How many days training in a row

[Ambers Echo]

Lottie normally gets 1 rest day a week. She always has a recovery hack day too, and sometimes a 2nd complete day off if she's been working hard.

However just as a result of the way various things fell, her last full rest day was 8 days ago. On Saturday she just did groundwork in walk which was mentally taxing but not physically. Yesterday was an easy hack. She is timetabled for a rest day tomorrow. BUT she is doing a dressage comp on Thurday and today she was over fresh and silly. She is eventing on Saturday. The written plan goes:

Today: Dressage lesson
Tomorrow: rest
Thursday: 2 tests (to practice the warm up mainly)
Friday: hack
Saturday: ODE
Sunday: Rest
Monday: Recovery hack

I don't really want to rest her tomorrow but school her again to get her more with me. But if I do that she will be working 12 days in a row. I have learned NOT to rest her the day before eventing but just do a leg stretch hack with a couple of pipe openers.

She is looking and feeling really well. Even after hard work she canters off down the field as soon as she is released. She is shiny and relaxed but very, very full of herself!

WWYD.

 

[sbloom]

The crucial thing is that fascial recovery has a 3 day pattern, so not to repeat the same work until 2 days have passed in between.

 

[Ambers Echo]

Her work load is very varied gnerally, but I would want to school tomorrow again to try and improve her downward transitions/listening skills as today she was just rude! Or just hope what we did today soaks in to benefit Thursday?

 

[stangs]

I'd give her the day off tomorrow, or, if you're not keen on it, a nice chilled hack in walk only. It sounds like a mental break is due, and would help get her in a better mindset for the comp.

 

[milliepops]

they are all different but i personally do a max of 3 days training in a row before a rest. and more usually 2. if the horse hacks then i might sub a rest day for a walk hack (current one not yet safe enough!)
I also read a while back that rest days were important in terms of prevention of stomach ulcers so whereas i used to feel like it was important that my horses worked 6 days a week, i totally don't now! i think a min of 2 days rest is recommended in that regard.

 

[Michen]

It's a tricky one. I've actually found it better for Bog to do say 10 intense days (ie ridden every day) and then 3/4 days completely off. He has been at camp, he did two sj lessons on the friday, one sat am and half a flatwork sat pm (i cut it in half as felt he'd done enough). he didn't xc school the following day as he is eventing two weeks in a row now and doesn't need it.

He's now had or having sun/mon/tues/weds off and will be picked up again tomorrow with a dressage lesson, then a hack, then an event.

I think it just depends on your horse. TBH I try not to overthink it, mine busy times and quiet times. His diary is packed for 2 months with only the odd wkend of not doing anything. But he will spend most of the weekdays hacking probably 4/5 days).

Whatever you do will be fine, it's low level, not asking huge amounts but I'd try and increase your hacking days, personally... you can still school whilst hacking.

 

[humblepie]

they are all different but i personally do a max of 3 days training in a row before a rest. and more usually 2. if the horse hacks then i might sub a rest day for a walk hack (current one not yet safe enough!)
I also read a while back that rest days were important in terms of prevention of stomach ulcers so whereas i used to feel like it was important that my horses worked 6 days a week, i totally don't now! i think a min of 2 days rest is recommended in that regard.

Yes I read that piece about the 2 days rest in a row and have been trying to do that. Also need to balance keeping weight down so that may have gone a little by the wayside last couple of weeks but instead am trying to do a bit harder worker and then the 2 days off.

 

[twiggy2]

My mare used to work 7 days a week and often twice in a day, as long as they are fit enough and a lot of the work is over varied terrain, at various speeds and not always the same discipline I really don't see a problem.
I used to hack for 3 or 4 hrs or more at least 2 or 3 times a week to.
She would get a week or so off a couple of times a year, not all her work was ridden and highly we never had a problem, she could also have a week or 2 off and be the same as if you rode her everyday.
Lots of turnout si they can move and stay supple outside of work is important too I believe

 

[oldie48]

I found most of our horses worked well on a three day work, day off pattern but it got varied according to the comps. When daughter was eventing she would try to do a quiet hack in walk after a ODE, just to check that the horse felt right and to help with any soreness, then horse would get the next day off. tbh I don't think we worried too much about doing too much work, generally it was about doing enough to keep them fit enough for the job and giving them a varied programme. fwiw she rarely jumped at home, saved that for lessons and comps and we were very careful with regard to hard ground.

 

[palo1]

I understand that if you are doing gymnastic or cardio work then fitness and strength develop on the rest days so I have, for a number of years tried to follow the rule of not training the same thing 2 days in a row. So I have tried to follow that ie gymnastic - jumping or dressage one day, cardio the next then maybe a day off or walk hack - or something like that!! I was also always told that as our horses only have so many miles/jumps/dressage moves in their legs to try to work positively whenever in the saddle - to make that count and then rest the horse so that you are not sort of endlessly using up their legs/tendons/minds!! I still bear this in mind even when my horses are not competing - it's probably wishful thinking that I might use them up lol but it makes sense to me.

I do ride my Welshie more than I might because I am trying to find a balance between fitness/respiratory health and stress/fatness. So she gets worked 5 days a week if possible. The others are ridden 3 days a week but I try to 'work' them in each of those sessions.

Of course every horse is different and it would be wrong for someone to think that having a quiet hour or so's hack after work 5 days a week would be too much!!

 

[TGM]

I wouldn't do three days dressage training in a row, but also wouldn't give her a day off if she is feeling fresh. A nice hack seems the obvious option, or if you can't hack for some reason a bit of gentle stretchy work and perhaps poles in the school,

 

[Upthecreek]

The ‘fresh’ behaviour isn’t always due to feeling fresh, it’s often due to boredom or frustration. I always try to work five days and rest two consecutive days whenever possible as I find they relax more.

 

[Britestar]

I tend to work mine every other day. Once a week maybe school, the rest is hacking with schooling included whilst out.
Feel bad this week as one needs to be ridden 3 days in a row for various reasons. Then a day off Friday then competing Saturday.

 

[GreyDot]

I think the 2-day rest is important after an intense training session or competition, but it should be with turnout (preferably substantial hours) rather than 2 days just 'off'.

 

[Ambers Echo]

Thanks lots of good ideas. I’ll ride her but won’t school her. And hope she’s a bit more amenable tomorrow!