to your regime of mixing things up to keep variety but generally just one jump at home in week so she doesn't get bored and she will usually get one day in 4 off. She has a holiday when i go on holiday - she gets turned out for 2 weeks to completely chill. Again in summer we look to compete in the week a bit more when i can take the odd day off and use events like wales and west to have a good weekend off jumping.

Sounds to me like you are very dedicated and doing everything right!
 
Hi, I compete mine at least two to three times a month - during summer he's ridden 5/6 days out of 7 and is evented, during the winter he is ridden 3 days out of 7 (not including competition days) as I have no facilities and have to rely on having a lesson and using my instructors school. I tend to BSJA over winter, BE over BE season with the odd BSJA put in and I rested mine for 3 weeks in December. He's fit, happy and loves his work and I feel that it works well. x
 
Thank you both of you.

Iadors Mum, in the summer do you tend to go to your local outdoor or do you save it for the 2-4 dayers? What I mean is, because it takes so much of you at the away shows, do you miss a week or two at the 'normal' local shows?

Also, anyone, how do I get a picture on my name? Thanks !!!!

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You need to go to your User Options and there will be an instruction there (upload avatar) Good luck
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No we tend to go to something every weekend really but if we go away we prob only jump 2 days though we are considering trying to jump three days at wales and west this year depending on how fit they are. Im only doing 1.05m and newcomers so less taxing but my friend is doing new and fox and some B&C's so obviously much harder for her. I think it depends on how many classes you do per day too. I think 2 classes per day for three days takes serious fitness and we are only amateurs!!!

My mare has some slight arthritic changes in her front legs so unless the ground is exceptional this summer I will be sticking to surfaces only and no grass but we tend to do Wales and west april/may time when ground still quite good fortunately????
 
Hello
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Well, mine are both ridden 5 or 6 times a week for 40 minutes to an hour. I like to get them both out for a hack at least once a week over the winter and they compete once a fortnight on average. The rest of the time they are ridden in the indoor school where I will try and jump them both once a week, do a serious flatwork / schooling session once a week and perhaps lunge once a week for 30 minutes. In the summer they usually hack out 4 times a week, and will have an occasional session in the school.

Fortunately they don't need to be hugely fit to compete BSJA at the levels we are at. As for holidays, they have a break when we do ! We usually go abroad for a 2 week summer holiday and a week in the winter, so they have holiday then too. Both horses have also had extended breaks due to injury / health problems in their time so they certainly haven't been 'overjumped' lol!
 
Load your piccie onto your avatar for under your name and piccies for below text is signature - you'll find these all in user options. You'll need an account on photobucket or something similar to load them on - and edit so they're not too big.
 
Thank you for your posts. I have tried to get W&W schedule but it is still showing April 2006- am I missing something?

Unfortunately in the South- Dorset/Hants the outdoor venues are all on grass and it is either rock hard and slippery or too wet (Dorset Area showground being a prime example). I do not know of any fairly local that do have surfaces for summer season...Any one who does please let me know!!!

Rambo: if you are located in the South you may go to the same shows as me!

The Avatar thingy is not letting me get a picture under my name..

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Haha...yes, we'll be trying to avoid grass this summer as one of mine was off for a fair time over the summer due to the hard ground. We are based in Sussex, so more South-East than true South. Pyecombe has a lovely all-weather arena at it's summer show in August. We will also travel to Essex (Norton Heath and Towerlands) to get some all-weather surfaces. I believe Addington Manor have a large surface too but it may be a bit far for you !? What about Merrist Wood in Hampshire or The Hand in Somerset ?
 
Thanks Rambo- Pyecombe looks good on its website- I cannot seem to find much about staying there though. We live in Bournemouth so we need to stay at shows- do they have electric hook up and temporary stables? If it is on a surface that sound great. Have not been to Merrist wood as it is a bit further, but now I have the lorry it is not quite so bad. Do they have summer shows at Merrist wood then?

The same for Hand- it is about 2hours 45mins away, so until I bought the lorry that would not have been an option- do they do summer shows as well?

Questions I know- just trying to plan ahead. Really want to find summer venues with surfaces that hold two to four day shows in the summer. Travelling from Bournemouth to any BSJA show takes forever anyway- so we need the shows we can stay at preferably.

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Hiya...

Pyecombe has one large 4 day show in august where they erect temporary stables. There is no hookup as far as i'm aware so take a generator lol! They do have a few one and two day shows in the spring though.

I would have though Merrist Wood (Guildford) was closer to you than Pyecombe though
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I *think* they have a surface there.

The Hand is being refurbished at the moment. DieselDog would be the expert on what they're building, but I suspect an outdoor surface is on the cards
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You've got Medstead Grange in Hampshire too....don't know if they have an all-weather though
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We go to Medstead, it takes about an hour and twenty which is not too bad.

But like most of our winter venues here, they do not do summer competitions.

