How Often do you ride ?

[Joyous70]

Just curious to know what others do, my girl is ridden 5-6 times a week, a mixture of hacking, schooling, polework and jumping, she is 10 healthy & fit.

So what do you all do with yours? do you have a set regime, or just as and when and whatever takes your fancy?

 

[Muddywellies]

Not a great deal atm. I'd say on average 4 to 5 times a week. Mixed between light schooling and hacking, usually about 1/2 hr sessions. All very average and change as I have no set regime and depends entirely on work and life at the moment. I used to do more, with some early sessions before work, but exhaustion has almost stopped that for now. Also I havent competed for best part of a year so I haven't needed to keep the training up (we used to compete BD Ele). Just taking everything at a more leisurely pace now.

 

[chaps89]

Monday - off. Day for thorough grooming, catching up on ragworting etc
Tuesday - short local hack
Weds - box out for hack or school
Thurs - off (I ride share horse this day)
Fri - bareback ride (local hack or school)
Sat - in hand groundwork/lunge/poles/longrein and carrot stretches
Sun - box out for long hack/hill work

Occasionally switch around, for example off to a working equitation clinic next Saturday, but generally follow the same routine

 

[dorsetladette]

Not as often as I would like. I have a non ridden pony who if everything went to plan would be being ridden now, but it wasn't to be for various reason. He takes up a lot of my time as he is an idiot if his mind isn't kept occupied. I get to ride about 2 or 3 times a week. My boys are both kept out 24/7 so its not a massive issue for them, just disappointing for me.

 

[The Xmas Furry]

Usually 6 days a week, anything from 30 mins to 3 hours or so, work dependant but usually works out at about 9 to 11 hrs under saddle.
Mostly hacking, schooling whilst hacking, usually boxing out at least once a week for a clinic/training (and now the odd comp).
Clinics can be pole work or SJ and the like.
Medium fit 10 yr old, ridden by not so fit granny!

 

[shortstuff99]

I kind of do whatever, my main horse won't hack or do poles (I've tried, and after 8 years it's not going to change and she is much more relaxed not trying). Which means I have to be careful what I plan and where I do it, mixing schooling between the field and arena and different exercises etc. I would say don't stick to a rigid schedule just do what works for you both.

 

[Buster2020]

4 to 5 times in the summer 3 to 4 days in the winter depends on the weather.

 

[Nasicus]

I'm aiming to keep up 3-4 times a week currently, or basically every other day minimum. Sometimes the odd extra day, mostly just hacking, the odd bit of schooling (for me rather than her haha). As much as I'd love to ride more, I simply don't have the energy between Fibro and IBS, so it's a bit of a balancing act, and every other day seems to be working for me. I don't beat myself up if I need the odd extra day of rest though.

 

[scruffyponies]

Most of them get out at least once at the weekend. Some of them get two good long hacks. Rarely, one of the sharers might take one out in the week occasionally.

The rest of the time they slob around in the meadow stuffing their faces and grooming each other... it's like a horsey holiday camp out there. Bloomin' freeloaders.

 

[Carrottom]

I try to ride at least 4 times a week in the field atm, taking advantage of it being dry enough to do so, and maybe one hack in addition. I know soon it will be all hacking and maybe a few trips out for arena hire or lesson.

 

[SBJT]

4-5 days per week between me and my partial loaner person. He’s older though and lives outside 24/7

 

[Gloi]

I hack out about 5 days a week , usually 2-3 hours at a time. Sometimes I go in the school if the weather is bad but only 1/2an hour or so normally unless there is someone around to motivate me.

 

[MuddyMonster]

In the summer, it's usually 5-6 days a week and in winter I aim for 4-5 exercise sessions. Last year was a right off as we had next to no facilities but now have lots of facilities, so excited to keep him in regular work as much as possible.

A mixture of hacking, schooling and in-hand or groundwork stuff.

But, having said that, I'm not really competitive so if work/life gets busy it's no biggy to have some time off.

 

[scats]

Millie does 5-6 days a week. Polly does 2-3.

 

[J&S]

I ride 6 times a week at the moment, job and RDA off limits so time on my hands. Ponies at home go out ride and lead round the lanes and do in hand courses in the field. Big old horse goes hacking, an hour to an hour and a half, tracks, lanes and at the moment some fields. I aim to keep him as fit as possible for an old horse. This week end we are going to arena trec.

