interval training

[Moon Dancer]

I have begun some interval training with my horse for over the winter ready to start the eventing season at the beginning of March. I have competed in one day events during this season so he is relatively fit.
i am looking to move up to 90 level next year so want him to be a little bit fitter. He is a welsh sec d so not a naturally fit horse.
I have started with 3/2/3/2 and did four reps. He found this quite easy. I am going to start doing some 4/2/4/2 but how many canters would you do? 3 or 4? Also would you move up to doing 5/2/5/2 or do 4/1/4/1?

 

[be positive]

I think you are a bit ahead of where you need to be, they do not have to be super fit for 90's, if you get him too fit now you will struggle to maintain it at a sensible level for the 3-4 months ahead and could find he is too fit and sharp to be sensible in the dressage phase.
I would be working on improving his core fitness at this stage with plenty of long steady hacks with hillwork if you can, getting his schooling up to scratch and doing the interval training in the last month - 6 weeks to add the last bit to any fitness that is lacking before the first events.

 

[Merlod]

Nothing to input but could you explain the 3/2/3/2 - is that trot/canter/trot/canter in mins?

 

[be positive]

Nothing to input but could you explain the 3/2/3/2 - is that trot/canter/trot/canter in mins?

Interval training is usually minutes of canter, walk, canter, walk etc, normally three lots of canter, the length of cantering should increase as the horse gets fitter, the walk recovery times should not increase as they need to go back to cantering just before they are fully recovered in order for the fitness levels to increase overall, it is a useful method of improving fitness with a relatively low impact on the horses legs so may help reduce the risk of injury during training.

 

[PorkChop]

I also think you don't need to be building up your interval training until the New Year

I tend to stick to minute walking intervals at all times. I start with 3/1/3/1/3, assess and go from there, working on recovery time.

 

[Moon Dancer]

The only reason i have started doing some now is because he is difficult to get fit and really struggles in wet ground, which i am assuming (as we are in Britain!) It will be. Our first event will be 5th march so very early in the season. At the moment i am using it more to assess where he is. But like i said the 3/2/3/2 was too easy. So wondered what we needed to do.

 

[be positive]

I would cut the walking down to 1 min and add a third canter then gradually increase the canter times but keep the walk to 1 min unless he is having problems recovering, make sure he is really working into the bridle and not dossing otherwise it will not be so beneficial, the second and third canter can be stronger as he becomes fitter

 

[star]

I normally do 3 lots of canter, starting at 2mins then 1min walking. I build up to 3 lots of 5mins by the time he's ready to do Badminton BE100 Champs. I won't be starting until late Jan though. He will also event early March at BE100 but really he can get inside the time at that level without being mega fit. Certainly for 90 I'd just be doing lots of trot and cantering on hacks for now and if needed add in some canter intervals nearer the time. I always use my first few events to add to their fitness and don't push for the time if they don't feel like it. You'll struggle to maintain peak fitness from now and throughout the season.

 

[Moon Dancer]

Thank you. Sorry should have said i did four canter reps. But will cut walk to a min and go from there. Thanks

 

[FlyingCoo]

I think you need to also take into consideration the build of your horse and the impact of the canter work. For doing 90's there is no way you would be required to do 8 minutes of cantering. As others have said lots of walking and trotting up hills will have greater benefit in the long run. When out hacking not slopping about on a long rein but properly working. You should be aiming for peak fitness mid season and not for the first run. I evented a good doer chunky monkey cob X at Novice Level and he didn't even do as much cantering as that until into the season. You can also cut the walking inbetween canters to 45/30 seconds as he gets fitter as you do not wish the heart rate to come back down completely and even stick to 2,2,2 canter with 30-45 seconds inbetween. Nicola Wilson hardly ever cantered Opposition Buzz but lots of long walk and trot hill work and he was one of the fittest out there at his level. If you feel he doesn't have enough oomph at the end of event it may be not because he isn't fit enough but may need a rejig of his feeding for something with longer staying power to keep the fuel in the tank. As for the wet ground unfortunately, you need to accept that being the breed they are they are slightly heavier than a TB type and don't tend to skip over the ground as much and do sink in and does then add onto the jumping effort which can tire them quicker. I never ever ran in deep mud ground. Good Luck for next season and kick on

 

[gunnergundog]

I think you are a bit ahead of where you need to be, they do not have to be super fit for 90's, if you get him too fit now you will struggle to maintain it at a sensible level for the 3-4 months ahead and could find he is too fit and sharp to be sensible in the dressage phase.
I would be working on improving his core fitness at this stage with plenty of long steady hacks with hillwork if you can, getting his schooling up to scratch and doing the interval training in the last month - 6 weeks to add the last bit to any fitness that is lacking before the first events.

Totally agree. Just to put things into context, the four star eventer on my yard who will do Badminton again in 2016, with one maybe two runs beforehand, won't even come up from his winter holiday until Boxing Day. He is currently out 24x7.

 

[be positive]

Totally agree. Just to put things into context, the four star eventer on my yard who will do Badminton again in 2016, with one maybe two runs beforehand, won't even come up from his winter holiday until Boxing Day. He is currently out 24x7.

This used to be the normal routine for eventers, back in the day Badminton horses used to start walking mid Dec, Badminton used to be in April, the others would come in after Christmas having been turned away after the last events in early October, nowadays so many horses stay in full work 12 months a year and I am not sure it is a better system.

 

[smja]

If you're doing interval training already, horse will likely be over-fit by March. Sis' horse is naturally unfit (his preferred pace is standing still), he did his first 90 quite happily having never even heard of interval training in his life. I just took him for a couple of spins round the gallops to make sure he carried himself in an xc canter without leaning on the hands for balance, that was it.