getting a horse fit

[traceyell]

hi my five year old cob x has been out of work for seven weeks due to me being in plaster now back in work how long does anyone think it will take to get him fit to jump and the best way to go about it i have started going out and only walking him but making sure he works properly instead of slopping along

 

[virtual]

Has he been in a stable, or out in a field (or both?) Was he fit before he was laid off?

If he's been turned away, or out in the field quite a bit and was fairly fit before his break (and you are able to ride pretty regularly) I'd tend to start with short walk hacks, building up over a a week or 2 and starting to introduce short trots towards the end of that time and build it up from there. I'd expect to be introducing small jumps after about a month. I wouldn't go any more quickly than that, especially with heavier breed.

 

[traceyell]

thanks that is something like i was thinking but was having brain freeze