Do Horses Need Holidays?

Tobiano

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As title.

OK so I know that eventers and hunters are roughed-off for a few months each year and then come back in to work.

What do people think about a horse that just does RC level stuff? Mine has one or two days off every week and seldom works for more than 2 hours at a stretch. But do people give their horses a whole week off, or two, or a month, except for veterinary reasons?

Just interested in peoples opinions and experiences.
 

Tern

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Depends entirely on the horse. If they have been competing a lot then I may take shoes off and give them 3 weeks in the field, if they are getting bored of the work and just generally shutting down then I may give them a couple weeks off to just relax.

I think that some horses do need holidays, others cope just fine without.. what is your horse's temperament like and how much does he compete?
 

FfionWinnie

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My horse cannot have a single day off. I just vary things as much as possible. She loves people, isn't that into other horses and loves to work so thrives on our routine.
 

Tobiano

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ha ha Tern… he is very laid back and I think in the year I have had him we have "competed" twice. at 40 cm xc (!) and unaff prelim dressage. He doesn't really have a lot of stress in his life! :)
 

Tern

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ha ha Tern… he is very laid back and I think in the year I have had him we have "competed" twice. at 40 cm xc (!) and unaff prelim dressage. He doesn't really have a lot of stress in his life! :)

Ahh! He sounds brill. :) My mare can fry herself to death with schooling so sometimes mid summer time I give her a week or so off just to relax, this year I hope to event and show a bit more so she'll def be getting some times off at the end of the summer or I may end up in hospital.. again. :eek:
 

Jo1987

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If mine has worked hard he gets 2 - 3 days off but not usually more as he starts to get silly to handle and is awkward when I want to get back on! Really depends on the horse though I think.
 

nikicb

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I have owned quite a few ponies/horses, but the main two I have had have both benefited from time off. My old mare, who I had for 30 years, always came back from a few weeks break better than she went away, but if she had two to three days off when in regular work, would be fizzy, but not nasty. For Cam, it makes little difference. As I am a busy Mum and fit horses in between everything else, he is perfect. I can leave him for a few days, then pick him up again and he will be no different to whether he is ridden the day before. I have not managed to keep him going over a winter yet. The first two years, it was a positive decision as I had no facilities and fitting Christmas, children, family staying, winter etc, in just became too complicated. The day he was sat on after 2 months off, was no different to any other day, and after a few days he came back better than he was before. I am (touching every piece of wood I can!!!!!) not expecting any issues with bringing him back into work after his injury. We all benefit from a bit of down time, and I think that applies to our horses too! Good luck. :) xx
 

nikkitodhunter

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Definitely depends on the horse, some will tell you when they need a break! The yard I take lessons at has one or two horses that every year, around the start of winter, get very sour and are clearly not enjoying the lessons - as soon as Mark, the instructor, notices it he gives them a good holiday (a week at the very least) to just let them 'be horses', and they always come back in great spirits!! They get days off etc. usually, but when they signal that they need a break, they get it. It's a matter of knowing the individuals I suppose.
 

Fools Motto

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My mare doesn't need any time off, she's the same with or without breaks, BUT, I need a holiday! AND, I don't see the point in hacking over the winter, where time is limited, and weather is bad. I haven't got money for competing either. So, on that basis, she has November - about now, just being her out in the field. She is 19 now, and it works fine for us.
 

Bernster

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Ours, including the exracer, have January off for no other reason than its a hard month and it just makes it easier

There's a lot to be said for that, for horse and rider! Might give it a go next year as Jan is a rubbish month.

I tend not to, other than the odd week unplanned when I'm not around. Current one needs a good regular exercise programme and previous ones just didn't seem to need it. I think if they get rest days, have decent turnout and down time, and aren't in heavy work, then they can keep going all year round if you want them to.
 

laura_nash

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If I had a shod horse again I would give it a month or two out of shoes every year, which might mean a reduction in workload (or using boots for a month). Otherwise unless they are doing a lot of travelling and competing I'm not sure it is necessary.

Mine has had two long holidays (due to me not him) and it made no difference to him, no positive or negative changes, but he is that type. I got back on after 9 months off when I had my daughter and took him for a hack, he was obviously a bit unfit but otherwise no different.
 

Lyle

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Mine have 3 weeks mooching in December (our summer, because the season ends late November and doesn't start again until the end of Jan) I still handle them most days, they still get fed but not worked.

My training regime has at least one rest day per week, but I will periodically give them a short break if I feel they need it. Sometimes a week or two of time off plus hacking revitalises them in body and mind :)
 

twiggy2

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mine has had holidays in the past due to my life having busy or difficult times, she always comes back better for it. If I go on holiday she gets a break and I have a holiday planned in september so she will get a week off unless I get my instructor to ride her.

usually 10-14 days of in a block in the summer holidays so I can spend some tie with the kids too
 

rowan666

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mine get all winter off, mainly because we dont have lights or an indoor arena but they would still get time off anyway. all they do the rest of the year is hack and showing so they dont really need time off, they have a very easy life!
 

