Getting a horse fit without hacking

[kgj66]

As soon as the clocks turn back I won't be able to hack after work. I am going to try and hack before a work when the light is available but that will also go as winter creeps up on us!

So my question is can you get a horse as fit in an arena as you can hacking-noting that she has been off for 10months (field rest in undulating fields-she is still out 24/7). Is it just endless walking in circles and short bursts of trot like you would do hacking without the benefit of having hills?
She has been hacking in walk for the last month so we aren't starting from scratch!

Any tips??

 

[be positive]

You can if you really have to, two good hacks at weekends will help and it depends why she has had so long off, if injured it is not ideal to spend too much time in an arena early on. When ready introduce polework to get more activity without requiring her going faster, lots of basic lateral work will also help with engagement, transitions by the dozen in every session.
Once she is fitter you can start to do a little interval training to increase stamina and really make the weekend hacks count.

 

[pippixox]

it is more useful to have hills and hacking is more interesting going slowly than school work, but it's better than nothing. i would work hard on keeping a good forward walk in the school, as often they start plodding! you could start trying to make it more interesting with circles, serpentine ect, but not sure what injury they had so if they should not be doing very tight circles? you should do less time in the school than if you were hacking as it is harder work doing more circles.
think i'm going to have to hack in pitch black around a farm as i have no school but my arthritic boy needs work to keep him sound

 

[dianchi]

Pole work will help too even just walking over poles, long reining or even lunging.
In hand work, like be positive says use this for lateral work.

 

[kgj66]

Thanks for tips so far guys. She was on rest from April - October 2012 as I was away ( was eventing fit before this). Then had a couple months of fitness work before going lame with a sore hock. Had Tildren, and off December - July. Came sound, possible bone spavin was diagnosis, but progression seems to have stopped - was hacked for a week and then caught her leg in a cattle grid, getting a severe wound to her cannon bone, but very luckily no other injuries.

Being out 24/7 helps, not sure how sound she would be in she was in! Will definitely be going for nice long hacks at the weekends. Pole work and transitions sound good!