Fitness for Intro....

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KatB

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Just interested really, my boys entered for his first in about 3.5 wks time. Have just stepped up his canter work, so he's doing a session of canter work in the school (interval type training, school is 50x50) two hacks a week with trot work/small amount of canter work or a competition, and two schooling or lunging sessions a week.
What sort of prep would people be doing at this stage before an event?! Am keen to get him as fit as possible as he still finds it mentally tiring on occasions, so want the body more than upto it!!
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I think that sounds fine - the ones I hate watching go round intro are the grossly fat ones who look like they are going to keel over at the end. You can hear them going up a hill before you see them.
 
Mine have an intro on sat and on the last interval I did with them I was doing 3mins 30secs trot X 3 and 4mins canter X 2.

And they are def fit enough for Intro. I will see how they run and will probably do one or two intervals between Poplar and Grt witch and may step it up slightly for PN in April - but if they come back full of running I may not!!

I always compete them every weekend and have a jump lesson every weds - schooling in between
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Hope that helps KatB and good luck - where is your 1st event this year?
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sounds totally fine to me, Stafford isn't particularliy long or hilly so will be plenty fit enough.

Budsie only gets worked 4 times a week. 1 x trip to gallops trot and canter work for around 30mins hack there and back 50min session, 2 x 1 ish hour long schooling sessions either flat or jumping, 1 competition sj ot dressage.

as you know where going PN, he is fit enough and now its getting lighter will try and get out more in week on him to build things up more so he's ready for Novice level in around 7 weeks!!!!!
 
Your sposed to do it every 4th day but because of the light I have only been doing it at weekends.

And obviously in the season you count a run at an event as an interval.

I would do the last one before an event at least 5 days before
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My last one was last weds when I went to MK XC schooling I counted that as one - then at the weekend I just took them both for a hack and had a couple of fun canters - rather then having to do it when the stop watch tells me!!
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Stafford does hve quite a steep hill fairly early on. I had a ID x who was very fit but struggled a little partly due to his build, rather than fitness.
I make sure I trailer out once a week for fast work as well as hacking, schooling and lessons but then Im obbessed with having them very fit
 
good question and reading the replies even more interesting.

I have a TB who kind of keeps herself fairly fit, she's excercised about 4 times / week. That includes lunging and schooling twice at w/ends, ridden once in week, and lunged again once in week.

I did take her for a blow on Saturday and she was fine, may increase that but i'm reluctant to get her too fit. We did do an event 3 weeks after I got her and she was seriously unfit, and she pulled me round!!!

Bx
 
I really wouldnt worry about any interval training at Intro level.
Foresure the horse has to be fit enough, and not fat or flagging going xc.
I used to really step winstons fitness up for PN but thats because of his breeding and because hes quite a laid back fellow.
Where as say Bally, Bertie and indeed Snoopy if i did too much I would end up with a complete loon!
I currently work my horses 5 or 6 days a week they do hacking jumping or lesson at a weekend, lunge and schooling in the week plus go on the walker for up to an hour each day.
Snoopy does however need to canter a bit more, not for fitness but for him to gain balance and used to cantering for longer periods. But this will be as a fun thing not a fitness thing.
Your boy sounds plenty fit enough to me
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WHich is your first?
We have a hunter trial (our first and we havent even been xc schooling yet) a week on sunday
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good question and reading the replies even more interesting.

I have a TB who kind of keeps herself fairly fit, she's excercised about 4 times / week. That includes lunging and schooling twice at w/ends, ridden once in week, and lunged again once in week.

I did take her for a blow on Saturday and she was fine, may increase that but i'm reluctant to get her too fit. We did do an event 3 weeks after I got her and she was seriously unfit, and she pulled me round!!!

Bx

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Thats fine and she may cope if they are strong - but you could cause an injury not having them fit enough.

Fittening doesnt just get them cadiovascular fit it fittens the legs - tendons etc to decrease the risk of injury!
 
Likewise, my two TBs keep themselves very fit on about 4 or 5 rides a week.

We don't do any structured cantering but typically they do 3 decent hacks each (including a good bit of trot / canter) and 1 or 2 schooling sessions (we don't have a school - depends how often I box there).

I used to event a half-bred who managed to stay perfectly fit enough for PN on the above too.
 
