Eventers- thoughts on this

Irishcobs

Irishcobs

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There is a gallops local to us that ends in a very steep hill. When my boss was getting her two 4* horses fit for badminton, they would do these gallops 3 times.

A friend of my boss was telling her about the fitness programme she has her eventers on.
One horse, a little TB type, which is competing at pre-novice with a 14yr old girl, is going up this gallop 3 times. The same as my bosses 4* horses. When my boss told her that that is what the horses did before Badminton, she said, oh really?
They then wonder why the horse is so explosive in the dressage.
You would of thought they would of learnt the first time when they wrote off a horse that was blowing its nut in the dressage, obviously not.
I just hope no one gets hurt.
 
Oh dear!
I think that all this cantering work/galloping work that people think that they have to do for eventing is completly overrated.
 
I have known people, even happy hackers, get their horses too fit and then they get to a point where they can't handle them.

I would have thought getting an eventer fit for the level it is competing at is quite a task at times.
 
I keep trying I do a fair amount of fittening work with Sarnita and she still switches off in the dressage
crazy.gif
 
Depends on the length of the gallops, the speed you're covering them in, and most importantly the horse you are fittening. Plus the work which surrounds the work on the gallops.

A horse prepping for a 4* will most likely be doing upto 30-60mins on a walker plus 40-1hr hacking per day. Plus a couple of schooling sessions per week, plus a jump session per week, one or even two lots of canter work of say 4500mtr @ 500mpm. Some will do more, some will do less.

Just because the girl with the PN tb is going round a gallops 3 times once per week, doesn't mean she'll be fit for Badminton!
 
I believe that horses only have a certain number of miles in their legs, I would rather save mine for competition rather than wear them out training. I get them fit but not worn out.
 
[ QUOTE ]
I believe that horses only have a certain number of miles in their legs, I would rather save mine for competition rather than wear them out training. I get them fit but not worn out.

[/ QUOTE ]

Hear, Hear totally agree, horses are always broken down before the event, especially racing...
 
Maybe I should of added it does this twice a week, hacks for 2 hours twice a week and schools- jumping and flat for the rest.
 
That definatley sounds like over kill for a pre novice! Over fittening can cause over exuberance, and lead to breakdown eventually. However, a quicker route to physical injury is under fittening, and I for one wince at the all too common sight of horses flagging half way round the course, and heaving through the finish. That goes from intros right upto 4*. Tired horses also make mistakes, and that hurts horse, rider and the sport in general.
Correct fittening is a bit of a science, and I don't think enough riders take it seriously enough.
 
As a fence judge, I have seen underfit horses and riders. How riders can be sweating and puffing by fence 9 is beyond me.
 
We don't go to the gallops until at intermediate level. A pre novice horse should be able to event without the need to go to the gallops.
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DEVOUCOUX event saddle looking for good home
 
My eventer was on 2 star level and the runs in PN and Novice the runs made him fit,before the Novice 2 days we would do 10 minute canter work with him every 4th day to open up his lungs and heart..if he got too fit too early in the season he was nightmare to deal with..
When at Intermediate and Advanced level he would be hacked 1 hour per day as well as school...but the canter work would only start 4-6 weeks and every 4th day before any 3 day event...The canter work is vital for their heart and lungs before any CCI event,the course is longer with many more jumps than a 1 Day event
 
I agree about the correct fitness being a science, but it also depends on the horse, I currently have a full TB who could quite easily go round a PN without any addtional fast work, but my old Common bred mare would need to be literally trained as if she were running in the Grand National, just because of her mentality.
Some horses eventing like racing are better left a little 'underdone' and as the season wears on they improve, bringing them out to the first event fit to bust is a little mad IMO.
Agree that many more riders (esp intro and PN) need to take their fitness more seriously.
 
I know the gallops you mean. I was going there every four days and trotting up once, then a gentle canter up, then two faster canters up it in prep for Badminton. Until F broke a blood vessel very spectacularly going up them, and that was that. I thought he was having a heart attack under me. Better there than at Badders I suppose.
 
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