Days off.....

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Just wondering how many days off per week (if any) do you give your horses? I am inclined to give Frodo a day off today as he was SO good schooling on Saturday and then at his first competition yesterday, but I know this is being pretty anthropomorphic and he really wouldn't be bothered :)

I tend to school 3/4 times a week (flat work/pole work/jumping) and hack 2/3 times a week with one day off, is that average?
 
I usually give mine a day off after a comp or a hard lesson. I currently have a Tb I'm bringing on and he has two days off a week. Hack 2 times, school twice, includes one lesson and one lunge on Pessoa.
 
I nearly always give a day off after a competition, especially for young or inexperienced horses as it gives them time to recover physically as well as let the brain cells take it all in, it is not just the actual riding but the traveling that takes it out of them, a day out in the field moving about is ideal, if they were not turned out for some reason then an easy hack would be fine but I definitely think they benefit from some down time.
I think your routine is probably about average, some people will hack more than school but it depends on what you are trying to achieve, sometimes there are not enough days in a week to fit in flatwork, jumping as well as hacking.
 
Mine normally has Mondays off as mostly he'll have been somewhere on Sunday and it fits well with my shifts. He also gets another day off if he does a midweek competition. Might be anthropomorphic but I feel good giving him a day off after he's worked hard.

He normally has one hack a week, 3 schooling sessions (2 flat, one jump) and a competition plus 2 days off.
 
I don't like to give a day off after really hard work. It's the day after hard work that muscles can tighten up and I will go for a gentle hack, just to get the blood flowing and muscles loosening up, then give them the following day off. It's called compensation training in athletes and it works.
 
_GG_ said:
I don't like to give a day off after really hard work. It's the day after hard work that muscles can tighten up and I will go for a gentle hack, just to get the blood flowing and muscles loosening up, then give them the following day off. It's called compensation training in athletes and it works.
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This. Marathon runners often go for a gentle run, or at least a long walk, the day after a race, otherwise injuries can happen. Gentle plodding hack, to keep everything loose and stretched, then day off.
 
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