Merrymoles

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Have always found that young horses benefit from the odd week off, especially when they have a lot of new stuff to process either as part of breaking or part of starting to get out and about. They seem to go off, let it all sink in, and come back ready to carry on where they left off but usually are quicker to learn something new.

Current horse is better if worked - for some reason he becomes stroppy to handle, rather than ride, if not kept busy. That said, if I couldn't ride for some reason, I would not worry about giving him time off. His fieldmate, on the other hand, wouldn't be bothered if he had a permanent holiday!
 

Orangehorse

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Some need riding lots, others are the same if left for 2 weeks.

It is harder to bring an older horse back into work if it has a long holiday, so for teenage horses it is probably better to keep them ticking over, but a couple of weeks off doesn't do any harm. I don't do much riding in December, for instance, maybe at weekends, and then if you go on holiday the horse can have a break too.

I seem to remember reading some research from Australia with very fit horses that found that if they weren't ridden for 6 weeks they didn't loose fitness.
 

Steorra

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My old horse seemed to come back re-energised from a week or so turned away in the big fields in summer with nobody bothering him (just basic checks in the field). While he never got sour about working he'd come back brighter and better from a little holiday. Now that he's mostly retired and only hacked very gently a couple of times a month he's the same whether he was last ridden yesterday or two weeks ago. Always keen, though.
 

Hawks27

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My horses is life is practically a permement holiday lol till we get going properly again hes only a happy hacker though I would love to find a nice rider to keep him fit and in more regular work but at best we ride 3-4 times a week but sometimes he has a week off here and there sometimes a month or 2 either due to him having a problem or me being too sick or injured (not because of him I have djd) but thankfully he is a rather chilled horse I got on yesterday after hes had 4 months off and we had a 20min walk round the woods bareback and he was totally chilled and happy except for the one sideways bounce after a leaf in the hedge gave him a funny look!
My previous mare preferred 5+day week of hard work to keep her mind occupied or she became a stroppy unmanageable madam. but she would usually have a little holiday in the summer I found she overheated when out 24x7 in the height of summer and tired much easier and enjoyed a few relaxing days off then with out going bonkers but in winter she wasn't good with more than a day off and we usually lunged/free schooled or walked out in hand on her day off
 

Goldenstar

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In my view horses need their shoes removing for part of every year, I aim for three months minimum .
They have a holiday at the start of that and the time I give them varies I have two with shoes off ATM .
Fatty will get eight weeks rest he hunted over 35 days and needs to let down and have a chill he will then work with out shoes until get him shod when autumn hunting starts Tatts will do the same but we will leave him out longer he wintered out and hunted out the field my guts tell me he needs a very easy spring .
J is overdue a break he's been in work since January 14 and his set of shoes will be his last before a shoeing break .
He will get two weeks and then start work in school and schooling field he will remain in light work for as long as it takes for me to get his feet as I want them .
I am a fan of the mini break , three days ,I use this quite a lot .
I like my horses to work in cycles of harder and lighter work during the year , lighter work will be schooling at home and light hacking .
I always know in head which part of each cycle each horse is in .
For the ones that hunt is timed round producing them in optimal shape for the hunting season.
 

misskk88

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After having a very hectic few weeks, I haven't sat one of the horses I ride in that time. Got back on yesterday and he was certainly much more enthusiastic and better than before the time off! I think it depends on the horse, but in my experience with any I've ridden/owned, I think giving any horse a chance to just 'be' a horse and to relax with no expectations can do the world of good.
 

Dusty85

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Do we enjoy time off/holidays?

I love holidays, so therefore I think its only fair to give them a bit of a break too. I do think it depends on the horse, i.e. if young then i would prob give days off rather than weeks, but an older, more established horse then yes, most definitely.

If i was a horse, I can't think of anything nicer then to have my shoes off and turned out in a herd of the same type to go have fun and play for 4 weeks.

Regarding timing of said holiday- Id probably do a blanket/trace type clip as the first clip in the autumn, then the can have a holiday over December/Jan - just in time for it to be really miserable trying to fit in horses with work and dark evenings.
 

Firefly9410

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Mine do better without a holiday. They are only in very light work all year round. One gets miserable if not worked and starts biting and the other goes a bit loopy, work seems to take the edge off the spooks and keep her calm.
 

chestnut cob

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Mine had a holiday at the end of last year. He had worked really hard last year eventing, did some team chasing plus all the training that went with it and SJ/ DR comps as and when. At the end of the season I felt he would really benefit from some time off plus I was started a new job so it was the ideal time as I expected to be away a lot with work.
He ended up having 7-8 weeks off out in the field, no rug, no shoes, and an ancient pony for company. Then got an abcess and had a further 3 weeks off. Was brought back into work slowly, lots of hacking in straight lines and up hills. He has come back into work feeling and looking a million dollars. He is the strongest and most supple he has ever been. On the flat now I can't give him enough to do because he's finding everything so easy, and his attitude is just brilliant. I've only jumped a couple of times but he's basically picked up everything where he left off.

He won't get a holiday of that length again this year as won't be competing that much, but he'll probably get a month off in the depths of winter. I didn't expect his holiday to have that much of an effect on him.
 
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