CCI* Fitness

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sw123

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I'm aiming for Blair in 10 weeks time and just wanted to see if everyone elses ideas for fitness are the same as mine!!!

He's a 15.2hh TB/Con and is currently novice eventing fit, although he wouldnt' be as fit as I've normally got him at this time of year as he had a winter off rather than a winter hunting and then has only run 3 times this season.

Between now and then he's got about 5 events pencilled in, all novice, bar an intermediate novice. I've got lots of hills to play on and access to all weather gallops once a week.

He does hold his fitness well but i want him super fit for this, having groomed at Bramham this week for a horse who was very tired after the XC i don't want that happening!

Hmm what else - out for 1/2 day each day, and in the rest!

So what would you be doing?
 
I would do lots of interval work. Also on the run up I would be looking at lungeing in trot for 20mins a day
 
Hello!

I've got my horse fit for several CCI*s. Basically, you want to look at working him hard, either some sort of interval training, hill work or a competition once a week, increasing to every fifth day about 2-3 weeks before the competition (every fourth day is ok occasionally as it has to fit in with your competitions, work etc, but don't go any shorter intervals than that).

I don't have access to good gallops or hills, so my "interval training" consists of cantering (fairly slowly as I use a canter circuit in a wood, so there are roots, turns etc to avoid) for a certain amount of time, walking for 3min, cantering again, another 3min walking, then cantering again, building up the cantering for longer periods of time.

If my horse was at novice eventing fitness I would start with

3min canter/3min walk/4min canter/3min walk/4min canter

I would build this up gradually, so the last canter before the one-star was

7min canter/3min walk/7min canter/3min walk/7min canter

This has always been my aim, although due to missing work through odd injuries etc the last one has often been 6/6/6 rather than 7/7/7 and he has always been fit enough to get the time.

It depends on your horse and facillities though - my horse is 7/8ths TB and holds his fitness v well. Also, if you have gallops you will probably need to canter for less time because you will be going faster.

Between the canter work I would be looking at normal hacking (45min-1hr in walk and trot), schooling, jumping etc, with one day off a week. Day off should never be the day before the canter work because of risk of tying up.

Blair is a lovely one-star - hilly and quite long last time I went there but very inviting and bold. Brilliant big event atmosphere, posh trot up, parties etc etc!

Hope this is helpful, good luck,

Whisky
 
I would keep him novice fit until the last 4 weeks. In these 4 just up the length of your canters and with about 3 weeks to go you can add in a sprint in the last canter at about 3/4 speed. I aim to do canterwork every 5th day, obviously an event can replace the canterwork. In the last 2 weeks I wouldnt want to do an event but go for long stamina building hacks- about an 1 1/2 of walk/trot with as many hills as poss.

Dont over-do it, you dont want the horse bursting at the seams and 1* isnt overly long/stamina sapping.
 
I agree on the long hacks lots and lots of 1 and 1/2 to 2 hour hacks with fast walking and more fast walking! with some long slow jogs on good ground.
Think that the long hacks build up general fitness and stamina best with canter/interval training about twice a week.
 
I agree generally with above but don't overdo it and get the horse jaded. I would also ease up slightly in the week leading up to the event. A 1* at Blair isn't going to require anywhere near the same fitness as Braham.

Last year we did the 1* at Weston which although not very hilly was 8 and a half minutes long. My horse coped with that very well. At home she had been comfortably doing interval training every 5 days for 3 weeks before the event up to 3 6 minute canters with 2 minutes between. This was on hilly terrain so another minute on each if flat.

Make sure you give the horse adequate rest time and don't do fast work more than once every 4 or 5 days.
 
Surely nowadays a CCI* is just an up to height novice spread over 3 days. Not the build up or impact it used to be.
Sounds like after running 5 times and playing on the hills he'll be plenty fit enough.

Hope you have a great time.
 
Lucky thing - Blair is a fab event, such good fun and great atmosphere

Last time we did it, XC was 9 minutes long (long format). The hill is what catches people out, they can normally cope with going up it, its the run down where the legs fee like jelly!
 
Horses NEED to be fit for Blair. About 3/4 of the course is up hill! I am so fed up of seeing (top!) eventers not getting their horses fit for a 3 day as they think they short format does not need the same levels of fitness. People don't realise that when Eventing Mag say that they need a fit horse for Blair and Burgie it might actually be true. Remember they have to go round SJ the next day.

When my sister did her CCI* (long format) she was trained by Polly Lochore who gave her an excellent plan to follow. Canters were about twice a week finishing at 11/11/12 with 3 mintues walk in between and she did her canters up the Burgie hill.

Maybe we get our horses over fit but we do 6/6/7 just for a Novice ODE.

Hoping to get to Blair for a day this year so may see you.
 
I understand what people are saying about not overdoing it for a CCI*, but also agree with those saying a horse needs to be fit for Blair even for the CCI*.

It's NOT just an up to height novice spread over 3 days. A novice cross-country is 1600-2800m, while a CCI* is up to 4680m, so it can be up to 9min rather than 4-5min for your average novice. Last time I went to Blair (2004) the CCI* track was maximum length, so 9min, and hilly. And yes, you've got to show jump the next day.

I've always got my horse fit in exactly the same way for a short format CCI* as I did when it was long format.

Whisky
 
Thanks everyone, i've been to Blair before and its likely he'll go to do a CIC afterwards or maybe another CCI* so does need to be fit.

I'm glad i don't have to start it just yet though, interesting about not getting him off the boil. He went to Burgie 2 day last year and Aldon 2 day so got him fit for that and he's quite easy to get fit but its just getting the times.

Want to write a plan as its not always me that rides him so want it all written down for mum on the days i can't do!

At Bramham the horse I had there was fit but not fit enough for the heat as well and it was awful seeing him come through the finish so tired. I know its a different level but i'm not having another like that!!
 
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