Days off for horses

Olliepop

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Do any of you out there not routinely give your horses a day off? My 22 yr old gelding gets 1 - 2 days off per week.

I have a new mare who I think is the sort that would benefit from regular work and the sort where a day off may be counter productive in terms of regression in her behavior (she's the sprightly sort!). I have never had a horse who doesn't routinely have 1 - 2 days per week off so are there other horses out there who don't have a day off regularly? I plan to do a mixture of all sorts with her so I don't think boredom with the work would be an issue, it's more the physical demand on her and whether to be fair to her she ought to have routine time off.
 

risky business

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I don't think in the grand scheme of things an hour or so a day even everyday is that much to ask really.

I think as long as you allow for the fitness to build up and keep it varied it will be fine. You could 1 - 2 days a week take a short hack or stroll, that way they are still getting out just not really doing much while doing so.
 
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MerrySherryRider

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Unless in hard work, I don't think a day off matters too much. Not many owners have the time to work their horses intensively, there aren't enough hours in the day.
Variety of work keeps horses interested enough not to get flat and also uses different muscles, so whatever suits you is fine.
More important is having an enthusiastic and focused rider, rather than having one going through the motions of 'having' to exercise daily.
 

Hackie

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I never understand people who DON'T give horses regular time off - they need time off for mental health, muscle recovery, and its good to maintain long term soundness.

Horses should be able to be kept fit and progress in their training whilst being worked 4/5 days a week, easily, if you're riding properly, particularly at the lower levels of competition.

When I think about it, I actually don't know anyone who does work their horses more than a few days a week?
 

Nicnac

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Personally I think it depends on the horse. My youngster is better with more work and could happily work 7 days a week but he does get a day or two off just because of my personal circumstances with work. My ex-racer loves days off and tends to get left a bit when youngster has an event coming up due to time constraints. TB comes back much better after time off - it's almost like he's consolidated what he's learnt and brings himself out at the next level.

TBH it's not like we work our horses much unless competing at advanced level or working on a farm pulling a plough all day!
 

montanna

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My 4yr old gets two days off a week. She will do 2 x schooling (1 being a lesson, 1 a shorter stretchy session followed by a walk up the lane to cool off), 2 x hacks and usually a show/box out somewhere.

She lives out at the moment, and I ride at the same time every day, so in theory gets a good 48 hours off on each of her days off.

A change is as good as a rest though, so as long as your horse is doing a variation of work and not just being drilled in the school/jumped the legs off I don't see an issue with not giving a day off.
 

Antw23uk

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This thread has made me chuckle :p My friend (and I will point her in the direction of my post, lol) is always talking about giving her horse a couple of days off every week when he seriously doesn't do much when he is ridden and I'm always saying that to her, lol :D

I'm not convinced horses in light work need a day off to be honest but saying that mine does tend to have at least one day off a week but that's down to just running out of time some weeks!
He is fit anyway but a mixture of hacking, schooling and a weekly lunge is not going to wear him out when he is turned out all day every day and has a nice big straw bed to sleep in at night! He has plenty of time to chill out and relax :)
 

PaddyMonty

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Amount of work should fit horses fitness and temprement. Fit horse that is better with more work does not need a day off. Thats a human way of thinking. If I only had to work for 1 hour a day I'm sure I could manage 7 days a week!
 

Hackie

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I guess I just don't understand the whole idea of riding every day, just because you as the rider want to. I mean, they don't 'need' to be ridden every day, just as they don't 'need' time off.

For me, the end goal is competition performance, so I ride for that; good solid schooling at home a few days a week (which I do enjoy) keeps them improving and fit, so I guess I just don't understand why I would ride any more? I mean, sure, they can manage it and it won't kill them, but I feel the benefits of regular time off outweigh my own desire to sit in the saddle for the sake of it.

ETA - if it is genuinely in their best interests to be worked every day (or 6/7 for example), why don't more professionals do it? I've had lessons off a lot of people, across a lot of disciplines, and no one has ever said to me that I should be riding almost every day?
 
