Getting a horse fit with just roadwork?

[lucky7]

Took my welshie on a fun ride yesterday and thoroughly enjoyed it. Its his first one, hes 7 this year. He did get very excited and was very strong, took me standing u in the stirrups just to hold him in canter! he was stupidly spooky (but he always is) but felt worse! he actually took off with me for about 6 strides in a full on take off after he spooked at a taupaulin (which was scary, hes never ever done that before) also he got himself really wound up so after the first 20 mins he was very sweaty. Calmed him down and managed a lovely controlled canter across an open field with about 20 other horses (another first) by the time we got to the XC jumps at the end he was too tired to do much jumping so just did the diddy jumps (another first jumping xc) couple of stops but he got into it. Left it at that ! he is ridden around 4 x per week at home and will do 1 x schooling session. However there is nowhere to really have a good canter as mainly road work or hard stoney bridlepaths so hacking is restricted to walk and trot (we do have some good hills however) So how do you get your horse fit when the nearest field to hack to is 40 mins away?!! (when pushed for time!!) want to do a few more fun rides this year but want to make sure hes fit enough. The one we did yesterday was 7 mile and we mainly walked and had about 3 decent canters. We do mainly school and have recently started doing a bit of jumping to change things up a bit.

 

[GermanyJo]

Work on the hills you have in walk and trot

 

[jules9203]

Work on the hills you have in walk and trot

This - we used to be able to get the hunters fit doing a lot of hill work and some short canters but you do need to make sure they work properly up the hills.

 

[vam]

My hacking is mostly road work, I can be out for 2 hours only step foot on soft ground for 30 mins of it. I don't have the time during the week to do that so I've been doing 40 mins on the road in a proper walk with some lateral work, the odd short trot then going in the school for 20 mins trot and canter. Not everyday but at least once a week. I then do a good hour or more just road work if I can and 2 schooling sessions a week for at least 40 mins (I'll often hack her up the road for 15 mins as a warm up then straight into trot once in the school) and make sure I get my butt out the saddle in canter and get her opened up and forward in the canter as a warm up. Lots of pole work too.
Weekends are spent out for as long as possible but I don't always have the time (or inclination) to be out for over 2 hours. I'm going to start boxing out to local hacking to get some canter work in.
She is not as fit as I would like but she has only been back in work since the end of Jan. I have always done hill pounding with my horses to keep them fit, this is the first time I've not had good hacking to back it up but it seems to be working so far.

 

[Asha]

Ive done a fair bit of hacking with my youngster, I took her to somerford to do the farm ride about a month ago, and she coped really well the first time, although by the last hill she had to drag herself up. Since then we upped the amount of roadwork, 45mins x 2 /3 weeks lots of walking, and some trotting. 1/2 times a week in the school for 20mins. Well, the difference in her on sunday was amazing. Came to the last hill, and she flew up it. In fact when we got back, she tried to pull me back on the track to go around again. So yes its possible. I'm amazed.

 

[Charmin]

Also, adding some canter interval work in the school will really help build fitness. Depending how big the school is, can open them up down the long side and collect them for the shorter ones.

Also raised polework to engage their core, make sure when you're schooling that it's proper engaging work.

 

[ihatework]

If you have a field 40mins hack away then I'd aim to get to that once a week - 1hr20 hacking and 10 mins interval training.

Then aim to ride at least another 4 times a week. Twice of which in the school, and whatever you are doing no dribbling around! Hacking is marching and making use of hills, schooling is done 1/3rd in each gait.