If you have native ponies fit enough to compete successfully (SJ or similar) at amateur levels, what does your week look like in terms of work?

[maya2008]

I’m making a fitness plan for the Spring with full awareness that last year we were not fit enough to do more than the basics. Kids want to jump higher this year so more fitness required! I plan to follow the standard plan of ‘getting fit’ but once that finishes, then what?

Last summer we did:
1x long hack (2-2.5 hours mostly trot with canter wherever the ground allowed)
2x arena hire (that included shows when we did them)
2x 45min shorter hacks to the ‘canter track’ which is a grassy track up the side of a crop field with a medium hill that you can canter up, walk down, and repeat as much as needed).
1 relaxing hack.

What was I doing wrong? I am wondering if the issue is that the above used to work fine when I had more ‘blood’ types but we now have exclusively native ponies who are heavier and less athletic so might need to do more? Our issue was mostly canter related - we desperately needed more canter fitness and just didn’t have it.

 

[Lady Jane]

I have a native type and the real problem in the summer is canter opportunities.
Fine in the arena or the gallops but it was so hard for a while when I did local hacks (45mins-1.25hrs) there were times I couldn't canter at all or even trot vey much. I don't like doing too much in the arena so it was a problem.
When you say they want to jump higher, they don't need to be super fit depending on what they actually want to do? I wouldn't do XC in the summer and fitness for a bit of SJ wouldn't have been a problem

 

[Upthecreek]

What was it they lacked fitness for? Surely they’d be fit enough to canter a SJ course with the level of work you did last year? I think a lot of people under prepare for XC and expect a horse or pony who has never cantered continuously for 5 minutes to do it and jump XC fences and are surprised when they run out of steam.

 

[SEL]

I got a 14h cob around a couple of fun rides and through hour long clinics with that kind of plan (possibly less - few canter tracks around us). He lives out 24:7 which helps but I think yours do too.

Where were yours running out of steam?

 

[maya2008]

What was it they lacked fitness for? Surely they’d be fit enough to canter a SJ course with the level of work you did last year? I think a lot of people under prepare for XC and expect a horse or pony who has never cantered continuously for 5 minutes to do it and jump XC fences and are surprised when they run out of steam.

SJ classes - after a warm-up, class one, break, warm-up, class 2 involved some puffing and pony was tired by the end. I would prefer more in the tank and am used to finishing the second class with enough energy to do more.

Dressage: again after warm-up, class 1, warm-up, we were dropping out of canter in class 2 near the end.

When schooling, ponies were tired at the 30minute mark and we weren’t exactly cantering a huge amount.

We only did walk/trot and prelim dressage, then kids did SJ comps up to 50cm and NF jumped up to 60cm courses at arena hire.

This summer I would like to do Prelim/Novice. My son would like to jump 60-70cm on our adult Welsh A and 13hh NF.

 

[Vodkagirly]

I'm surprised that wasn't enough for sj. Can you use a tracker on your hacks to see how far your actually covering and speed? I think a lot of people don't go as far or fast as they think. A friend was aiming at an ode and got a shock when I pointed out her normal hack length was the same as a xc course (2km). She couldn't maintain trot for the whole way round let alone canter.
I find native/cobs take longer to get fit but once there there can maintain it.

 

[maya2008]

I'm surprised that wasn't enough for sj. Can you use a tracker on your hacks to see how far your actually covering and speed? I think a lot of people don't go as far or fast as they think. A friend was aiming at an ode and got a shock when I pointed out her normal hack length was the same as a xc course (2km). She couldn't maintain trot for the whole way round let alone canter.
I find native/cobs take longer to get fit but once there there can maintain it.

That’s a good idea about the tracker, thank you!

 

[LilMyPony]

I measured what I do and this is it -
2-3 times a week, go for a long ride. Lots of canter, jumping, ditches, rough ground, hills. 3-4hours at least, I have no idea how many KMs.
Rest of the days, a 4k hack 80% in trot. Rest in walk.
I do one relaxing hack in walk a week.
This time of year I hunt, she is super fit for that.
Will do a few shows/comps this summer God willing..

 

[expanding_horizon]

Last summer we did:
1x long hack (2-2.5 hours mostly trot with canter wherever the ground allowed)

Are you tracking your hacks? (Equilab free version is good.)

I suspect are doing less minutes of trot & canter than you think you are.

