How much exercise is enough?

[Jingleballs]

I have a 12 year old cob.

I have no ambitions to do anything other than hack him these days although he's physically capable of more.

I've got a young family and as a result I can no longer get to the yard every day let alone ride as often as I'd like.

Realistically I the winter I can ride once a week at weekends but hopefully once our arena is fixed I'll be able to ride 2 evenings a week weather dependant.

Now that the weather is improving and the clocks are changing I'll manage 3 to 4 hacks per week.

I had been looking for a sharer but wasn't having much luck - lots of young, inexperienced riders who just wasted my time. Now that I'm hopefully going to be able to ride more I wonder if I actually need a sharer or if my riding a few times a week is enough.

My main worry isn't so much with fitness but weight and maintaining a decent weight over the summer and not letting him get too fat.

I am luck that I can put him on restricted grazing and get him brought in daily off the grass.

I just wonder if this would be an easier and less hassle option than having to deal with a sharer? I do have a woman who is interested - an experienced rider who's owned horses and in a similar position to me but gave up horses to have children. She sounds ideal but then I hate the idea that I'll not be able to ride on days when she is as I assume she'll want to ride him one day at the weekend but I'll hopefully manage to ride both days at the weekend albeit either early morning or evening.

 

[madlady]

I'm like you in that I'm more worried about weight than them being very fit.

Mine are hacked out 4-5 times per week and our rides are anywhere from 3 miles (during the week when I have limited time) to upwards of 10 miles at a weekend. Yes they are sweaty after a 10 mile ride but they are not clipped. I always make sure that the hacks are active - paces are active and lots of transitions not just slopping along at a slow trudge. OK they wouldn't be fit enough to go hunting or eventing but they are fit enough for what I want to do (hack).

I have people to help me with riding but that is because I've got 3 that need riding and there is only one of me If I just had the one then I wouldn't have a sharer.

 

[FfionWinnie]

I have 5 natives and one cob. The cob is ridden or exercised every single day. The rest in work are exercised 5 times a week at a speed of 8-10km on average for at least an hour.

I have never had a fat horse (have bought several fat horses). They are unrestricted and have adlib hay all year round plus grass (cob doesn't get grass due to having a genetic muscle disorder which j control by not grazing her).

I find I need to give hard feed to keep their weight on, on this regime.

 

[supsup]

I guess it is one of those "it depends" situations. Sounds like you have the facilities to manage the horse's weight with less exercise. The question might be whether he'd be a happy horse if his grazing was always restricted (probably small-ish area?) and he needed to stay in for part of the day to keep him at a healthy weight. Some horses are quite content not having to do much, but I think it helps if they are turned out 24/7 with company in that case. Otherwise, he might be happier with another rider, more exercise, less restriction on his diet and more variety.
You could see if you really manage to ride both weekend days, every week for the next couple of weekends. I expect you'll find that on and off, you probably won't because of other obligations. If that's the case, then dedicating a weekend day for the sharer might not be that big a deal after all. Also, once he's a bit fitter again, you might even be able to get a second evening hack in on the sharer's day, so long as they get "first pick" of the fresh horse, and ride in the morning. Riding twice a day for a gentle hack shouldn't be too much for a fit horse to cope with.

 

[Jingleballs]

Thanks madlady!

The thing that puts me off a sharer is having to rely on and trust other people. I had one previously who was generally very good but I did have to pull her up once or twice for galloping in places where I didn't consider it safe or appropriate.

There was a point when I felt it would really help be but I'm not sure now.

The furthest we'll go is about 5 or 6 miles - mostly in walk to be honest so I'm not asking him to do too much. I'm lucky that he lives out so hopefully that helps his fitness slightly although I know it's not the same a riding.

 

[be positive]

The more exercise the better to help keep the weight down, the fitter they are the more you can do so it becomes easier to get faster work in which also helps with the weight, that said you have to fit it in to your life and missing a few days here and there is not the end of the world.
I think the sharer idea will help you and be better than restricting him so much, if she wants to ride at weekends then why not work it so he gets ridden twice one day, as long as he is fit enough it will do no harm to hack am and pm on one or even both days, plenty of horses do this and more without suffering in any way.

 

[madlady]

Thanks madlady!

The thing that puts me off a sharer is having to rely on and trust other people. I had one previously who was generally very good but I did have to pull her up once or twice for galloping in places where I didn't consider it safe or appropriate.

There was a point when I felt it would really help be but I'm not sure now.

The furthest we'll go is about 5 or 6 miles - mostly in walk to be honest so I'm not asking him to do too much. I'm lucky that he lives out so hopefully that helps his fitness slightly although I know it's not the same a riding.

My main problem is that my summer grazing is about 6 miles from my stables so they do live out 24/7 in summer and they do get a bit hippo like. Now that I've got help the plan is to ride them back from the field on a Friday afternoon, go for a good long ride on Saturday and then ride them back to the field each Sunday. It will mean that for those 2 days they aren't stuffing their faces and are getting a bit more exercise - I'm hoping that by doing this they won't be quite as fat as they were at the end of this summer.

