In how much work to ‘tread water’.

[rara007]

Feeling guilty about another day the horses have done nothing. They’re out approx 12 hours a day in company so not ‘nothing’ but no work. One is the 3yo whos having a winter of being led out and the odd sit on to prove we still can so that I can cope with. The other is my HDT horse who’s having a winter of BD hoping to move his basic way of going up a few notches, which he’s physically capable of already but currently saves for when he feels like it.
I know I’ll get best results working then both almost every day or even twice a day for short sessions, but is it outrageous to expect him to partake in lessons once a fortnight and compete once a month (currently Elem level, hoping to move up once qualifications ticked off next week) off only a few rides a week? He’s fitter than me and even with a grown out coat not getting hot. My social media is full of pretty obsessive people...

Thanks!
Feeling guilty of this town..

 

[Roxylola]

Personally I think less than 3 times a week you are pushing it to be working elementary in lessons and competing, but with turn out I think 3 is enough to sustain

 

[ycbm]

I feel your guilt. I have just decided to turn myself away for the winter. From now onwards I will ride only if these conditions are met.

I really feel like riding OR I have a lesson booked I can't easily cancel.
It is neither raining nor blowing a gale OR I can book an indoor.

I refuse to sweat about whether they are fit enough. I see other people take horses on 30 mile hacks or a day hunting when the most they've done in the previous month is 10 miles at a time. I figure mine can cope with 45 minutes schooling even if that's all they've done this week.

 

[ihatework]

Every other day or thereabouts I’d say, if you want to be fair to the horse.

Yes you could ride once or twice a week, and they would survive, but if you were only riding once or twice a week I’d knock the competing on the head for the winter

 

[palo1]

Horses can do well on much less 'work' than many people think and it is possible to just keep putting miles on the legs and joints for no gain in fitness, learning or refinement. On the whole horses don't lose any fitness for 2 weeks but you would probably want to do a little before heading out for a competition/longer/faster ride and up to 1 month only a little fitness is lost. It is entirely possible to keep a fit horse ticking over if ridden 2 or 3 times a week and if they are also turned out. Working in should be done carefully though and extreme exertion probably isn't wise - try telling some horses that though!!

 

[rara007]

Yes telling him medium trot not guns out blazing extension is tricky...! Luckily or not my seat limits that somewhat...

 

[ycbm]

Ft is it outrageous to expect him to partake in lessons once a fortnight and compete once a month (currently Elem level, hoping to move up once qualifications ticked off next week) off only a few rides a week?

Thanks!
Feeling guilty of this town..

I've just realised that you are actually describing the work of all the horses i have ever owned with the exception only of BE 100/Novice eventers and horses being got fit for hunting before they actually hunt.
.

 

[LEC]

Turn off the social media and don’t worry about it. If they have good base fitness they will continue to retain it pretty well if out for 12 hours.

I used to event at novice off a horse who I could only ride 3x a week until clicks changed but was out in the field for 10-12 hours. My thought was the 10-12 hours in winter are more active than hacking plus not huge amounts of energy in grass at this time of year. One lesson a week so hard work, one day fitness at weekend and one day usually competing. They never had a holiday though to keep work up and Christmas was always a good chance to boost base fitness.

 

[rara007]

Yes we don’t hack much but I really can’t see an hours walk on a long rein doing much physically for him! We live in a pretty flat area... He was unquestionably fit and in hard work in October, I’m sure he’s no where near as fit now but he still trumps me...!
I’ll try to feel less guilty! I’ll be back at it come spring I’m sure but the weathers terrible and I have quite a bit of ‘other stuff’ going on so just getting through the day with everyone fed and watered feels like an achievement sometimes.

Thanks for the reassurance. We’re not about to start open team chasing or hunting all day long, but I do want to be able to enjoy a lesson guilt free...!

 

[scats]

I took the pressure off myself in winter a couple of years ago. Mine get November off (and it’s sneaked into December this year) and then they return to about 2-3 days a week through January, increased in Feb and back to full work by March.
I don’t do dark, cold, wet or wind.

 

[LEC]

Yes we don’t hack much but I really can’t see an hours walk on a long rein doing much physically for him! We live in a pretty flat area... He was unquestionably fit and in hard work in October, I’m sure he’s no where near as fit now but he still trumps me...!
I’ll try to feel less guilty! I’ll be back at it come spring I’m sure but the weathers terrible and I have quite a bit of ‘other stuff’ going on so just getting through the day with everyone fed and watered feels like an achievement sometimes.

Thanks for the reassurance. We’re not about to start open team chasing or hunting all day long, but I do want to be able to enjoy a lesson guilt free...!

The one thing I keep meaning to do is to really pick the brains of someone very decent at endurance. Their system of fitness is quite interesting as do far less miles than you expect but much more cross training and intervals.

 

[QuantockHills]

I feel your guilt. I have just decided to turn myself away for the winter. From now onwards I will ride only if these conditions are met.

I really feel like riding OR I have a lesson booked I can't easily cancel.
It is neither raining nor blowing a gale OR I can book an indoor.

I refuse to sweat about whether they are fit enough. I see other people take horses on 30 mile hacks or a day hunting when the most they've done in the previous month is 10 miles at a time. I figure mine can cope with 45 minutes schooling even if that's all they've done this week.

sounds like me.... I work full time and I turn out in the dark and bring in when it's dark... i get 2 days off a week and if it's peeing down or blowing a gale, i just cant face riding! i'm not in training for the Olympics, so i dont think a hack and/or lesson at the weekends is going to hurt him much... my friend turns all hers away November-february so takes the pressure totally off... i'm starting to wonder if that's an excellent idea!

 

[SEL]

Actually its quite nice to have out of work horses when its raining sideways and you are cold to your bones - throw rugs on, check they aren't too broken and go home!!

 

[Alibear]

I was always told 2-3 sessions per week for maintenance and 3+ sessions for improvement/development. But that's 40 year old info so things may well have changed No definition on the duration of a session either.

 

[millitiger]

I tend to ride each of mine 4x a week and they are perfectly happy eventing at 100cm and SJ to 115cm.
2x of those rides will also be only around 30 mins long in total but we do quite a bit of lateral work and normally more canter than trot.

 

[Bernster]

Making me feel better as I’m feeling a bit guilty about not riding as much as I could/should, especially with 2 horses in work. Although the yard exercises too so they’re working 4-6 times a week, albeit some of those are a hack round the block.

 

[HappyHollyDays]

I have just turned DP away for a while due to a sore back. He is looking really slim and has been in work since the spring so until the physio can see him he will just have 9 hours turnout a day and nothing more. Not expecting to have to do much next month to bring him back into work.