Getting a horse fit with limited hacking

[AmeliaA]

I’m wanting to get my horses fitness/stamina up a bit but the hacking around us is mostly road work so limited on the amount of trot and canter work we can do (which is what we need, he could walk for 20 miles. I don’t school much neither of us like it.

We can box up but obviously not too often as I don’t own a box and have to hire.

My plan was to do one long off road hack and month as well was one beach trip for the faster work. Will 2 long/fittening rides in a month as well as slightly increasing hacking at home improve fitness? Or is it too few and far between?

 

[Errin Paddywack]

We always used to trot on the roads, native ponies admittedly but didn't do them any harm and they stayed sound into their twenties. I would do steady trotting on the roads as well as walking. That was always how hunters were got fit.

 

[gallopingby]

Hunters getting fit were always road work and six weeks was the minimum after a summer at grass. At least two weeks walking and then adding trot in stages building up to some sustained periods of trotting. Canter wasn’t introduced until week six. Times changes and there are different ways and facilities now but some of the old ways are stiff effective and had sound logic behind them.

 

[gunnergundog]

What is your end goal? What specifically are you wanting to build his fitness up for? If we know what your end goal is and also where you are starting from, then people can advise more appropriately.

 

[Barton Bounty]

Lots of hill work helps a lot

 

[SilverLinings]

Two longer rides a month are unlikely to make much difference, and the horse could struggle/be at risk of injury if those rides are significantly longer and/or faster than the rest of the rides. Could you box out once a week as that would be of more benefit? Exactly what do you want the horse fit for/how fit do you need the horse to be?

A fittening programme needs to be a steady increase of duration and intensity as you work towards your goal. Road work can incorporate plenty of trot work as long as it is introduced steadily, with joint impact being controlled by utilising hills and not allowing the trot to be excessively fast. Lots of transitions between trot and walk (and halt to trot) will help too. Are there any green lanes or verges that you can use to canter? Otherwise you may need to do walk and trot work on the roads supplemented by some canter interval work in the school two or three times a week.

 

[expanding_horizon]

Two longer rides a month are unlikely to make much difference, and the horse could struggle/be at risk of injury if those rides are significantly longer and/or faster than the rest of the rides. Could you box out once a week as that would be of more benefit? Exactly what do you want the horse fit for/how fit do you need the horse to be?

A fittening programme needs to be a steady increase of duration and intensity as you work towards your goal. Road work can incorporate plenty of trot work as long as it is introduced steadily, with joint impact being controlled by utilising hills and not allowing the trot to be excessively fast. Lots of transitions between trot and walk (and halt to trot) will help too. Are there any green lanes or verges that you can use to canter? Otherwise you may need to do walk and trot work on the roads supplemented by some canter interval work in the school two or three times a week.

I thought trotting up hills (especially steep ones) was not recommended as it puts too much strain on the sacroiliac, and better to walk or canter up hills (canter when ground is good and not on roads).

 

[AmeliaA]

What is your end goal? What specifically are you wanting to build his fitness up for? If we know what your end goal is and also where you are starting from, then people can advise more appropriately.

We’ve booked a riding holiday for next year. I would say he’s near enough fit enough for it but could do with a little more stamina. I already do quite a lot of trotting on the road so am reluctant to increase it more, and I can’t box up more than twice a month (due to cost), TIA!

 

[AmeliaA]

Two longer rides a month are unlikely to make much difference, and the horse could struggle/be at risk of injury if those rides are significantly longer and/or faster than the rest of the rides. Could you box out once a week as that would be of more benefit? Exactly what do you want the horse fit for/how fit do you need the horse to be?

A fittening programme needs to be a steady increase of duration and intensity as you work towards your goal. Road work can incorporate plenty of trot work as long as it is introduced steadily, with joint impact being controlled by utilising hills and not allowing the trot to be excessively fast. Lots of transitions between trot and walk (and halt to trot) will help too. Are there any green lanes or verges that you can use to canter? Otherwise you may need to do walk and trot work on the roads supplemented by some canter interval work in the school two or three times a week.

