How many times to you ride/work your horse each week?

[Syrah]

With all of the abuse, fluffy bunny, hitting your horse threads, I thought I'd try a different subject

Millie is worked around 2 to 5 times a week, most of those ridden. I usually lunge then ride (well sort of ride as those who know will understand ) She doesn't 'do' lunging and was a bit of a loony tunes yesterday, so hopefully my instructor is going to free school her with me on Monday and we'll try long lining.

I work full time with 2 small children (2.5yrs and 5yrs) and work full time, sometimes working away. I'm very lucky to have someone who rides her a couple of times a week as they don't have a horse at the moment, so it suits us both and I know she's getting at least 2 days work. YO will lunge her for me too when I'm away.

Interesting to hear what others do

 

[Jesstickle]

Really not enough! Probably four times in a week. At least one of those will be hacking, probably a couple of times in the school and once jumping. Sometimes if I'm being really lazy I go up and lunge him in his field.

I work full time and have a 3yo currently on box rest too. Am totally DIY so most of my time gets spend shovelling poo, leaving little time for the fun stuff!

 

[OzzyBuffy]

With all of the abuse, fluffy bunny, hitting your horse threads, I thought I'd try a different subject

Millie is worked around 2 to 5 times a week, most of those ridden. I usually lunge then ride (well sort of ride as those who know will understand ) She doesn't 'do' lunging and was a bit of a loony tunes yesterday, so hopefully my instructor is going to free school her with me on Monday and we'll try long lining.

I work full time with 2 small children (2.5yrs and 5yrs) and work full time, sometimes working away. I'm very lucky to have someone who rides her a couple of times a week as they don't have a horse at the moment, so it suits us both and I know she's getting at least 2 days work. YO will lunge her for me too when I'm away.

Interesting to hear what others do

My loan horse, a tb ex racer has been moved int oa new field with stupid amounts of grass, as a result hes a total fruit loop so currently just having a lunge a couple of times a week because even when lunged, he attempts to gallop because hes so fresh on grass!

My other girl, a rescue anglo arab mare, is not broken, and not physically or emotionally ready for any kind of exercise committment so shes just being a glorified lawn mower!

IF tb was in work, he'd get at least 3 days riding but only lunging about once a week, maybe twice if I didn't want to ride

 

[CatStew]

Mine is excersised 5/6 times a week with lunge, schooling, jumping and hacking. She's the sort of horse that needs constant, variable work to stop her turning into a little madam!

 

[Elsbells]

My girl gets worked 5 or 6 days a week on adverage. By work, I mean active hacking and schooled. She's not jumped or lunged often, that's just an occational treat.

 

[Jade&Syrah]

Syrah is worked 5 times a week. She gets hacked three times a week, jumped once a week and flat work once a week. The other two days a week if she comes in from the field she'll go on the walker to keep her loosened up.

Hollie is currently coming into work, she'll be on 5 or 6 days a week work. She'll be hacked twice a week, horse walker once or a week, jump once a week, school once or twice a week.

Some times they'll both get a loose school as they are both very hot headed and blow their minds if they're not doing something


ETA: I also work full time, but luckily live and keep the two girls on the same yard where i work

x

 

[Cadfael&Coffee]

When he's NOT on field rest he's worked 6 days a week (or 5 on occasion.

this usually includes 1 day jumping, 1lunging, a couple of days of 30 mins schooling followed by a 40min hack, and a couple of days doing long and speed hacks.

In the past tho I've been a bit keen and realised on the 10th day of work I really should give him a day off!!!

I'm a mean mum

 

[dafthoss]

Mine gets worked between 6-7 times a week. I'm feeling a bit mean now he gets a day off about every 10 days. He is normally ridden most of the time, I school him 2-3 times a week, jump once or pony club as we jump there (a recent addition but we will defiantly be going back as it was fab ), compete once most weeks and hack the rest and before the ground became like concrete we would do fast work when hacking as well. If we do compete he gets the day after off. He only gets lunged if I can't be bothered to ride and he has already had a day off recently.
I'm defiantly feeling a bit mean now reading how much he does compared to others but it does seem to be working on keeping his waist line in control without him needing a muzzle.

 

[Megibo]

inhand work at the mo due to her having no saddle but usually 2 times a week max.
however starting college in september which will be either 3 or 4 days a week so i'd ride her in all my days off I hope! ....

 

[monkeybum13]

My horse is worked 6 times a week

During the summer holidays she might be "worked" 7 times some weeks but most of this is hacking.

 

[debsflo]

minimum 5 x week at present on vets orders due to rehab programme. when both are well and fit usually 4-5 x week..

 

[Pale Rider]

They should be ridden daily so I suppose 4 to 5 times a week is ok for people here with other priorities.