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Olliepop

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I'm always cursing my two for the fact they live like kings, work an hour a day tops (sometimes longer if we go hacking out) and get to swan around doing what they like for 23 hours while I have to slave at work for 40 hours a week!!
I always think back to the riding school horses/ ponies - some of them had 1 day off a week and between 1 - 4 hours work per day albeit sometimes only novice riders not doing a lot. So when I compare mine to that they don't do much at all!
 

JFTDWS

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My 4 year old usually works 3-4 times a week, as does my 20+ year old. My 8 y/old rarely gets a day completely off, but sometimes he will be lunged or ponied out rather than ridden. But other days he'll be ridden twice... He doesn't seem to mind.
 

wattamus

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My horses get days off if I'm at work or if I'm hungover! ;) I don't have regular riding days or a regular riding schedule! It doesn't bother mine but some horses thrive off routine so maybe would be best to not have a day off, it won't kill them.
 

ihatework

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If you have a fit horse that is better in work then regular days off for them are a 'human' thing to do rather than really needed.

Personally mine has 1 day off a week ... not for her so much but for me!!!

For instance, mine had a lesson on Saturday, competed Sunday (dressage), then went up the gallops Monday. This week the day that suits me to give her off is Thursday, so she worked Tuesday - albeit a 40 min loose rein hack
 

PorkChop

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I think some horses are better been ridden everyday tbh, one or two days of the week can be gentle hacking.

I do like youngsters to have one or two days off a week though, I like to think of it as their thinking time!
 

Follysmum

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I used to always give mine mondays off. This comes from my childhood when we usually rode 10 miles to a show, did all the games and jumping classes then rode home. So we always gave them mondays to recover :)
 

tiga71

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My horse is in medium work (according to my vet) and we do endurance but only at a low level. But he only gets a day off after a competitive endurance ride or if I don't have time to do something with him. He has a flat lesson and jump lesson each week as well a couple of hacks of between 2 - 5 hours. We will also go out to a competition or other training like Trec and he will have an easy day with long lining or other groundwork.

He is much happier with lots of work and lots of variety. He loves going out and about. He gets up to mischief when he has a couple of days off.
 

Amicus

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I don't see any reason a horse in light-medium work needs a day off, they'll still have the other 23ish hrs in the day to relax!
 

L&M

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My 2 get a day off after hunting - other than that they are worked pretty much every day in the winter.

In the summer it is just light hacking every other day with the old boy, but try to do something with the 5 yr old 6 days out of 7 or he becomes mischievous!

I think it also depends on their turnout - in the summer ours are out 24/7 so getting natural exercise, but are only out for a few hours each day in the winter, hence needing more exercise then.
 

Wheels

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Depends on the workload and in some cases attitude of the horse - currently my youngster is a bit of a yob so he's worked daily. When he's going through a well behaved phase he works maybe 4 or 5 days a week as this is enough to get done what we need to do and show improvements every ride.
 

Red-1

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My horse has some days off in the week, but it is because I am busy, not because he needs them. Jay does not have to catch up on his shopping and ironing, so he is available to work every day.

I think days off provide a cushion for in case the horse is starting "something" as in has been over strained and has some as yet undetected low level inflammation. For this reason Jay will have a day off after a competition or hard training session, or even sometimes after hacking as this is when we will ride for sometimes 2 hrs plus, so for him it is up-ing part of his routine, as in concussion and wear and tear from carrying a somewhat heavy rider (heavier than I used to be anyway).

I do think that to give a horse a week off once in a while is also useful, again to stave off any upcoming irritations, even if they are so far undiagnosed. They do not lose that much fitness over a week. It gives me a break. Not that I need a break from Jay, but unlike him I do have the shopping, ironing, and housework to catch up on!
 