I can see your point about not wanting a sharer - as well as needing to rely on someone else (which goes against the grain for me where my horses are concerned) you also lose flexibility of when you can ride.

Give it a go without the sharer and if you don't think the exercise you can give is enough then you can always look for one.

 

[Jingleballs]

Thank's for all the other comments.

I'm not fussed about getting fit enough to do more - I don't have time to compete these days - if the most he manages is a 2 to 3 hour hack then I'm happy.

Re restricting his grazing, he's used to it - he's been in the fatties field previously and never bothered - he's the type that will always go and look for food rather than standing at the gate.

The set up at my current yard is good and means that I could have him I the fatties field - which is still about 2 to 3 acres during the day and then in the big field at night if I wanted.

I get the point about riding twice a day but in all likelihood a sharer would ride weekday evenings (the only time during the week that I'm free) and then I don't think it's fair to stipulate a time at weekends so I couldn't guarantee if there would be an opportunity to ride him twice and to be honest that would p1ss him off way more than restricted grazing!

 

[Exploding Chestnuts]

I d rather the horse was out as much as possible, never stuck inside more than 12/7.
To me the health and happiness of the horse is more important, I can work around it

 

[tiga71]

It depends on the horse. My 18 year old cob would go bonkers on that little work and would drive us all mad. He would also hate restricted grass.

If this woman who is interested in sharing seems experienced, why not give it a trial for a month and see how it goes.

 

[Annagain]

That sharer sounds ideal so I'd give it a go. I am both a sharer and a sharee (it's a bit complicated) and the best way to manage it is to have set days and set rules, agreed from the start (with a bit of flexibility on the odd day here and there). That way everybody knows where they stand, when they can and can't ride and the horse gets the right level of exercise.

You do need to be a bit laid back about letting the sharer get on with it though. I have three rules.
1. They must have public liability insurance
2. They must wear hi-viz on the road
3. They must not do anything that puts them, the horse or anyone else in danger.

As long as they abide by these, I don't interfere, they can dress him up in a tutu and take him to a roller disco for all I care. Well I do care, but know I have to let it go

 

[Michen]

I would have no issue having the horse ridden twice at weekends if needed especially if he's a fattie. Riding school horses do four hours plus!

 

[Firewell]

I am in exactly the same situation as you. I have a 7 month old baby and a 2yr old. I am managing to ride 4x per week but sometimes those rides are short as I have a 2hr window to get to the yard and back.
My horse is different as he is a TB but he is rising 11 so similar age and he was my competition horse before baby number 2 came along.
Apart from the guilt of feeling I'm wasting my horse slightly my times for riding are my life saver. I did consider a sharer but like you I like my horse being 'mine'.
I basically focus on quality not quantity as although I don't have to worry about my horse getting fat he does need enough to keep him interested being an athletic chap!
I tend to school properly on the bridle, pole work, jump or lunge in the side reins for 30 mins lots of trotting and cantering for his aerobic work in the arena. We don't have hacking really where we are but after his aerobic work I either take him for a 15 min relaxing mooch round one of the fields and round the farm or we hack down the road and back for 20 minutes.
Thank god my horse is the lowest maintenance TB ever. He lives out 24/7 eats just a light balancer and the yard give him hay and put his sheet on at night so if the kids stop me from making it to the yard it's not a problem. He's also not the sort of horse that has to be ridden every day.
Some days I might only have 25 mins to ride and if that's the case I do a 5 min walk warm up and then get off his back and canter him round the arena on a stretchy rein or I walk and then trot him round the farm track or I loose school him in the round pen which he loves. I basically try and mix up the work but get his body moving and his brain thinking. I'd love to trailer him somewhere for a decent hack or go for a lesson or even a show but I simply do not have the time or the energy. If I have had a particularly sleepless night I may only manage a mooch round the field as I don't have the strength for anything else.
If I was you I would concentrate on aerobic work with your cob to keep his weight down and I would keep him turned out on a smallish bare paddock so he doesn't get too much grass. Other options are a muzzle. I think with less exercise than desirable it's nice for them to be out as much as possible and not in a stable for hours on end.

 

[teacups]

I understand the bit about wanting to have the freedom to ride whenever you would like, but why do you think all sharers only want evenings and weekends?

There must be plenty ofeople out there who can only ride during the day when e.g. kids are at school, or shift workers, or freelancers.

 

[AceAmara]

rather than look for a sharer (& all the associated bellyaches) why not look for a freelance type person you can pay to rider your horse once a week. Ive done this in the past and it worked ver well.

 

[NellRosk]

I have 5 natives and one cob. The cob is ridden or exercised every single day. The rest in work are exercised 5 times a week at a speed of 8-10km on average for at least an hour.

I have never had a fat horse (have bought several fat horses). They are unrestricted and have adlib hay all year round plus grass (cob doesn't get grass due to having a genetic muscle disorder which j control by not grazing her).

I find I need to give hard feed to keep their weight on, on this regime.

Please can I send my overweight ID to yours for bootcamp??