How far are you covering in 2-2.5hrs? How go your speeds compare to endurance pleasure ride target speed ranges?

 

[AmyMay]

How did the ponies look? Could they have done with some more grub?

 

[rara007]

Just do what you’ve been doing, but more intensely! On paper you’re doing enough to have them plenty fit enough.

 

[maya2008]

How did the ponies look? Could they have done with some more grub?

Good condition (not fat but not lean). Low sugar diet though - rubbish grass, low sugar tiny bucket feed with vit/min mix.

We did add a mug full of oats a day towards the end of the season and that helped a bit. More protein needed maybe to build muscle?

 

[dottylottie]

could you add in some interval training? the canter track seems like a good place for that!

 

[maya2008]

Are you tracking your hacks? (Equilab free version is good.)

I suspect are doing less minutes of trot & canter than you think you are.

How far are you covering in 2-2.5hrs? How go your speeds compare to endurance pleasure ride target speed ranges?

Trot fitness was good - I think I am doing less canter than I think I am! Trying to build it at arena hire wasn’t working - they were just tired though. Maybe a feed issue? They were doing absolutely fine in terms of calories (out on poor grass unmuzzled) but maybe we were missing something else?

 

[AmyMay]

You do have to feed them for the work you want them to do.

 

[Upthecreek]

It’s very individual depending on the horse/pony, but I think I would try some interval training if the canter track you have access to is good ground and maybe take them to the gallops if you have a local one. I would also add some oats to feed starting a couple of days before competition (test first to make sure it doesn’t make them wild if they aren’t used to oats though!)

 

[maya2008]

You do have to feed them for the work you want them to do.

What would you recommend if they are a good weight but lacking energy/the ability to easily build fitness. Welsh As and a New Forest. Obviously do just fine weight wise on grass alone.

(Meanwhile the Shetland, on a mostly straw diet with a little haylage and no grass at all, can outrun and outlast them all .)

 

[Upthecreek]

We had a pony that was a very good doer, but needed a bit of ooomph for competitions and propell plus added to feed for a week before worked brilliantly.

 

[maya2008]

It’s very individual depending on the horse/pony, but I think I would try some interval training if the canter track you have access to is good ground and maybe take them to the gallops if you have a local one. I would also add some oats to feed starting a couple of days before competition (test first to make sure it doesn’t make them wild if they aren’t used to oats though!)

Thanks, I was considering maybe finding a gallops to go to might be the missing link.

They’re all fine on oats - more energy but not ditzy.

 

[daffy44]

Just a thought, I dont have native ponies, but I do teach a few. Hacking fitness is different from dressage/sj fitness, some of the ponies I teach are happy to hack for hours, but get tired very quickly in the school, its not a lack of fitness as such, but a lack of schooling fitness. Possibly its the same with your ponies? I dont know, but it may be something to consider.

 

[maya2008]

Just a thought, I dont have native ponies, but I do teach a few. Hacking fitness is different from dressage/sj fitness, some of the ponies I teach are happy to hack for hours, but get tired very quickly in the school, its not a lack of fitness as such, but a lack of schooling fitness. Possibly its the same with your ponies? I dont know, but it may be something to consider.

I found the further we hacked the easier it was to get somewhere with schooling fitness, but yes schooling fitness was an issue in itself. Despite regularly schooling, we just couldn’t get past a certain point in terms of canter though. Hence wondering where I was going wrong elsewhere!

 

[Supercalifragilistic]

I’m another who is surprised that what you are doing isn’t enough. If you are sure that the ponies aren’t carrying too much ‘padding’ then the thing that strikes me is that you are doing a lot of ‘hacking’ type work rather than schooling.

Whilst hacking is obviously better than endless circles for soundness / pony brains they will be using themselves very differently when doing a test / jumping a course. My suggestion is to make sure when you do your schooling sessions / arena hires that the ponies are working properly for a decent period of time. It’s easier said than done especially with younger riders but you might find that there are rather more pauses to discuss the work / alter fences than you think.

 

[daffy44]

I found the further we hacked the easier it was to get somewhere with schooling fitness, but yes schooling fitness was an issue in itself. Despite regularly schooling, we just couldn’t get past a certain point in terms of canter though. Hence wondering where I was going wrong elsewhere!

It may just take a little more time to increase the schooling fitness, time and a bit more food for energy, but I appreciate feeding for energy can be a careful balance with natives.

