Help keeping young horse fit with no extra riding - ideas please?

Solo1

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Hi all, well my pony's going out on summer grass soon, will be strip grazed. Atm she's the ideal weight and size for her shape. However when she hits the grass despite being strip grazed I know she's going to balloon! So she'll be in at night with soaked hay.

So I'm looking for ways to help keep the weight off her in regards to exercise. However don't want to lunge her or increase riding sessions as I do worry about her joints (she's 4). Currently she's ridden 3x a week in the school for 20-30 minutes, and then hacked once.

How effective is in hand walking to keep horses trim? Does anyone have any other alternatives to ridden exercise?

Thanks all :)
 

Toby_Zaphod

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Quote "So I'm looking for ways to help keep the weight off her in regards to exercise. However don't want to lunge her or increase riding sessions as I do worry about her joints (she's 4). Currently she's ridden 3x a week in the school for 20-30 minutes, and then hacked once."

There is only one way to build up & keep fitness & keep the weight right on a horse/pony & that is to limit what they eat & increase the exercise. As has been said increase the hacking & make the pony work when going up a hill, don't meander around, ride with purpose. ;)
 

hessy12

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My horse is off ATM, so different situation to you, but he was v fit before and vet has told me to keep him walking out in hand every day. We do between half to one hr a day of brisk walking. Might be an idea.
 
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