Fit for eventing..??

con_finn

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I should hopefully join EI (eventing Ireland) this season, i aimed to start last season but due to injury I unfortunately had to scrap those plans.


I was wondering if anyone had a fitness plan ? I asked a relative but he events from 1*+ and it wouldn't be suitable as I am aiming for pre-novice.


My horse is only back in work over the past couple of weeks due to bad weather and I have important exams :( so he has been out of work for nearly two months and doing light hacking over the past 2 weeks.

He is a 15.1 Connemara ISH x, I some times find it difficult to get him fit and I'm not really sure how to draw up a fitness plan etc.

I read somewhere about a 'muscle memory', I'm not to sure what it is but it is something to do with if they have been super fit before they have it memorised and it's less difficult ?? I have no idea what is tbh.

So if anyone can help mr it would be greatly appreciated :D
 

Hels_Bells

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Well if your horse has had a very long break I would suggest something like the following:-

Week 1 walk 4 days hacking building from 30 mins to 60
Week 2 walk 5 days hacking building up from 60 mins
Week 3 wallk 5/6 days and introduce small trots hacking
Week 4 walk and longer trots hacking and maybe 30 mins flatwork session one day
Week 5 walk, trot and one or two small canters plus a couple of flatwork sessions
Week 6 flatworks and hacking with a bit more cantering, maybe a dressage test
Week 7 keep building on the above and maybe introduce jumping

Then keep building in more flatwork, jumping and more cantering/galloping. Plus some comps, hunter trials, mini ODEs etc.

I would say from a big rest to eventing you would need 10-12 weeks fittening. But I am a bit paranoid with fitness!

My horse is also slow to fitten and I do interval training with him in the late stages of a plan like this to try and build fitness but most would argue this is completely unnecessary at BE100 level. [However am sure they all have thoroughbreds that only take about 2 weeks from slow to go!!! :D ]
 

only_me

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The first northern one is on the 26th March, (well, northern enough ;) ) and is a nice first time course, nothing special nothing terrible but is usually 4 mins max round the xc, I did the * there last year and think the time was something like 3min50 :) Only thing about it is that it can be difficult to get going xc, whereas tyrella can be difficult to stop :rolleyes:

So working backwards there is roughly 9 weeks to it, which should be plenty of time to get fit for PN :)

We don't normally do any extra fittening work at PN, normally if the horse is worked 45-1hr every day and the odd fast hack here and there is enough, find it easy :)

First few weeks slow hacking and then building it up from there sounds good :)
 

con_finn

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Thanks for the help guys :D

So the plan is to start off with light hacking and build him up from their !!

26th march ohh excitement !!! Which event is it ? Would it be dromisikin ?
I check the EI website all the time to see if the have the events up haha!
 
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