Hunting my tb who needs muscle/weight when I cant school over winter...help please!!

[R2R]

As many of you know I have owned my ex racer since August 1st. He came to me very poor with no muscle etc.

I have now had him for little over 2 months and all he has done is hack – I have had him in the school a few times but have mostly hacked/lunged. He pops logs, goes first or last, is an absolute saintly saint in all ways (touches wood). He is currently doing about 45 mins hacking (walk trot canter) a day...

He has built up over the past 2 months but is still scrawny...however in good condition(in terms of coat etc - glossy skin, pink gums etc) – and is fit etc...just not muscled in terms of he needs much more topline etc.

My facilities are fairly limited through the winter, however hacking is brill, and I am half thinking that I should get him hunting in order to build up muscle.topline etc rather than struggle to school him consistently over the winter. At least he could hunt every week/every other week, there would be no pressure to try to get into a dry school, and then I can then be consistent from March onwards in the school ect with a horse who at least has the strength to cope with it.

Will this work? Will obviously not go all day at first and take it very sensibly and treat it as an education...

Advice please!

 

[MrsMozart]

So long as you're sensible I don't see why not. You can get a lot of schooling done on hacks

From what I understand though, the quiter hunts/cubbing is now - later on in the season it gets serious!

 

[Happyhuntress]

If it were me, I think I'd do exactly that He will have fun, get fit, and if you look at the regular hunters by the end of the season, build muscle in the right places too! Have fun

 

[Firewell]

Im sure it will be fine if you start him off hunting slowly. Also why dont you just school out hacking in the mean time? Hack him on the bridle and do lateral work along the roads and paths. Do some hill work in an outline and when cantering/trotting across fields stick in some 20 metre circles ect. When you do upwards/downwards transitions make sure they are good ones ect.

I had to do that with my old mare for 6 months to build her up as she refused to go in the school when I first got her.

 

[R2R]

Hi A!!

Yep he does all of that, he has had to learn that leg doesnt mean forward it also means go sideways too!! He literally has no muscle though well a bit now but he came to me like this

So now he has put weight on but needs muscle/topline etc..

C

 

[Echo Bravo]

Cause it will help. Most of us use to get our horses fit for hunting on the roads and bridleways. Started off with just walk over several weeks and built up to trot and walk Helps the tendons and keep them not just fit for the first run, not stay out to long and build up from there, also feed well and see who is knackered at the end of the season, and I'll bet on the horse

 

[posie_honey]

i dont have an arena.. or stables... or electricity.... or anything other than a field lol! and i keep my mare hunting and showing fit/conditioned just by hacking you can do a huge amount of schooling on hacks
but yeah - hunting will def help fitness and muscles tone etc - just make sure you feed accordingly

 

[R2R]

Yep he is eating me out of house and home - and will get barley rings etc from this week as we go into winter so will feed accordingly.

Posie your ohrses look amazing just proves you dont need an arena to get going!!

 

[posie_honey]

thank you - its harder work than having fascilities - esp as i have nowhere dry to plait etc for a show if its raining! and my house is a mile away so i have to walk her in hand there before i can go anywhere - can mean some very early starts! but its worth it - esp when she gest compliments from judges and i admit she's actually a bog pony who lives out

i swear by oil for calories i only feed my mare a squirt of linseed oil twice a day as she's a natural fatty - but in the past have sworn by outshine for hunters who need condition i really rate it - but i do know the odd horse its set a bit fizzy....

 

[ThoroughbredStar]

Hi A!!

Yep he does all of that, he has had to learn that leg doesnt mean forward it also means go sideways too!! He literally has no muscle though well a bit now but he came to me like this

So now he has put weight on but needs muscle/topline etc..

C

He doesn't look bad R2R!!! Good luck and have fun!!!! Feed him up too!

 

[Little Legs Eventing]

Hills, hills and more hills! That should help the back and rear end definitely.

Also, don't forget you can school on your hacks. Leg yielding across tracks, doing some lengthened strides ets. This will all help