How often do you ride??

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Kelly1982

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I would say I ride my horse about 6 times a week, sometimes more!!! I very rarely ride for more than an hour, usually around the 30min mark when schooling and about an hour if hacking and I always keep her work load varied.

A girl at my yard came out for a hack with me the other day though and said that as she wanted to jump at the weekend and has been out on a hack with me she had better give her horse a few days off during the week???

So then it got me thinking am I bein mean for ridding so??
 
5 or 6 times a week, usually 3-4 schooling sessions and a couple of trail rides. My horses like to be kept busy, or they tend to go a bit mad!
 
i work mine six days a week, hack twice, school three and lunge once. Sounds like she needs to ride her horse more so he is fit enough to jump!
 
From about 3 times a week up to every day and sometimes twice a day. Hacks up to about 3hrs with plenty of trot and canter, schooling about an hour, lunging over poles and some jump work in the school. Mare is a fit as a fiddle and relishes the work and variation. If she was less fit then obv I would do less, but she likes to get out and work! If I gave her a few days off after each little hack then she would stay unfit, get a little tubby and would be rather an arse lol!
 
If they are fit and competing they generally work 6 days a week with the day after a competition off, occasionally for reasons of fitness they will work 13 or 14 days without a day off then possibly have 2or 3 together.
 
I agree with above - I wish i had time to ride 6 days a week ( bring on the lighter days!) but i ride at the moment 3- 4 times a week twice hacking one schooling session or field work and once some light jumping - I think if she isn't riding often and then giving her horse days off in between and then expecting it to jump i agree with the other person she should be getting her horse fit before doing too much jumping really.
 
6 times a week usually. 5 times if I know he's going to have a partcularly hard schooling session at some point in the week.

We usually do 30 min schooling sessions 4 times during the week, then 2 hacks out over the weekend (usually for about an hour in walk and trot)

This week was slightly different. Had a hard lesson on Monday evening for around 45 mins, another hard lesson tonight (probably for the same time), so we took out one schooling session and replaced with a short hack out (around 20 mins in walk).

He loves to be kept busy. Had to have time off because of a small joint issue (sorted completely now) and he wasn't enjoying not being able to work. And then he had to be brought back up to his previuos fitness level. So now that we can work properly, he's back to his previous fitness level, we're making the most of it :D
 
Was it on the forum I read someone posting that most horses need more exercise and less feed,5/ 6 times a week in my view is ideal to keep a cool sensible head on my horses,and keep them healthy, apart from the oldie.
 
Now that is getting lighter I have time to ride after work I am riding around 4-5times a week. sometimes more if I want or sometimes less if not in the mood!

We have no school so only hacking for me until fields get a bit drier. Hacks tend to be around 1hr, maybe 1 1/2-2hrs at a weekend.

As long as your horse is happy being ridden 6 days a week then there is no problem at all. You are not riding him for that long and im sure you horse will benefit from the exercise and joy getting out and about!

I do like to give my horse a day off after riding 4 days is a row but he has not been used to the workload over the winter and we are gradually increasing it.

There will be many people who ride more than you and many who ride less, but as long as your horse is being fed the correct amount their workload, and they are happy and healthy it doesnt matter =)
 
From Nov-March: 4 times a week weather permitting, 2 weeknights in the school (1 of those is a lesson), 2 hacks at the weekend or a competition. Hacks are always at least 1.5hrs, usually 2hrs+ unles weather bad.

From when clocks change (this weekend-yay! :D): 6 times a week, 2 nights in school as above, 2 weekend hacks as above but usually longer ones plus 2 weeknight hacks (45mins-1.5hrs light and work permitting).

I give her 1 night off a week in summer mainly so that I can do things like food shopping/ laundry etc :o
 
Oh good all these replies are making me feel much better!! At the moment the work we are doin has not been particulary hard, mostly on a long rein and mainly walk and trot due to her only just coming back into work over the pat month and I was actually thinking of upping it slightly by introducing more canter work and a bit of work on the bit but then this comment threw me and I thought maybe I was doin too much already then???

Not a lot of people ride very often on my yard!!
 
