How often do you travel your horse?

milliepops

milliepops

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Just pondering this because I am struggling to fit lessons in between competitions. I try not to travel my horse more than every 2 weeks because she gets rather excited/tired after travelling but I do think perhaps I'm being too soft on her! At the moment we have a run of 3 events, each 2 weeks apart and I'm already worried that it is too much without lessons on top.
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She's a cob x wb competing BE Novice (think wb paces in a cob body). Fit for the job and looking well - shiny coat, good condition, bright and cheerful. She doesn't come home tucked up at all and she does travel well, but I'm aware that she gets tired even just standing on the lorry. I always give her a day off after a show or lesson (which involves an hour on the box each way).

Does anyone else stress like this, or do you just stick them on the box and get on with it?
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How can I make sure she stays fresh and perky? I rode a tb for a while that had bottomless energy and travelling made no difference to her. Am I just being daft? I just don't want to ruin the events we're entered for by overdoing things (although I know there's truly only one way I can find out if it's too much
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Any advice gratefully received!
 
I usually have a lesson every other week - I'm not competing regularly at the moment - but I will just slot comps at the weekends into this.

My mare definitely doesn't have bottomless energy - but she seems to be fine with travelling. She has only started going out regularly in the lorry this summer, and then only more recently doing a couple of shows - so we have been building up to it gradually I suppose.

I usually keep a bottle of propell in my tack room, and if she is looking a little run down I will give her a dash of that for a couple of days - works wonders!

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could your instructor not come to you? however, my friend had a stressy traveller so she put mare in trailer every day and drove round the block (about 3 miles). within 2 weeks mare was happy, bored?, not sweating and generally very chilled about the whole journey thing. well invested time the mare is now intermediate eventing! and travels all over the place!
 
No, I definitely have to go to his yard - he's rather busier than I am and I have to fit in - it IS worth it
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She is well travelled - she's 12 now and I've had her 5 years. I don't think it is a lack of practice particularly.

F_B - she already has a bit of RedCell anyway, has done for a while to keep on top of vit/min requirements as she is a good doer so doesn't get a lot of hard feed. Perhaps I should just feed her more
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Always feed a bit uneasy upping hard feed. It's so hard having a native!
 
At the moment our mare is boxed at least once a week, if not twice a week! She is totally unfazed by travelling though, and journeys are normally an hour maximum and often less than 30 minutes. I must say it doesn't seem to affect her energy levels at all!
 
Over the Summer have been out weekly/twice weekly to competitions and xc schooling, if a schooling session then just carry on as normal the next day but if competition then she does have a day off. she's a brilliant traveller and doesn't get at all stressed however!
 
once or twice weekly during the season less from oct-feb but most journeys that are not for a ODE are under 1hr, and he is a v chilled traveller. is she in a lorry or a trailer? I always think they travel better in a trailer less jerky, less noise, more space there is in our ifw's trailer any way
 
Recently we were involved in 3 things: comp/trials/practise which meant our horses were travelled nearly every other day for about 3 weeks. We have one horse that travels badly
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We were quite concerned about this schedule...but some of the journeys were less than 30mins.
Interestingly...we noticed that this particular horse...the more we did it...the more he settled. Might just be him, of course.
But thought I would share, as slowly,slowly, is not always the best approach, it may seem.....
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is she in a lorry or a trailer? I always think they travel better in a trailer less jerky, less noise, more space there is in our ifw's trailer any way

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I have access to either, usually go eventing in the lorry and lessons often in the trailer. I haven't really noticed a difference tbh.

I'm probably just being soft.
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Milliepops your horse sounds lovely!

My horse goes out every weekend pretty much to something or other, and sometimes Saturday and Sunday. Last weekend I travelled him an hour to hound exercise on Saturday, and an hour and 15 to a fun ride on the Sunday. Since I got a lorry I've been insatiable
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Doesn't worry me in the slightest but then he is a very good traveller and comes off cool, so perhaps not quite the same? Also he's not going to terribly taxing things each time he goes. If it took it out of him I'd think twice.
 
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But thought I would share, as slowly,slowly, is not always the best approach, it may seem.....
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Thanks
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I think in the back of my mind is a couple of years ago, we did 2 events one week after the other. The second one was a disaster, she just didn't want to know. I've always been a bit careful ever since. However, it was her first season at Novice, perhaps it was just too much too soon.

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Maybe it's just time for another scoop of grub and kick on!
 
Usually once a week for anything between and hour and 2 1/2 hours. Both good travellers and spend their time either eating, looking out the window or sleeping. Been told whatever time they are travelling is the same as a good walk exercise wise, not sure where I heard it though.
Given up giving them a day off after going out whether its to an event or just fun XC as they are far too fit and full of themselves
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Been told whatever time they are travelling is the same as a good walk exercise wise, not sure where I heard it though.


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Yes, I was told that too. Thanks all, will stop being such a worrier and get on with it
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Earlier this summer my 4 year old had to travel to stud and back for a collection (3hr round trip) on the monday night then on the tuesday morning go to a competition 1 1/2 hours away, do his class, stand on the lorry for ages because we went with someone else who was competing in a later class, travel back to the yard, had half an hour break in his box then had to do another round trip to the stud for another collection that evening! He had the wednesday off, but was back to the stud again on the Thursday and did a schooling session. A lot of travelling for a young horse, but I find he is generally stronger after travelling, and he copes very well.
 
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