Keeping them interested in winter

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redmerl

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So we are now arena bound for the week day nights and I'm interested to hear how everyone keeps the horses amused. So far I have:
Lunging
Pole work-raised and on ground
Circuit work-eg trot, canter laps
Jumping grids
Loose schooling
 
well working on a 7 day week i would give 1 day off in the week leaving 6 working days, (providing the horse is turned out each day for a min of 6 hrs) hacking or comps/fun rides/hunting sat/sun, lunge one day, lesson 1 day, jump one day, follow up work from lesson one day, play/introduce new things one day. poles/jumping as you fancy,grids as you fancy, eve clear round jumping at a local venue, walker 40 mins, hey i have used up more than one week!!!! forward planning is the key!! goals are the aim. work needs to be constructive to the end goals, and the odd couple of days which the weather decides a good thorough groom/strap will suffice if turnout is available.
 
This is exactly the challenge I'm pondering at the moment too!

Weekends = 1 day competing / jumping lesson & + 1 day hacking.

One weekday off, so that leaves 4 week days to use without the youngster (or me getting bored).

I'm thinking so far lesson day 1, probably the next off, then schooling day 3, lunging day 4, then schooling day 5 (so at least 1 day inbetween to break up the schooling). While I've had daylight I've hacked twice a week and jumped twice a week (once at weekends properly then grids or something in the week) so it's been varied, but now whilst the arena has lights they aren't good enough to jump with. Circuit training is a good idea though (although sometimes the school gets a bit busy in the evenings so the other liveries may object)!
 
Sometimes in the evening I set up a little 'circuit training' type thing in the arena i.e. some trot/canter poles, a small jump, some jump wings to bend round etc. It's a bit of a faff to get it all out, but it keeps us both amused and George always goes much better at the end of one of these sessions :)
 
hunting on Sundays, 2 days off, hacking/clear round SJ on Wednesdays (my half day), schooling on Thur night after work in the dark, often another day off Fri, more flatwork schooling or a lesson on Saturday and then hunting again! Hunting is great as keeps him super fit, doing what he loves and then doesn't matter if he has 3 days off a week so dont have to bore him with too much schooling.
 
Mine is being bored in the school I'm afraid! She is doing 3/4 days in the school in the dark in the evenings, with perhaps a jump in one of those days, or some pole work. She's then getting worked at the weekend with a hack and /or a competition, or 2 days hacking. As the winter progresses, we will do more work on the lunge, with raised trotting poles etc :)
 
Mine have a bit of a break from the season, so I will lunge x1, hack x2, hunt x1 (only 1 horse is taken each week so they don't all hunt every week), 1 or possibly 2 days off (inc on the walker and depending on whether they've been hunting), school x2. If they don't go hunting they'll jump instead.

I find mine are OK as long as they do something different each day, I try turn them out as much as possible throughout the winter and keep each session varied. I'll also try take them out as much as possible too, if that's hunting or low-key competing or whatever. I keep each session as varied as possible, although I don't challenge them too much over the winter.
 
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