Getting my horse hunting fit

[FemelleReynard]

Hi All,

I've recently bought a horse who hasn't had anything done with him since the end of last season. I've had him for about 2 weeks and just been walking him out approximately 4 days a week for about an hour a time (including some steady hill work).

I intend to hunt him occasionally over the winter but he'll also be doing general hacking, SJ etc so needs to be relatively fit. I just wondered if anyone could recommend a fitness plan that I could work on with him to get him up to speed?

He's a 7 yr old ISH. Last season he hunted weekly as a masters horse so he's been in a proper fitness regime before, it's just I don't really know where to begin with it.

Thanks in advance.

 

[AAR]

I would do about 4 weeks of walking with hills included then introduce trot for about 4 weeks, trotting on the flat first then introduce hills. Start doing short canters (not on road obviously) towards the end of last week then steadily increase the canters each week still maintaining the trot work.

Lots of roadwork to condition legs. Not hammering on the roads, a slow rhythmic trot is more conditioning then a fast, working trot.

Autumn hunting will help with fitness. Walking and trotting with breaks every so often.

You'll be surprised that most Master's and huntsman's horses don't have a 'fitness regime' they are just taken out walking and trotting for a month or so before the season starts and autumn hunting is used to fitten them up.

 

[FemelleReynard]

Thanks AAR, I appreciate the advice. Surprisingly not too far from what I had in mind so I must be along the right track, but thanks again for the tips.

 

[Maesfen]

As AAR says. When I first start trot work after at least a month of walking, I trot for 100 strides then walk for five minutes and repeat then do that for the first week building up to 100 trot strides but shorter intervals for a fortnight before I increase the length of time for trotting but go back down to five minute breaks at the start of each increase if that makes sense.

 

[tootsietoo]

Very precise Maesfen, let me know if you want one to get fit next summer!