I wouldn’t say the rides we do when we box up are significantly more. We do around 8 miles when we box up and our average rides are 3-5. Obviously more fast work but not beyond their limits. No can’t box up more due to cost. End goal is riding holiday in April, aiming to cover around 6/7 miles first and last day and 12 for the full day (3 days) so increase but not much above what he can do now.

We do around a 10 mins of trot work in an hours ride now (try to aim for one long interval and then short bursts like you said above for transitions) and around 1.30 min of canter work (I do this ride through the week and longer rides at weekends) I’m a bit loathed to increase it anymore as I know it’s not great for their joints.
Try to avoid the arena as much as possible as it’s something he struggles with, he has a bit of arthritis.

My thoughts were to get a few fast work rides in a month (the beach and off roading), just enough to help his stamina as I think distance wise he is fit enough. Hope that makes sense!

 

[Orangehorse]

The way to get them fitter is to increase the heart rate. If you walk and trot they are fit to walk and trot. If you are planning on taking your horse on a riding holiday I doubt if you will be tearing around, so bring in some longer rides so they and you are used to hours in the saddle.
Add in canters when you can.

You say you don't like schooling, but if you have an arena or schooling area I think you should use this and try to do some longer trotting and canters. Just play around with school figures, circles, figures of 8, serpentines, increase and decrease of pace, so slower trot, faster trot, slower trot. Don't worry about where the head is and concentrate on rhythm, and going in a relaxed way. He should be puffing a bit, schooling is harder work for them.

 

[ihatework]

There is long slow distance which sounds like you have access to which is good.

What you then need to do is get the heart rate right up. To increase fitness in the eventers this needs to be done every 5th day. Maintenance is weekly. For your purposes I think you would need to aim for a weekly fast hack or interval training. Any friendly locals with a field you could utilise for this … hack there, a few canter sets, hack back. If it’s uphill even better.

 

[MuddyMonster]

If you have a school but don't like schooling, could you do circuits and/or interval training in the school? I find this feels much less like schooling for both of us!

I either set alarms and do something like 3 minutes trotting, 90 seconds walking, 3 minutes trotting, 90 seconds walking and 90 seconds cantering and repeat (actual times vary depending upon fitness)

Or I try to work to a set speed for a set distance - say, 5 circuits of walk, 10 circuits of trot and then 5 circuits of canter.

I find this helps increases/maintains fitness without feeling like 'proper' schooling.

 

[P.forpony]

Completely agree with MuddyMonster, I actually like schooling, but I still do this about once a week with mine.
Just very simple interval training where I try my best to just sit there mind my own business and leave him alone.

I actually find it really helps keep him fresh too, because he loves to just settle into his canter laps and we get the floppy ears and happy little rhythmic snorts, so the school isn't always the hard work place

 

[Maesfen]

Hunters getting fit were always road work and six weeks was the minimum after a summer at grass. At least two weeks walking and then adding trot in stages building up to some sustained periods of trotting. Canter wasn’t introduced until week six. Times changes and there are different ways and facilities now but some of the old ways are stiff effective and had sound logic behind them.

This, always this.
I had one stud groom (for hunters and polo ponies) that made us march everywhere, never trot, right from when they came in until season end and our longest route after six weeks (all road work) would be about twelve miles up and down hills. They were the fittest hunters, had the longest days (with Beaufort) and soundest horses I've ever known. Their only fast work came from when they actually hunted. They were as fit as fleas.
Don't disregard a good march for getting and staying fit.

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

Best thing is good productive fast walking; the sort of walking that a pony for e.g. would have to do if riding-out with a bigger horse.

It is what my 13.2 has to do all the time!! She's regularly ridden out with bigger horses and whilst she would naturally toddle along in plod-mode she has to bloomin' well get herself moving to keep up! Result is that over the years (she's 10 now) she's learnt to do a really nice active forward walk out of habit now; tho' I suspect if she had someone else up top who'd let her, she'd revert back to plod-mode!

Have a look at some of the Endurance FB sites and ask there. You might find this helpful.