Hoof_Prints

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Mine have 1 or 2 days off, always a day off after a shows/ hunting/ similar high level of activity (so usually Sundays or Mondays) and then whatever day suits my schedule . I think it is important to let low level, undetectable injuries patch up and let a horse relax and let what he's learned have time to set in his brain. I do count a light hack as a day off too! if the weather's really nice and I fancy a gentle plod :) I have a lot of time to school my horses, and found that they progress much better with days off as opposed to being worked every day, they live out so don't get fizzed up in stables and need to work it off.
 

Madam Min

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Ours get 1 sometimes 2 days off a week, they are in regular work, with 1 possibly 2 comps a month, dressage and showjumping, I try to lunge once a week as I feel it loosens muscles and relaxes them.
 

AdorableAlice

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I think you will find owners work a lot harder and longer than any the of horses they own do. Very few pleasure horses get anywhere near being in hard work.
 

CobsGalore

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At the moment I am riding or lunging everyday, sometimes I even ride in the morning and lunge in the evening. This is mainly due to trying to keep his weight down in the spring. In the winter I may only ride 3 times I week, but that's just because it's cold and I can't be bothered!

To be fair, he gets 23 hours a day to wonder about the field eating, so I don't think it hurts to exercise everyday. If he was in hard work or competing then I may think differently.
 

charli_

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Mine don't do too much at all, schooling I won't do more than an hour, lunging half an hour and hacks I tend to do longer ones but they are not particularly uphill/difficult land and they walk for the majority of it. Also I don't always get to ride every day.
 

PolarSkye

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I think some horses are better been ridden everyday tbh, one or two days of the week can be gentle hacking.

I do like youngsters to have one or two days off a week though, I like to think of it as their thinking time!

This. We're back to "horses for courses" . . . Kal isn't young (he's 15) but he is definitely happier and more relaxed if he works more rather than less . . . he almost "smiles" when he is under saddle. He doesn't work hard at home . . . 20 minutes flatwork, a 45-minute hack, 30 minutes jumping, 20 minutes lunging, some time on the walker . . . all go to make up his work week in various shapes and forms, not to mention competitions and training/lessons.

But he's a horse with a very busy brain . . . he gets bored easily, makes his own entertainment/fun, and if left to his own devices without some sort of challenge will become naughty and destructive. But that's just him. He is no better, or worse, or more valuable or desirable than any other horse who behaves differently.

We had two mares before Kal . . . both cobs/cob crosses . . . one was straightforward and easy, the other was quirky and clever (like Kal) . . . one just wanted a quiet life, the other would make her own fun if you didn't provide it.

Once again (and I'm aware I sound like a broken record), the answer here is "do what's best for your horse/you" . . . and sod everyone else with an opinion.

P

Edited to say - we give Kal a day off a week to think too . . . hate drilling horses . . . not good for them, especially the clever ones
 

Goldenstar

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I give mine one day off a week when they are in work they get two if they hunt twice a week.
I think a rest day out all day is good for them and gives them a bit of down time .
However naughty horses don't get days off until they toe the line .
However in summer if I want to do other things I am relaxed about extra days off in winter when they are in more I am more disciplined .
 

ebonyallen

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Try and do as much as poss, depending on the weather so perhaps one / two days off, mind you doesn't exactly do that much at the best of times poor soul, mind you she thinks she does lol.
 

khalswitz

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My lad, when just hacking and schooling, would only get one day off per week/ten days. He can be very sharp, and with his shivers he benefits from at least being exercised if not properly on a very regular basis.

Now he competes regularly - he goes out most weekends, or the odd weeknight. Therefore I've scaled back his work in order not to knacker him - he now only gets schooled once a week and hacks the rest at home, and gets two days off.

I think if schooling and competing day after day you do put a lot of strain on them in terms of joints etc - I know my sickle hocked, croup high beastie would struggle with five days a week of schooling and then competing. However daily exercise rather than daily work isn't a bad thing at all - so a leg stretcher of a hack rather than a heavy schooling session.
 
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