Relying on lunging is a waste of time, they need brain training, not chasing round in circles.

 

[ATrueClassAct]

6 times a week. She loves being ridden despite her old age. Spoken to the vet about her still being ridden full time and quite hard and he said if she can cope(which she is) then keep going. She gets very excitable easily though and is a stable walker so likes being kept on the go.

 

[quirky]

I ride 7 days a week, don't lunge as I find it deadly dull .

In summer, I give her time off when I go on holiday , during winter she doesn't get a break from work.

 

[Kat]

Mine does six days a week, but mainly hacking which is mainly in walk, although she walks out briskly and we have some fairly serious hills.

Keep schooling to a minimum as she's young, and we will have to do more when dark nights arrive. I don't really lunge at all, I'm rubbish at it anyway and haven't started jumping.

 

[hessy12]

Most days hacking, perhaps one day a bit of schooling. It's more for my sanity than horsey's sanity, he'd be happy left to eat 24/7!! But he has his ears pricked and likes a good gallop once a week to blow the cobwebs away. Roll on hunting season to liven up my dull life!

 

[LaurenM]

My gelding gets lunged every other day providing it hasn't rained. He gets ridden once a week at present by my instructor although I am advertising for someone to loan him. My mare's on box rest. I'd have to find someone to loan/ride my mare when she's allowed to work. I'm not allowed to ride until October

 

[muddygreymare]

My mare is ridden 6 times a week with a day off in the middle (usually wednesday) I ride 3 times a week and so does my sister She is usually hacked once or twice a week and schooled every other riding day and jumped once in a while

 

[AFlapjack]

Mine is normally exercised 6 days a week, lives out 24/7.

He does one day schooling, is lunged once a week in the EquiAmi and does interval training once a week (depending on the ground).

The other days are spent hacking (with an occasional ride & lead).

We usually jump every couple of weeks or so and do that instead of a hack.

 

[Piglet]

I work shifts so my horse gets ridden 5 or 6 times a week (weather depending, I don't ride in the rain!!)

 

[Noodlebug]

Mostly 6 times a week depending how busy I am. Hacking and schooling-3 times a week. Don't lunge but have been doing some in hand work which is interesting-for me at least

 

[rosie-ellie]

5 times per week. 1 day lunging, 1 day farleging (3 min canter 1 min walk twice of each rein), 1 day jumping/schooling so long as its not wet if ground to wet a hack, 2 days hacking, 2 days off.

 

[noblesteed]

Ridden 5-6 times a week in summer, depending on the weather. Once a week flatwork, once jumping (ground permitting), a couple of 1 hour 'schooling' hacks, 1-2 long hacks including hills, varied terrain and fast work. I like to vary hacking routes, incorporating canter into most and sometimes go alone or in company. We also go out twice a month to RC or local competition.

I don't know why anyone would say lunging isn't brain work!!! They obviously aren't doing it properly!!! Like a person I know who thinks loose schooling involves chasing the horse round the arena for 10 mins. My horse works hard on the lunge, on a range of transitions. It has brought his canter on hugely.

 

[mildmillie]

to true I seem to be forever learning about better ways of training or managing my horses, am getting a bit old in the tooth now but still try to school 4 times a week and hack twice, dont always manage it but that my boy always reminds me when am not doing enough!

 

[Dab]

My ex-racer project gets worked 4 days a week, and he is out 24/7. 2* schooling (1hr) which is just starting to include a jumping session, 1* hack (1.5hrs) all paces, 1* (45mins) roadwork, sometimes if i'm lucky and get back early i can fit in a lunge to bring it up to 5 sessions per week. Wish i could work him 6 days per week but i work away 3 days .
Ideadly I'd like to find someone who could work him that 5th and even that 6th day per week, any takers?

P.S Does any one else feel guilty about working their horse less than 6 days per week?

 

[joeanne]

They should be ridden daily so I suppose 4 to 5 times a week is ok for people here with other priorities.

Relying on lunging is a waste of time, they need brain training, not chasing round in circles.

I'll go and tell my 5 yr old how lucky she is then to have had the last 6 weeks off!!!

 

[blood_magik]

mine usually gets exercise 5 days a week. we usually jump twice then the other three sessions are a mixture of flatwork, lunging (if I cba riding) and hacking.

 

[HLOEquestrian]

6/7 days a week, he gets a day off about once every 10 days
Usually jump/compete once a week, (although next week we're show-jumping twice), schooled 2/3 times and the remaining days he is hacked out.

 

[Spyda]

5 days per week. Because I have 4 children I tend not to ride/exercise at the weekends.

 

[Pale Rider]

Noblesteed, you are so right. Lol.