 

[HazuraJane]

Six days a week in forty-five minute to an hour increments.

 

[Flowerofthefen]

I try to ride 5 days a week. He has monday off. A mixture of hacking, jumping, schooling, lesson. At weekends I try and get out to compete or a clinic. For example tomorrow I have a lesson, sat xc clinic, sunday dressage comp.

 

[blondetraveller]

5/6 times a week normally! Hacking once or twice, jumping once, then the rest flatwork and maybe some pole work. Normally all about 45 min

 

[teddypops]

I have 5 ponies that I ride (3 that I don’t) and I try to ride them 6 days a week. I do a mixture of hacking, schooling, poles & riding in my fields. I ride most of the day every day, even my 29yo is super fit! I’m lucky though because I don’t have to go to work, even although looking after my lot is a full time job in itself!

 

[Joyous70]

Thank you for your replies. I am finding that I am having to force myself to give my girl a day off she loves her work and is always full of enthusiasm and energy but I dont want her to get stale.

 

[Goldenstar]

I ride everyday unless I am away .

 

[Winters100]

I ride for 9 days then 1 day off. Mostly training in the morning and in the afternoon lunging / carousel or sometimes a hack riding 1 and leading others. Intensity varies, my lovely schoolmistress mare owes me nothing and chooses the pace herself - she is generally full of life, but some days doesn't feel like it, in which case she has an easy day. The boys work harder, and my new boy is a good doer, so we will need to get him fit and then keep him that way. A bit hampered now as I am off injured, but I have someone else riding them (only 6 days a week though) and I am lunging / loose schooling. It sounds harsh when I write it down, but they are still resting in the paddock and box for around 22 hours. I know that I feel better with a good level of exercise and resisting the temptation to gain lbs, so I always assume that it is probably the same for them. Plus the exercise lets me give ad lib hay and nice big meals, so they are not too hard done by!

 

[Winters100]

Thank you for your replies. I am finding that I am having to force myself to give my girl a day off she loves her work and is always full of enthusiasm and energy but I dont want her to get stale.

I really would not worry about giving a day off. Schooling every day might make her stale, but you are doing a mixture, and a day when she only hacks is essentially a day off. Remember that most of our horses usually work at most a couple of hours a day, and I believe that proper exercise makes them fel good.

 

[Muddywellies]

I did an seminar with Dr Kirstie Pickles on EGUS and she said ideally horses need two to three days off a week, with two being consecutive.

 

[Winters100]

I did an seminar with Dr Kirstie Pickles on EGUS and she said ideally horses need two to three days off a week, with two being consecutive.

Interesting. Did she mean days off learning new things or that they should just be paddock days? For me it would be hard to see how to keep them really fit if moving only 4/5 days a week.

 

[Muddywellies]

Interesting. Did she mean days off learning new things or that they should just be paddock days? For me it would be hard to see how to keep them really fit if moving only 4/5 days a week.

Just no work. Chill out time. No idea but I guess a lot of research has gone into it.

 

[dreamcometrue]

I ride every day, usually a hack of around 90 minutes. Sometimes a 30 min schooling session. I got into the habit when I was on a mission to get her weight down and now she is slim and fit I want to keep her that way.

 

[Goldenstar]

My horses simply would not get enough work to be healthy on that horses are designed to move huge distances loafing about a paddock is not enough .

 

[catembi]

Once to twice a day, every day. I have three in varying degrees of work. Cody has PSSM type 1 & 2, so that's very light pottering in the school, slightly more pottering for Trev 16 yo ex-racer who had ks surgery that didn't really work, then I have a young NF in work. Either we school, or we box somewhere for clinics and lessons. It's difficult to hack - Cody can't hack, Trev won't hack alone (and I mean won't) and the NF has never hacked & it's tricky to get going alone.

 

[The Xmas Furry]

I did an seminar with Dr Kirstie Pickles on EGUS and she said ideally horses need two to three days off a week, with two being consecutive.

I'm glad mine is a 14hh pony
After 1 week of not riding at the start of lockdown, we did a consistent 9 weeks of steady hacking or riding in one of my fields.
B had about 3 days off during this time, all foul wet days (which were rare!). I figure that she was out 24/7, only doing an hour or so each day, prob in total out of the field for 2 hours, so had 22 hours to amuse herself with her 2 little chums