Hunting fit!

[Miss Daisy]

Hunting Fit?

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Evening all!
Having recently bought a Hunter I would like any advice you hardened hunters out there can give me on, How often I should school/jump/hack each week? How many days off he should have? And any other tips regarding his training!
From a Hunting virgin

 

[Drakerath]

i keep them as fit as a novice eventer but with tendons as hard as a jump racer.
i hunt both of mine once perhaps twice a week. they live out and are hacked two other times lightly now they are in full hunting work.
fitness required totally depends on your hunt country. are you wynnstay? or are you east anglia flat lands with no jumps? are you doing two horse days with the BSV/Quorn etc or a fun little jaunt with a hunt in the Wolds?

 

[Sparkles]

Back when we had to hunters who were hunted hard twice a week, they had the Sunday having a day out in the field, monday quiet walk & trot hack for 45 minutes. Tuesday, well schooled for 45 minutes. Wednesday hacked normally for an hour, Thursday hunted half day, friday, walk and trot hack for 45 minutes, Saturday, hunted all day.

Before the main season started, they were in much harder work to get them to the 'fit' stage. They were doing 4 hacks a week [proper fittening hacks building up to long gallops and lots of hillwork for up to 2 1/2 hours], two schooling sessions a week and one jumping session. All about an hour to an hour and a half.

Soon as main season started, they were as fit as they needed to be and with the hunting they did twice a week - they didn't need to be kept in as much hard work, more just ticking over and saved for the hunting days.

 

[JenHunt]

Ours get 1 or 2 days hunting a week, but only usually stay out until 2nd horses.
They then get one or two hour long walk trot hacks per week, and they're turned out 12hours+ per day. depends very much on each horse though!