Have just checked the BSJA calendar, it seems W&W is on bank Holiday weekend in April so probably start the summer season there. Will not go to Bicton until at least July- hopefully the risk of rain is not so high. We went Aug 2005 and camped!!! The rain came and all warm ups other than the main arena turned into red swamps!

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Im very limited with how often and how much riding I can do at home as I only have a muddy field to ride in so its very weather dependent! I dont tend to jump at home very often at all, simply because I find mine compete every weekend so dont need extra work at home. In the winter my horses arent that fit unfortunately but are still BSJA'ing each about twice a month. In the summer they're obviously fitter, especially as I event then as well so they have to be!

My main horse who events and BSJA's gets time off after his last BE of the season (September), he doesnt get worked for about 3 months. He's back in work now and just started BSJA'ing again. Whereas my other horse hasn't had much proper time off in the past year until now simply because he's best to be kept going! And he hasnt worked nearly as hard as my other boy!
 
Dorset Area doesnt have a showground but I presume the one you mean is the one who hold the area show.

Im guessing you havent been there for years as its now been developed and has permenant irragation and the main ring is one of the best for amateur showjumping up to 1.30 in the south west (bsja officials words not mine)
So please dont write centres off like that as it takes a long time to re-build a reputation and comments like that one arent helpful!

i hope this doesnt sound rude, its really not intended to, but i feel relaly strongly about it.
lots of people on here go there, so why not ask them too (diesel dog is a regular!)
 
We always get hookup when we go to Pyecombe, but don't think it's easily available for everyone.

Pyecombe August show is the best - everyone is there, and evenings in the pub over the road, and into Brighton when we get a chance.

Lovely place.
 
in the winter its difficult as no menage so tend to hack 3 time a week, hire menage twice a week and hack short distance there, or have a lesson everyother week, next year will hopefully have a lunging pen so will stick em in the pessoa once a week too, then prob compete every other week, in the summer depending on ground compete mostly once a week, with a schooling session, hack twice, a jumping session or lesson, and a lunge in the pessoa, seems to keep mine fit and happy, they both have 2 weeks off in the middle of summer when ground is hardest, and a coulpe of in winter too
 
Mine is competing every other weekend. I ride her most days with a variety of flatwork, jumping and hacking - usually ride for 20mins - 1hr depending on weather and what we are doing, she seems to be reasonably fit, and is not a big catastrophe if she has a few days off occasionally due to weather/time etc. It's hard in the winter, don't have a lot of time to ride both my horses everyday so try to ride Alisha (the one that is competing) and just keep the cob ticking over! Roll on summer...
 
I only compete low level BSJA (BN/Disco) about twice a month and the odd hunter trial/unaff dressage/ODE.
I work her 6 days a week for at least 1/2hr. Usually jump once a week and hack/school the other days or sometimes lunge.
 
9 Cheese- yes I do mean Dorset Showground at Stour. I must admit I did not go there last year due to no transport, however I went for the Area show in 2005. It is a lovely main Arena, and that year we were only doing the discovery and 1.05m so we were in Bridge- the little ring next to the road. I did not mean to offend anyone, and I must say the organisers were exceptionally helpful to me- Mrs Trim found my horse accomodation with neighbours next to the show at late notice as there were no stables left on site. It was however very hard ground and with such a big horse, as you see from my avatar I have to be very careful. I do remember some sand going down in the area of take off and landing- my horse spooked several times at that!

I have yet to go this year obviously, so we shall see...I hope you are right and the going has improved since 2005.

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I don't agree with what you said about Dorset Showground.

The main arena is lovely, which is where you would be jumping as you are doing New/Fox. The jumps are beautiful and the ground is always good. Last year they did water and spike (I think) The Bridge Ring and it had a good covering of grass. The warm up at one show in the bridge did get a bit slippy but I just used one of the other ones.

The new permanent stables they have built arevery big and I think they also have electric hook up.

They normally have a good range of qualifiers at their shows and they also do unaffliated so its a good place to take a baby. I would recommend anyone to go there.
 
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We always get hookup when we go to Pyecombe, but don't think it's easily available for everyone.

Pyecombe August show is the best - everyone is there, and evenings in the pub over the road, and into Brighton when we get a chance.

Lovely place.

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Oh, okay, I wasn't sure as i've never seen any hookup points when i've been there ! We have never stayed over though as it's only an hour down the road from us
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You are right that everyone is there too...I think Nick Skelton was there this year
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Hello Mellissa, I see you've found you way over here too, can't really add much to the advice below and my knowledge of local venues is about 4 year out of date now!

Just in case you are wondering who I am, the horse in my avatar is called Herbie!
 
Hello Herbie- I see you are from the New Forest? Do I know you by any any chance? Just wondered- because of the clue "herbie"!

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Diesel Dog- looking forward to finding out this year- I will be in the main arena this year. I bought a full wall last year to practice over- specifically with the castle wall in mind!

Will see you there hopefully

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