keeping horses fit though winter

[black beauty 1]

i am unable to ride my horse in the week due to other commitments and the dark mornings/night! any ideas of how the work i can do with her at the weekends can help her stay fit or any tips?

 

[Sharonr]

Is a sharer maybe something that you could consider that is able to ride during the day.

I would also recommend evenings when it's a full moon, it's amazing how light it can be and how quickly your eyes adjust!!

 

[black beauty 1]

i'm one of those people who just could not have someone else riding their horse! we have a flood lit school but it is so deep and wet i don't ride in it

 

[showpony]

Could you get someone to do some lungework with her during the wk?

 

[Grinchmass]

Depending on what time you have to be away by I ride at 7am, until it gets to dark in the mornings, it's just light enough at the moment.

On the other hand if you don't want to have just a body riding your horse you could pay a recomended instructor to school your horse a few times a week? Not ideal, but atleast you know that they would be schooled correctly. You could watch them school them the first few times to make sure your happy. If you have an instructor already this may work. Unless you don't want anyone riding them.

 

[black beauty 1]

these are all really good ideas and thank you! but most of them require a school which i can/someone can ride in but sadly that facility is not available to me!

 

[Shysmum]

but you have just said you have a flood lit school ???

 

[black beauty 1]

yes i do but the surface is too wet and deep through the winter to ride on

 

[Boxers]

Have you got off road hacking? You could ride in the dark with a headlamp.

if I were you I would get a sharer to ride maybe two weekdays in the daytime. Know you said you don't want anybody else to ride your horse, but I don't see what else you can do really, if you can't use your arena and won't let someone else on board.

Rock and hard place spring to mind.

 

[black beauty 1]

that's a good point and i'll certainly look into it thank you all for your help

 

[Luci07]

Why not move to a yard with a useable school? it's part of what you pay for after all. I have had to exactly that in the past..

 

[Grinchmass]

If you or ponio don't get on with riding with a headlight, an instructor may well be willing to hack out for you in daylight? Just another option, if your paying them i doubt they'll mind where they ride.

 

[HaffiesRock]

OP, I am in exactly the same predicament. Grass livery so no school. We have a couple of fields we can ride in but with no floodlights and it has been too wet for weeks now. One field is near the yard and on a slight slope so perfect for lunging with a spot light, but too slippery at the moment. I hack him out Saturday and Sunday for an hour or two and I aim to do lots of trotting to keep his fitness at a decent level. Too wet and muddy to do any fast work but I think the trotting is sufficient for now. I will add some long canters in once (if) the fields dry out. I also will not allow anyone else to ride him. Its not an option for me.

To everyone else, I think what the OP is asking, is what they can do when they do ride to keep their horse and fit as possible with the riding they can do?

I would be keen to know too as I am in the same boat. Thanks xx