Ideally 5 to 6 times a week. Mostly hacks of hour plus. School once maybe twice. Plus goes on the walker in the morning in addition to this. If for some reason I can't ride he gets lunged for me or goes on the walker again in the afternoon.
 
I ride 6 or 7 unless away for work. If I am away he is longlined or hacked out for me. He has a weak stifle so needs relatively hard work all the time. Doing lots is good for his head and helps him keep trim as he is a good doer.

In a normal week have 1 flat lesson, 1 jumping lesson, 1 or 2 schooling sessions and 3 hacks - between 1.5 - 4 hours. He is one of the fittest on our yard although I know some people think I work him too hard. But the vet, physio and farrier all think he is looking and feeling great on it.
 
I try to do something with him every other day. He isn't always totally sound (arthritis) so sometimes its just a 20 min walk or long rein. He had most of Jan and Feb off and is 99% sound without danilon at the mo so going to try and do a bit more and see how he goes. He is a very very good doer and exercise is the only thing that keeps his weight under control!
 
At the moment, I'm horseless, so none.... however, when I do have the luxury of having a horse, tends to be between 5 and 6 times a week during summer (but that's when I want 2 horses so I can ride more :() and in winter, depends on weather, sometime's once is all due to weather, but try and get 3 times in, both weekend days and try and squeeze in a weeknight, light permitting :)
 
Lack of daylight hours is the bane of my existence! Yay daylight savings! I ride my share 2 or 3 times a week for an hour to hour and a half, and I think she gets ridden at least once or twice otherwise (owner has another horse) so that's 4 or 5 and she's an oldie :-)

When I have my own I expect I will ride at least 3 or 4 times if not more with some good long hacks at weekend.

If people aren't riding why don't they get a sharer? I know it's not for everyone but most of us pay towards keep and it keeps the horse fit :-)

I want to go and live on the equator!
 
i ride 6 times a week, just hacking for about an hour, we have nowhere to school so dont have that option and if i dont ride mine almost every day it can be quite interesting getting on and going straight out for a hack....it was pretty exciting after the snow!!!!!!and im not as young as i used to be so not as brave!!!!
 
6 or 7 times a week depending if he's been out. This is mostly hacking of 1 hour to 1.5 hours with trotting and cantering. He also gets schooled which is about 45 mins of hard sweat inducing work! And now the weather has got nicer, a lot of the hacks are getting on for 2-3 hours. He's nice and fit and is still walking on nicely at the end but his stamina is lacking (he's a welsh D) so I'm trying to concentrate on doing lots of long slower canters :)
 
used to be 5/6 times a week - i plan to get back to that as she went beautifully when i rode regularly....

currently more like 4 :o which is crap really.
 
Rowan (rising 5) gets ridden 4 times a week and lunged once with pessoa. Schooling 30- 40 mins and hacking 20 mins canter round the field or 1 hour walk hack with trots.
Dancer (19 year old) Gets exercised 6 times a week. schooling 3 times and 3 times lunge or hack. Schooling is 40 mins- 1 hour. Hack is varied- sometimes walk stretchy hack, sometimes canter hack.
Lola (rising 4 year old) Gets ridden 3- 4times a week. 2 times 20 mins hack 2 times 15 min school.

This isnt set in stone though, sometimes they get ridden less but never tend to get ridden more.
 
I don't ride,but my daughters do-they ride 6 days a week for anything from an hour to 3 hours.They have to share a pony at the minute as I'm struggling to find another one,so if we hack,one has to go on her scooter or bike and then they swap half way.To give them credit,they have never moaned about going riding,despite the weather,being tired ect,they only complain if they can't ride for any reason.It has paid off in spades as they have ridden knobberpony so much that they are completely confident and at home on her.
 
Curently about 4 times a week. Varies from 30 mins schooling or jumping and also hacking up to 3 hrs.

I aim to do more this year if I can as she went lovely (although major hyper) when she she was ridden 6 days a week.
 
I ride 7 days a week sometimes 3 horses, both youngsters get schooled 30 minsish, hacked 1 1/2 hrs, and 1 lungeing session 6 days a week, older mare hunts every sunday, also gets 2 long hacks with plenty of cantering plus 1 lunge. My mother tells me there is more to life than horses but shes been saying this for 40 years !!
 
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