 

[Supercalifragilistic]

And to answer your original question during the week our section B’s are doing one decent long hack of 1-1.5hrs in mainly walk with hills, one lunge session (max 15 mins), one schooling session (20-30mins proper work plus warm up/cool down) and I fully expect them to then be fit enough to jump a couple of rounds at 60/70 or attend a PC rally at a weekend and have a play at whatever the boys are doing the other day - so 5 sessions a week.

 

[The Xmas Furry]

Sounds ok but I'd be definitely addressing the canter work. Plus also schooling whilst hacking - working on thr bridle and making sure the back end is under so the back is lifting.
My fell pony would usually be doing a minimum of about 6kms in 45 minutes out hacking 4/5 or even 6 days a week (more usually 8km+ ), 2 or 3 of those days would also include 'working' for at least 50% of that time.
Then a clinic or arena hire with jumps.
She would be plenty fit enough to do fun rides to about 18 to 25kms, or 2 sj rounds, at least 2 dressage tests, or a 3 day camp with 2 sessions per day.
I have to box out to do hill work tho.

Up the canter work when appropriate, check feeding for performance, hope you get them sorted for the spring.

 

[Madali]

My compete my Welsh D all year round at all 3 discipline. I don’t hack as much as you but do more schooling for shorter periods and interval training. Again in school if the ground is hard.
I find she can be more lethargic in summer when carrying a little more weight and living out 24/7 so i try to bring her in the night before a competition and this really helps.

 

[Julia0803]

I’ve found the same personally.

I moved from (low level, only prelim/novice) dressage to low level endurance after a soft tissue injury a few years ago. We’d done so much hacking, and altho the vet had given him the ok to go back to DR, we just carried on with extending the hacking work…

But what I found was that he found schooling harder/more tiring than keeping a continuous pace in a straight line, getting in his rhythm and chugging along.

I have an enduro HR monitor and he was working at a higher HR in 30 min schooling than he ever did trotting/cantering out hacking for extended periods. His fitness has continued to improve and I haven’t bothered with the monitor for a while, this has reminded me, I should probably compare it again now.

And I can completely agree re the Equilab. I started using it when doing the rehab and I had to do 2 min trot in several short intervals, then 4, then 6 etc etc over the weeks.

I quickly realised that I wasn’t doing as much as I’d thought, especially in the canter. We’d use the ‘canter tracks/hills’ on our regular ride and I’d think, ‘oooh we did a fair amount today!’ I’d look at the ap and it’s actually only be 2min…

 

[expanding_horizon]

And I can completely agree re the Equilab. I started using it when doing the rehab and I had to do 2 min trot in several short intervals, then 4, then 6 etc etc over the weeks.

I quickly realised that I wasn’t doing as much as I’d thought, especially in the canter. We’d use the ‘canter tracks/hills’ on our regular ride and I’d think, ‘oooh we did a fair amount today!’ I’d look at the ap and it’s actually only be 2min…

Me too. Was a surprise how little trot and canter compared to what I thought. Distance wise more comparable. But time a lot less than I thought.

 

[daffy44]

This reminds me of a horse I rode years ago, not a native, but hopefully still relevant. This horse was due to go to Badminton, long format, so it was a while ago! I was employed to make sure his dressage was kept up to the mark, the first time I rode him I schooled him for about 45mins and he worked well, but he got fairly sweaty and puffed a lot. I took him back to the yard and told them I was worried about his fitness, I knew the person who was responsible for his fitness, and she was excellent, but I was shocked at how he reacted to schooling. She laughed at me and told me to come back the next day and hack him. The next day she told me we would do average hacking, not fast work, we went out, and after walking a mile or so we started to trot round the fields, just a nice, active working trot, and we trotted forever, it was rising trot, my legs were on fire, I wanted to stop, I was knackered! The horse never faltered, never lost rhythm or power and after a gazillion miles wasnt even blowing. It brought it home to me very forcibily the difference between hacking and schooling fitness, and its true for all horses/ponies in my experience.

The horse skipped round Badminton no problem at all, his fitness was top notch.

 

[SEL]

Feeding is good point. My littlest cob (mainly Dales) needs a decent feed of the higher quality grass pellets before a longer, faster ride. She could hack for hours but never gets schooled so would be a sweaty mess after 20mins!