Yes I'm stepping up his canter work for the same reason BB's, he is young and finds it difficult to canter for long periods!! Hence why I want to make sure he is more than fit enough
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Thanks honey, first event (hopefully) 31st March at Stafford....
 
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Yes I'm stepping up his canter work for the same reason BB's, he is young and finds it difficult to canter for long periods!! Hence why I want to make sure he is more than fit enough
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Thanks honey, first event (hopefully) 31st March at Stafford....

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Thats exactly why I am doing interval as Spider I think is the same age as your youngster and she finds it very hard to keep canter for long periods (think we will be seen doing a little bit of trotting on sat!!!
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) And Mac never being this fit before and almost full warmblood - so I am making sure I am giving them the best chance and trying to reduce injury!!
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She holds canter (well from what I saw at MK) then if a fence is a bit spooky she will trot into it! I know she will always jump it but she just wants a better look at it!!!

Which at Intro height is fine!! Cant wait till Poplar sat so excited!! Sad a!!
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All the horses I have evented took a long time to get fit. Thats because they all had a lot of pony in them. Also my local cross country is Burgie which is very, very hilly and I normally go up the hill at least twice a year for competitions.

I have only done one Intro, which was on a 5 year old, and before it I was riding 6 days a week with 2 sessions of interval training. I think I got up to 5,5,6 with 3 minutes walking in between. I would have liked to get another session of 6,6,7 but I messed up my time table. I was also schooling a few times a week and jumping twice a week as well as well as hacking.
 
Reading everyones replies i think mine is 'too fit' this year!! She does 6/7 days a week, hacked 3/4 times for 1hr- 1 1/2 hrs, and either 2 schooling sessions and 1 jumping or 1 schooling, 1 jumping and 1 lunge. Shes competed about every week -10 days, and this takes the place of a hack. She normally gets the day after a competition off. x
 
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Reading everyones replies i think mine is 'too fit' this year!! She does 6/7 days a week, hacked 3/4 times for 1hr- 1 1/2 hrs, and either 2 schooling sessions and 1 jumping or 1 schooling, 1 jumping and 1 lunge. Shes competed about every week -10 days, and this takes the place of a hack. She normally gets the day after a competition off. x

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Mind do exactly the same as this!! With the interval and I am only happy to go to an event with this preparation!! Then if it goes wrong I cant blame my preparation!!!
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HI HJ.

I know what you mean about her body being fit as well as her breathing so to speak.

I compete / jump and hack her on roads regularly - we also have a circlular sand gallop of a mile with about 5 fulongs of flat out bits !!!

As BB's says, I also don't want a loon - she's put me in hospital once because I had her on heating food, so I know what she can get like.

she's also an ex racer, so her body is used to the trauma's to an extent.

If we do well @ Intro and need to step up a gear we will!

Bx
 
Indeed Bandit.
Ex racers or TBs of type and even warmbloods like mine can keep themselves fit and well from minimal work and turn out.
If you ride this type of horse 4 or 5 times a week, hacking, jumping/schooling and a lesson or competition you will find they will be just as fit as any IDx who would be doing between 5-6 days work.
The beauty is that you end up wtih a horse with far less wear and tear on the joints.

Poor Winston would do interval training over the summer, be worked 6 sometimes 7 days a week. I was scared to give him time off, but of course the more work i did the more work his joints had to do.
 
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Indeed Bandit.
Ex racers or TBs of type and even warmbloods like mine can keep themselves fit and well from minimal work and turn out.
If you ride this type of horse 4 or 5 times a week, hacking, jumping/schooling and a lesson or competition you will find they will be just as fit as any IDx who would be doing between 5-6 days work.
The beauty is that you end up wtih a horse with far less wear and tear on the joints.

Poor Winston would do interval training over the summer, be worked 6 sometimes 7 days a week. I was scared to give him time off, but of course the more work i did the more work his joints had to do.

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Im completely agree - I know of an ID at my yard who had to fitten so strictly to be fit and of course alot of wear and tear on joints - I dont fitten to that extreme!

