Interval training in the arena?

[Jingleballs]

Does anyone do this?

I’m keen to get C as fit as I can but we’ve had about a months worth of rain in the past few days so I expect most of our forest tracks will be too wet to do any proper riding

We do have a 60 x 20 arena and it had been suggested I could use circuits of the school for our interval training – I know it’s not as good as doing uphill work but it would just be until the weather improves.

Alternatively, there are newly built hard core tracks in the forest – not as hard as the roads (you can actually see the indent of c’s hooves when we ride in it) – lots of nice uphill stretches so would it be better to do maybe 1 minute burst of trot on these tracks and gradually build up his legs?

Anything else I can do while the ground is so wet?

 

[JenniferB]

Absolutely do interval work in the school - we do it with the pointers if the gallops are frozen in the indoor which is def smaller than 60 x 20! Just be aware though of your surface moving around - would level it before you start and after you finish or you'll end up with ruts very quickly. This wet weather would break your heart wouldn't it - to think a month ago we were crying out for rain, but now it's forgotten to bloody stop!

 

[Thistle]

We have to opposite problem, no rain since Feb, ground rutted and like concrete. Am doing all fast work in a 22x42 arena.

 

[Noodlejaffa]

Same as you Thistle. We have barely had a drop of rain for months - ground is like concrete and I'm doing fitness work in a 70x20.

 

[Jingleballs]

Thanks guys - can I ask how long do your sessions last? Do you just do all the work on the outside track and if possible can you give me an idea of what you do in your session i.e. is it mainly canter work or do you do trot sets too?

 

[JenniferB]

We tend to do a bit of walk and trot just to limber up, then depends on what stage the horses are at what they do - anything between 3-4 minutes at a time, then change rein and go again but that's us going at a decent clip. We use the outside track cos we go too fast to do anything else to be fair! But the eventers will probably be able to come up with a more suitable plan for you guys xx

 

[Noodlejaffa]

I do 10 mins of general warming up, then do 5 mins decent open canter, then 2 mins walk, 5 mins canter, 2 mins walk, 5 mins canter, then walk off properly. And obviously change the rein regularly!!

 

[Thistle]

Thanks guys - can I ask how long do your sessions last? Do you just do all the work on the outside track and if possible can you give me an idea of what you do in your session i.e. is it mainly canter work or do you do trot sets too?

Often do it at the end of a short schooling or jumping session.

We do laps, 3 or 4 in 1 direction then change rein across diagnol and repeat. 20 laps of a 40x20 is about 2000m = a BE100 course.

 

[NR99]

Yep absolutely as long as your surface is ok. Unfortunately due to lack of rain and not being able to water due to the lower water table in the well we run off our's is too deep to ride in. So just long slow hacks with as many hills as possible for us, but seems to be working.