Coming back into work after time off ...

tonitot

tonitot

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Ted has had some time off because of the snow as I've given up trying to ride in it as school it about 1.5ft deep in snow with massive snowdrifts here and there, same with the fields. So I decided to give him time off till the snow goes and was just wondering if when I start riding again, shall I do it slowly e.g. lunging, then riding and build up from there? Or shall I just jump on and crack on with it?
 
I’m planning to jump on (hopefully depending on the thawing) and go hacking, starting with walking, then walking and trotting, and then adding in canter. We have some good hills by us too. I was always told hacking is a good way to get them back fit again.
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Plus I don’t enjoy lunging and nor does Bodey, and only do it if I really have too.
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Ahh cool thanks
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Im sure Ted would love to go on a nice hack
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He doesnt mind lunging .. just gets bored unless it means being aimed at jumps :P
 
^^ That, I might lunge for ten mins or so before getting on the first time if it was a horse likely to get all overexcited and send me off on a flying lesson!
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The city farm ponies used to get a month off at Christmas and we would build them up gradually, starting with just walking in the school, then adding short trots and building the time trotting up for a couple of weeks before starting to canter again.
 
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Start with lots of hacking, Don't daudle though make him really march on,depending on how long he has had off I would hack / lunge and do some schooling gently for a few weeks
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Okay cool
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He has only had about 4 days off so far but was doing very light work for about a week before that.
 
If it was me I'd do a weeks worth of walking to tighten the ligaments and tendons. 30 minutes the most on the first day and then the following week start trotting and building it up from there. I read somewhere that it takes 3 weeks of not being ridden for a 'fit' horse to start to lose condition.
 
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^^ That, I might lunge for ten mins or so before getting on the first time if it was a horse likely to get all overexcited and send me off on a flying lesson!
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Haha not very likley from Ted
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the most he'd do is make his littles legs go at 100mph
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may have the occasional excited buck but hes generally very good
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Interesting conversation with an endurance enthusiast who told me it takes a horse a full 6 weeks to lose its fitness. On the basis that mine hasn't been ridden for a full week and only 3 times in the preceeding 2 weeks I will go back to basics... plus which his wind fitness has completey gone having only really been to hack since thebeginning of November..under normal circumstances I would work himn 5 or 6 times a week, depending on work.
 
My lad has been off work since August due to having laminitis. I will be taking it very easy with him anyway when we finally get around to work again, but regardless of this I would always start with hacking in walk for a good 6 weeks (depending on how long they have been off work) and slowly introduce trot if you horse feels he/she is up to it. I would never start with lunging work first, although long reining is great.
 
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