Do your competition horses get a period off work?

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I was just wondering whether your horses get a period of time off any type of work?

If so, what discipline do you compete in and why do you choose to give them the time off?
 
Yes - he events, does unaff dressage and BSJA. Gets about 3-4 weeks off at end of season because we are both knackered! he also gets two months off eventing mid-season (or thereabouts) as I am manic with work and ground conditions can't be guaranteed.

I think a bit of chill-time helps them grow, mature and take on board what they have been learning - last year he had 2 months off which really helped him grow up but this year being a bit older, he gets less!

I also have spells of just hacking to let him have a chill as well.
 
Tara does abit of everything (mostly jumping, showjumping at the moment but events all through the summer and will be hunting as of saturday), and we are going to give her a month off through February.
 
I used to compete in Dressage although I don't have a horse at the moment.

Dutchie used to get one or two days off a week, plus hacking days etc and he went out in the field for a few hours every day.

After a show he would get one or two days off and when I took him the 6 hour long drive to Sheepgate then competed for 3 days and drove back I thought he was going to need a few days off to recover but actually he didn't, he was so fit that he was racing around the field like a foal so needed to do work!

I think it depends on the individual horse but most horses who are very fit do a little less work when they are not competing (out of season) and the rest of the time they train and hacking/going in the field and actual rest days are all the breaks they need.

This was also true for my trainer's Grand Prix horses, too much time off and they raced the field which was more dangerous than keeping them in light work!

Di
 
Mine do, this year they will have about 2 weeks off just b4 xmas.

Dexter didnt do much this yr due to events being cancelled etc so only did about 6 all yr, and Spider and Dexter had a bit of a break in August due to my injury. Will just hack them really for the week over xmas
 
yeah, mine are eventers...

they usually start eventing in march, then have a couple of weeks off at the beginning of june, then again in the middle of august (they take it in turns so i always have at least 2 in work)... then provided their season has gone well and they havent had any major time off with injury etc. they have 3 weeks off. then hack out for about 3 weeks and just enjoy being horses again, maybe go to the odd lesson... then they start to be schooled again just before christmas ready to do some affiliated dressage and showjumping (not seriously, just fun no pressure stuff) before eventing again! I normally start fitness work at the end of january/beginning of feb as they are hacked out all winter.
 
Yes, never really done it before but this year we are having a break at the moment.
Rafi, who does dressage and sj,is having a quiet month, no shows, 2 days off a week and just a bit of hacking.
Penfold, who events ,has had a month off completely and will come back into hacking at the end of the month. He lost a bit of weight at the end of the season and gets stressed travelling, so a rest is needed ,it is lovely to see him resting.
They are both still only out half the time, at present they are stabled at night and still being fed well ,but less hard food
 
normally they get December off competition and the youngsters get months off here and there !!

My mare doesnt go out in the field (especially in the winter) so she is kept in light work all year round !!
 
They're never out of work, we have very very limited to no grazing (Spesh in the winter!) So they're always being worked.
We'll have a couple of weeks off competing, and just hack out or lightly school them.
 
Archie is having a week off soon, but i wouldnt ever give him longer than that off as hes the type of horse that needs to keep working. I tend to give him a week off every 6 months just to relax a bit.
 
Yes, but normally because they manage to injure themselves/me!

Seriously, I like to give a few weeks off every year (more if they are young) especially if they've been working very hard and especially if they've been away or at a big show. I tend not to give much longer if possible as I don't like them to loose too much fitness. Younger horses definitely benefit from having time off to mature physically and mentally.
 
Alfie is a show jumper. I make sure he has plenty of time off as he is only a 4 year old. He had a week off last week as he had been out over a couple of weekends and been doing quite a lot of work. I am very concious of making sure that he has a rest, so he can absorb what he has learnt and chill out, We all need a break.

All trainers show jumpers get lots of time off.
 
One of mine does BE and BSJA, the other does unaffiliated / RC stuff. Mainly they both SJ during the winter.

Yes, they usually get a couple of months off in the winter - usually Dec and Jan because the weathers always crap and there's not many events then due to that.

I give them time off as its more practical (crap weather to ride) and to give them a break. Especially my main horse, he show jumps all year and events during the spring / summer. So they deserve it really! I find it gives them some time to just chill out and they come back fresher and happier to get going again.
 
My horse has evented all summer and probably done 10 PN/N events, he is now half way through six weeks off when he is loving being out all day with no rug on to get as dirty as he likes, he will then be clipped when he comes back into work. He needs this break mentally and to get some wieght back onto him after allt he eventing before the worst of the winter sets in.
 
Thanks everyone... someone suggested maybe Grace needed some time off, but she is not good when she is not in work and gets very stressed in the stable etc etc. She gets weeks off competing and last week she was only ridden twice as I was a bit stressed out with other things. But she changes when out of work, so keeping her in work and her brain working seems to work for her.
 
I have one event horse who cannot have holidays. He just hates them and loses weight. He just get ticked along with light work so he thinnks he is in work. Helps keep him supple too.
 
Mine doesn't he hasn't had a busy season this year apart from 2 CCI*'s in 3 weeks at the end!! Usually he'd have had a much busier season. He never gets a full break because he doesn't like not doing anything and it makes it hard work.

Instead like now - he just hacks about 3 days a week and hunts 1 day. Or did do a team chase last week. He keeps ticking over so doesnt lose a lot of fitness i go as far as i can be bothered hack wise and if I don't fancy it he gets longer in the field (he's not that keen on hours in the field though!!)

Haven't schooled him since the dressage day at Aldon CCI* and havne't jumped him since Aldon either. Wont do anything for a few more weeks then will find some dressage shows and SJ shows to aim for and pick him up.

He seems to really chill this way without ending up with a hairy fat horse that needs lots of fitness work when its freezing cold!
 
yes...mine is a showjumper and gets 6-8 weeks off every winter starting at this time of year. everything in our yard does from the Nations cup horses to the babies...though if any of the older horses are being brought to Florida for the winter equestrian festival (jan-mar) then they get their break earlier
 
I don't tend to give mine any time off.
shocked.gif
They are normally schooled at least 5 times a week and lunged most other days. However, sometimes I will just do light work with them for a week or two. I prefer to keep them in some kind of work all the time as they tend to get naughty when they have to start working again else! They have 23 hours a day to do exactly as they please, so I don't think it is too much to ask for one hour of work!
 
Yep mine is on holiday at the mo. For younger horses I think it is important so they dont burn out, older horses it helps keep them "fresh" Imho!!
 
My 4 yo TB gets a week off here and there and is so much better after the break, he's having a week off at the moment. It's as if he uses the time to consolidate everything he's learnt so far. He had two weeks off in the summer but seemed to go back to square one and got a bit belligerent (sp?), so I'd rather just give him a week off more frequently. Having said that, I've been thinking of giving him a longer break soon (before Christmas). He's coming along very quickly and I don't want to do too much with him too soon, as he's still a baby. Ho hum.
 
Pepper's having 2 months rest atm.
Fair play to him - he's done 15 Intro/PN BEs this season, plus unaffiliated stuff and he's only a (cob type) pony!
I got the feeling he was pretty tired after Aldon too, so it's well deserved
grin.gif

Probably start hacking again in the Xmas holidays & do some BD (our 1st attempt) in late Jan!
 
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