Do horses need days off?

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Patches

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If so, how often?

Since I've been allowed to ride again (labyrinthitis - muchos dizzy), Patches has been ridden every day. That's since last Sunday. Hacks ranging from 1 1/2 to 3 1/2 hours in lengths. Shorter hacks involving alot of trotting as they are on softer ground. We've estimated I've covered about 50 miles this week.

Weather forecast for tomorrow is good. Would it be terrrible to take her out again with Hannah on Tweenie?
 
no, not at all, as the hacks are spread out i think. just maybe not so much work tomorrow?

i only give my boy a day off if he has worked very hard (eg. last week we had a 1.5 hour lesson, a 1h hack mostly on roads,1.5h intensive lesson, 2h bursary fing and general riding work and schooling in between!) but he also gets a day off after a comp like eventing, and goes in the field to stretch and get rid of any stiffness.
 
Of course not... its only a couple of hours out of a day..I guess she gets the rest of the day out at grass relaxing...
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Does Patches feel worn out? If Patches still has her usual amount of energy then I’m sure she would be absolutely fine. I tend to give Bodes a day of if I’ve been out XCing or SJ, but he is only rising 5.

I just wish I could join you out hacking!!
 
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Does Patches feel worn out? If Patches still has her usual amount of energy then I’m sure she would be absolutely fine. I tend to give Bodes a day of if I’ve been out XCing or SJ, but he is only rising 5.

I just wish I could join you out hacking!!

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She was jogging up the lane to the farm today at the end of our 15 miles hack, so I don't think she's too tired! She's also still out in the field, having returned from the ride at 2pm. Won't get her in for another hour or so.

She has Red Cell in her feed to help her along....rocket fuel for Patches...but is only fed on a high fibre diet. Ad-lib haylage and a small scoop of fast fibre mixed to a thin custard consistency and blended with her happy hoof chaff. She seems to be doing well. She's lean, but certainly not underweight....just fit.

I'd love you to hack with me too, but it might take a while to meet up!
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Being ridden everyday does not equate to working everyday - if they are physically or mentally exhausted after work then yes they do, if you are just having fun, no they don't.
 
Well it sounds like you will be worn out before her then!!!!

Yes probably take me at least a couple of days to hack to you, he, he! I’m of XC schooling tomorrow so at least we are doing something fun.
 
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Being ridden everyday does not equate to working everyday - if they are physically or mentally exhausted after work then yes they do, if you are just having fun, no they don't.

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Patches enjoys her hacking. She never seems tired of it, either physically or mentally. She's nosey like her mum you see, likes to see what's going on.
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I am more worried about her feet if I'm honest. She's already down to four weekly shoeings and wears her shoes to a knife edge. Farrier says none of his other customers wear shoes out like me and I couldn't tell if that was just a passing comment or a criticism of too much road work.
 
Variety yes, days off no! Mine has the occasional day off due to work commitments but if I have time to ride every day for 3 weeks then so be it. His work is varied, some days harder than others. He gets 23 hours a day off which is a lot more than I do!
 
No of course not, I expect you the majority of work is in walk anyway. I only give mine a day off if I have a hangover
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or they feel lathergic, which is very rare now they have half a can of Guiness in their feed a day, lol.
 
Galaxy has every friday off so he has a day to just chill. Instead of being worked he comes in for a nice long groom (usually around 1-1 1/2 hours!) and he loves it.

I just like him to have some relaxation time and i find it really relaxing after a long and often horrid week at work
 
Corr! I wish I could do that much hacking...my boy would be super lean and fit! Sadly work gets in the way! When I ride throughout the summer I will clock up 20 - 30 miles a week with my lad, but I struggle to ride much more because we are all road work and I was getting through shoes every 4 weeks and they were paper thin like yours! I could not afford to have him shod any more and his feet were suffering from the nail holes too. I worked out I could get 75 miles of road work out of my shoes with road stud nails before they dropped to bits!
I tended to give my boy a day off after we did a pleasure ride of 15 miles because we would do it all in trot apart from the down hills, but he always had more to give and pulled like a steam train even at the end. I would let him back out in the field afterwards for a 'rest' and nine times out of ten he would gallop off bucking...so not really very tired!!!!
I think horses like Patches could happily do up to 15 miles hacking a day without stressing them.
 
I think if they are doing hard work (competing, hunting etc) then they should have a day off but hacking is generally quite relaxing for horses so it shouldn't be a problem unless ur horse tells u there is one
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I worked out I could get 75 miles of road work out of my shoes with road stud nails before they dropped to bits!


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Really? When I did a long ride on my pony and could keep track of the wear rate / mileage her shoes were paper thin at the end of 200 miles- I suppose about 130 miles of that would be actual roadwork. At that time the cost of shoes per mile was about equal to the cost of petrol per mile for a car (too lazy to work it out with todays prices).

Do you think shoes differ in terms of metal quality?
 
I do about 50 miles a week and Patches is shod every four weeks.

Her shoes are paper thin by the end of the four weeks, so I'd say that's about 200 miles too.
 
No, she will be fine
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If you were doing hard schooling/jumping/competing then yes, with the sort of work you are doing, which really still equates to ligt/medium work unless you gallop everywhere, there is no reason she cant go without a break. If she starts to feel tired, she will tell you
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Enjoy
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We try to ride ours every day when they're kept in over winter, but when they can go out I try to give him 1 or 2 days off in the week.

I don't think it will do Patches any harm at all!
 
I dont really think that they need a day off of work as long as it is varried work and not intense everyday. I do dressage and I never take my horse in the school more than 3 days on the trot!! Hacking, lunging or a day off in between for my boy!!!
 
Depends on work really,if worked very hard one day then yes i think they benefit from turnout,however if you have no turnout you would have to walk them out!!I am a soft touch and think that i have 2 days off a week so he can have a day off to!!!(yes i know i work longer hours but i dont canter and jump and go for 2 hr hacks with 11 stone on my back,
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lmao)!!!
 
I should've pointed out that mine have 365 day turn out. Take today. I was back at 2pm and she was turned out then until 8.30pm. I don't ride and then keep her in.
 
Adrian doesn't have planned days off unless he's worked exceptionally hard, so I wouldn't want to stale him by asking more of him the next day when he's prob tired & stiff.

I think that there are enough unplanned days off (heavy rain, trains screwing up etc) without me adding to them.

If Patches is still messing around at the end of a hack, I don't think she's trying to tell you that she's tired!
 
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I should've pointed out that mine have 365 day turn out. Take today. I was back at 2pm and she was turned out then until 8.30pm. I don't ride and then keep her in.

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LOL!!!No didnt assume you did,probably worded wrong,just general comment really!!!If horse in average work every day no need for day off really(i am just a pratt and think that if i have a day off work he should to,lol,yes he is a spoilt brat,lmao),if competed or worked hard either turn out or steady hack day after(aid with stiffness etc,not issue if neddy lives out,just nice to let them recover from a hard days graft)!
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