Exercising in winter

Vikki89

Vikki89

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Now the horses are stabled at night I am no longer hacking in the mornings instead I’m turning them out, mucking out and getting the stables ready again for the evening so Hacking is now limited to weekends, plus it seems to be getting lighter later.

We do have an outdoor school with lights but I don’t want him getting bored of the school, I find he works better schooling if he has had a day or two out of the school. I wouldn’t say its lit well enough to jump in so that is limited to weekends too. I do lunge as well and he usually has a day off.

Out of interest what do you do if you have to ride/exercise in a school 5 days a week and how do you keep things interesting?
 
We can get a short hack in on weekday mornings, mucking out can be done in the dark, hacking can't!
Ours now usually have one day off a week, so long hacks and fast work on the weekends, lunge monday, flatwork lesson tues, short loosening up hack on weds am, thurs off, fri school when we practise what we did on tues.

If you have to be in the school more then pole work is really helpful and there are loads of difference exercises you can use them for, put a few barrels or similar around the school and practise riding to markers, long and short curves, etc.
 
I alternate flat days with jumping days and on some days I just do laps of the school in trot and canter in riding light position to let him really stretch down (also kills my legs so it must be doing me some good LOL).
Weekends are for hacking and, unless the weather is REALLY sh... terrible, we go out regardless for at least 1.5 hours.
 
If he has one day off and is lunged (or maybe free schooled) once a week, then it's actually only three days of 'proper' schooling, which really isn't excessive :)

If your lights are good enough maybe you could dedicate one of those days to pole work exercises, and set a challenge to try a new one each week.

You could have a go at lunging with two lines or long-lining, which I find is more interesting than lunging with one rein. You have a lot more control and can do lots of different flatwork exercises from the ground.

Also, make sure you vary your routine when schooling. Assess your horse at the beginning of each ride, and decide what kind of mood he is in and what needs working on.

Sometimes you might decide to do a session with lots of long and low work, some gentle suppling exercises, and focus on getting him really flowing and maneuverable. You don't want him to think 'wow this is really hard work!' every time you ride. Then when you have a tougher session and want to ask for more collection he will be nice and flexible, and not stale.
 
I was tacking up from the field to do a 1/2 hour hack every morning before work but now they are in there isn't time or enough light to tack up, ride and get all 3 out before work or I would still be hacking in the mornings and i can't put the youngster out before its light/i ride as we are the first down and he would be out on his own possibly (depending on mood) churning up the field.
 
The simple answer to this is I don't! One of mine is like yours and tends to work better in the school if I only school him occasionally. I am lucky enough to be be able to hack him out at least two week days as well as weekends so I only have to school him twice a week. My other boy; however, quite enjoys schooling and as we compete in Dressage I tend to school him 3-4 times per week. I vary this with one session of jumping sometimes, two flat work sessions (40 mins each) and a polework session. In the flat work sessions, I either work through a Dressage test if we have a Competition coming up, or work on things such as transitions, he has just learnt to rein back so I do a bit of that, some leg yield and collection and extension. It will vary on the experience of your horse as to what you should do in your schooling sessions. Why don't you have a lesson with a good instructor to give you some ideas and to give you something to work towards?
 
I usually have weekly lessons or every two weeks so I do have things to take away from the lessons to work on, the last lesson I had my instructor let me use one of her dressage saddles and now i want one and i've been riding him just in a snaffle for 3 weeks now. I'm hoping to do more dressage next year so working on that.
I lunged him tonight and he was a complete idiot :rolleyes:
 
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