chestnut cob
Well-Known Member
How do you keep your horses fit for hunting when they're not out at least once a week? I've managed to get mine out cubbing a few times so far this season and he keeps up no problem, though our cubbing has been fairly slow with lots of standing around. He's usually ready for home by the 3 hour point but that's because his brains is fried more than anything else!
He's currently being worked 6 days per week, usually consisting of... 2 x 1hr walker sessions in the week (is also ridden these days), 1 day schooling (45 mins or so), 1 day long reining & poles, 1 jumping session/fast work in arena (big arena!), 2 x hacks (1hr in the week plus up to 2 hrs on one weekend day), and he either goes for a lesson, on a fun/farm ride or goes cubbing the other weekend day (or another hack if not a party). He's fed virtually no hard feed (other than a bit of chaff for joint supplement) as he doesn't need it and although he's reasonably fit, I don't feel I'm doing enough currently to keep him fit enough to hunt sporadically - obviously if he was hunting every week, that in itself would keep him fit.
He is a v good doer, 17hh IDxTB, and needs a fair amount of work to keep him trim. The plan is to have a day out as a visitor in a week or so, and if all goes well, buy a 6 day visitor package. So, I need him fit enough to manage half a day's hunting easily (inc. jumping) but I'm not sure what I'm doing with him at the moment is enough? I don't need him fit enough for twice weekly hunting and the only way to get him that fit is to be out more often anyway, but I do need him fitter than he is. I don't care if being fitter winds him up (I know some people complain when their horses get too fit), I can deal with that, but do need to know what extra I need to add in, or what I need to change. In the week I can only ride in the evenings bar one day, which is usually a v early morning hack, and I do have access to big fields that I can use as gallops (the racehorses on the yard do).
Thanks
He's currently being worked 6 days per week, usually consisting of... 2 x 1hr walker sessions in the week (is also ridden these days), 1 day schooling (45 mins or so), 1 day long reining & poles, 1 jumping session/fast work in arena (big arena!), 2 x hacks (1hr in the week plus up to 2 hrs on one weekend day), and he either goes for a lesson, on a fun/farm ride or goes cubbing the other weekend day (or another hack if not a party). He's fed virtually no hard feed (other than a bit of chaff for joint supplement) as he doesn't need it and although he's reasonably fit, I don't feel I'm doing enough currently to keep him fit enough to hunt sporadically - obviously if he was hunting every week, that in itself would keep him fit.
He is a v good doer, 17hh IDxTB, and needs a fair amount of work to keep him trim. The plan is to have a day out as a visitor in a week or so, and if all goes well, buy a 6 day visitor package. So, I need him fit enough to manage half a day's hunting easily (inc. jumping) but I'm not sure what I'm doing with him at the moment is enough? I don't need him fit enough for twice weekly hunting and the only way to get him that fit is to be out more often anyway, but I do need him fitter than he is. I don't care if being fitter winds him up (I know some people complain when their horses get too fit), I can deal with that, but do need to know what extra I need to add in, or what I need to change. In the week I can only ride in the evenings bar one day, which is usually a v early morning hack, and I do have access to big fields that I can use as gallops (the racehorses on the yard do).
Thanks