But have always done interval and just varied for the classes im doing - of course if both these horses had done a full season last year I probably would be fittening as much but as one is young and struggles to keep canter!!
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And one is an ex SJer I have had to do as much as what I would probably do other horses for PN. They arent super duper fit though they are fit enough for what they are doing I think
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Interesting..... having gone from a little TB type that kept himself fit to a WB I really thought I would be having to do so much more work - BUT she is worked an average of 5 times a week and at the moment is feeling on top of the world! I can't wear her out (rode her for 2 hours at dressage comp at weekend to try
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) So perhaps I was worrying over nothing?
 
yes - there are so many differences between Bonnie and Ludo. Both on their ability but also their mental and physical differences.

Ludo had to be worked alot harder to keep fit - I'd ride before work on the gallops about 3/4 times in the week then hack / compete / school @ hte w/ends. He was also on alot more food for his stamina and energy levels!!

With Bonnie - she is also younger, but totally different. she's on hardly any feed at all, even in winter, nothing heating what so ever. It's only really recently I've started to ride her more than just at hte w/ends, but we do quite a bit @ w/ends and she's in her field everyday from 7.30 - 4.30.

I was told just before my trip to A&E she's not a horse to get too fit, otherwise she won't be ride-able. and that was from a top SJ trainer!!!!

Bx
 
Sorry HJ, I wasnt suggesting you were over doing it. But what you were saying to Bandit sounded like she was not doing enough on her horse to compete at Intro which was rubbish.
Any horse should be able to complete an intro with 5 days work a week i.e hacking, jumping, schooling and a competition a week.
They dont need to be doing interval training at this level.
I read a very interesting artical from Karen Dixon, some of her methods were a little overboard, but she was sure that a horse competing in an intro ONLY needed the odd fun canter or a younger horse learning balance.
Alot depends on the horse you are riding. I think WFP had a problem gauging Moonman because of his laid back character.
Maybe similar to your SJer? Winston is amazingly fit at this time of year when hes been hunting etc, plus he doesnt tend to carry much weight either. However come end of May he balloons
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even when kept in a small paddock.
His work or fitness hasnt dropped but he just goes into snooze mode.
Snoop is fitter than ever, although well covered he can do a good 2 hour hack trotting and a bit of canter, travel 40 minutes both ways have a good 1hours jumping lesson without flagging!
I spent most of yesterday 40 minutes dressage session in canter, he has already been on the walker for an hour after breakfast.
He is just like riding a TB, then again he is trakehner.
I jsut think you have to be careful and think what you are riding, if you have an ex racer or pure TB if they start doing more serious canter workouts they could find staying in the plate in the dressage test rather exciting! I know foresure my neckstrap isnt being removed throughout mine!!
You are doing what is best for you horses at the end of the day HJ, Im not saying you doing too much, you know your horses
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Sorry HJ, I wasnt suggesting you were over doing it. But what you were saying to Bandit sounded like she was not doing enough on her horse to compete at Intro which was rubbish.



Sorry if you thought that BB's or Bandit!! I wasnt saying that at all!
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Was just stating what I do - and trying to advise KatB into fittening for it as she has a youngster like myself. I totally agree and other types of horses barely needing any fittening! My last horse Jack - I got him too fit and well for the start of the season (he was a bronker anyway!!) and as a result he through me off badly in the SJing at Poplar - My own fault!! So I do totally understand !!!
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No worries.
Snoopy is the same age as both Spider and Godders.
Its interesting to hear what everyone elses take on it all is. I was only thinking yesterday morning can snoopy cope with the hills etc at the hunter trials hes due to do a week on sunday. But after his cantering/dressage session yesterday lunchtime I have decided hes absolutely fine
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Think it depends on their strength as well - from what I have seen of snoopy he looks quite compact as does godders - please correct me if im wrong!!

Spidey is very long and gangerley!! She has a very big stride so I think she finds it very hard to keep canter - it is getting there slowly but think that is why she struggles to hold canter.

I make her canter sound really bad!
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She can hold a good 3 laps of canter in a 20X60 with a few circles - that is of good quality canter! After that it gets a bit strung out!!
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no HJ - didn't htink you were being critical at all!!!

lets hope we all have a good season!

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Good thank you!! I would never comment about anybody elses ways of fittening! After all we all know our horses better then any one else!!

And I second the good season for us all!!!
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Just need some more events to be running so we can do some reports!
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