Idea's on how to keep horse fit/sane without an arena

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coen

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This will be my second (hopefully last) winter without an arena, and unlike last year I would rather keep my mare ticking over than be resigned to months off.
I am aiming to ride 4 times a week during the winter to fit around work but my mare is pretty hot and energetic and I am hoping to get an understanding of what schedule other people do to get through it intact and how you get the energy out of them when there is no where to have a blast?

When the ground is wet I do not like lunging her as she can have a tendency to go overboard and slip, I am also limited to walking & trotting when I ride in the field and wondered if riding for longer would be the best idea for using up her energy?
There are local lanes I could ride on but no all weather tracks.I do find this a little daunting when she is so fresh but can get the husband to come along with the dogs if it is more beneficial than riding round the fields.
I will also take her out to an arena once each week.

Thanks
 
If she's too fresh, cut her food right down, and hack her as much as possible. There is life without an arena. I've produced my event mare to OI, only schooling on a piece of grass set a side. You can do lateral work, changes of canter leads, and differences in trot pace, all whilst out riding on tracks. I'm sure your horse will enjoy it more too.
 
She isn't on much feed just a scoop of healthy tummy each day & she is also out in the field all day, in at night when the weather is bad. She is just quite a highly strung type.

How many times each week do you ride your mare? And how long for?
 
Having a "blast" often winds them up more than having a really long trot up a steep hill and leaves them more on their toes, I would get out hacking so you can get into a good rhythm in a proper working trot, a good few minutes trotting and working usually settles most fresh horse, the same with schooling sessions get into trot and work them until they are starting to tire, 20-30 mins of decent work mainly in trot with loads of variety to the movements you do will be enough for the average horse to feel as if they have worked hard.
 
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coen said:
She isn't on much feed just a scoop of healthy tummy each day & she is also out in the field all day, in at night when the weather is bad. She is just quite a highly strung type.

How many times each week do you ride your mare? And how long for?
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In the season, 4 to 5 times a week, as she is a fatty, and needs regular work to keep her fit enough for her level. (welsh D x TB) I do loads of steady trotting, using medium, working and collected, and steady cantering, again, making her change leads on a straight line. I also find that canter shoulder in really concentrates her mind. Any lateral work makes them think, and work straighter, instead of looking at everything, or being in a hurry.
 
I think as someone else has said get trotting as soon as you can out hacking and after a few minutes this should get her back down. Also do you have a trailer? Could you box her up and hire an arena with lights to give her a change of scenery and exercise?
 
I do have a trailer and try to get out to an arena at least once each week but I am finding that she is so hot when we arrive from not working much at home that you spend most of the time just riding off the fizz.
At home we are on clay so cantering is out of the question from mid October so I am restricted to walking & trotting.
In terms of the hacking it is mainly lanes.

Sounds like I just need to preserver with the trotting and maybe ride for a longer duration each time.
 
Good long trots up hills if you can, excellent for fitness and keeping the back down !

Also check your feed nutrition values and maybe try a different feed with less high energy content if you can, for example unmollassed sugar beat is great for keeping weight on and not fizzing up. Worth a look at your feed label.
 
I very rarely canter my own horse out hacking. We have very little off road riding, so he does our one quiet back road 5 mile loop up and then across and down a big hill, takes approx 20mins to trot slowly to highest point, then 30mins walk back down. Twice a week. This combined with work in the arena leaves him plenty fit to cruise round a 100 track. He's also naturally hot so it helps keep his brain on an even keel too.
It's not the same as no arena, but I've competed to the same level in the past with no arena, just lots of steady work.
 
Yes ride longer, but try to make the route harder. When i hack i now use the route that i know has a massive hill cause it really takes it out of them having to go up and down the hill a couple of times. when i had my horses at home, the only real exercise i had was the farmers lane and its basically a mountain hill. On fresh days we cantered up it
 
Longer rides and riding twice a day if you can manage always helps .
And working seven days a week no days off .
I remember life before I had a surface at home it was exhausting .
 
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