Maintaining horse fitness in winter?

[Shadowdancing]

Simple question really how do you keep your horese reasonably fit in winter? Just feeling fed up as I've been ill for a few days so she's been off, now that I'm better I've had to get myself back to my full time job and to top things off school frozen yesterday and is expected to freeze again tomorrow! Horse is a much nicer person in work and gets 1 day off weekly usually but I try and exercise her on the others. How do you manage yours please particularly when it's icy or you get laid up a bit- how do you 'restart'? Thank you!

 

[Boysy]

Simple answer is I ride in the dark lit up like an xmas tree, if I didn't then mine wouldn't work during the wk as I have no all weather school. Yes it's cold, yes it's dark and yes I work full time a commute away but I can't expect them to keep their fitness for lessons if they do nothing all wk. Most evenings as I drive home I am mentally steeling myself to get changed and get back out and ride, once up and out hacking it's fine but many an evening I'd rather just go feed and come home to the warm.

 

[be positive]

If they are relatively fit and get daily turn out then having a few days or even a couple of weeks off work due to weather will not have any effect on their fitness level so no reason to restart, it is different if they have been ill or injured, don't get proper turn out or are not fit going into the winter then you may need to go back a step or two.

 

[rachk89]

Oddly I don't notice any difference in my horse if I leave him for a week. I did that at the beginning of December and one person had done the same too with their pony. Her pony was full of beans my horse was like oh OK you want to ride now fair enough.

However once he has seen the vet on Friday and if I get the all clear to ride it will be nearly 3 weeks I think since he was last ridden so I may lunge first just to be sure. I doubt he would do anything though but best to be safe for him and me.

 

[scats]

We have our own private farm ride so mine hack most of the winter- I have a head torch if we end up going as it's going dark.

I only tend to do manège work once or twice a fortnight. My horses are out from 8am until 4pm everyday in really good fields with no mud, so if they have to have the odd days off, they really don't mind as they get a good amount of time out.

 

[pinkypug1]

I'm lucky to have an indoor school, walker off road lane and an outdoor that doesn't freeze. But in the past when I've been on a yard with poorer facilities I did a lot of long reining/riding in the frozen school in walk over lots of lines of raised poles 5-10 poles in a row. circles, lateral work etc. Make sure the surface is isnt very uneven though!! And made the most of weekends by doing long hacks including fast work & hills. We live near the beach too so if it's not to icy we would box up and go there too.

 

[bounce]

I don't have the luxury of an arena and can only occasionally hack out before work if I am lucky maybe once or twice a week so I box up to an indoor arena once a week in the evening for training and use the weekends to hack or compete. My horse keeps a fair level of fitness doing this all winter and should still be fit enough for a BE at 80 or 90 level at the beginning of March.

 

[KAZJAZ]

We have a small arena but no lights, well a yard light at the end of a barn pointing towards the arena if that counts...

we have daily turnout and I have managed to ride at least 2/3 times for 20/30mins mon/fri after work and I always make sure she has a good hack/workout or lesson at the weekend.

the 2 weeks before Christmas were the hardest as it was just so dark and there's a lot to be done so I hardly rode at all but to be fair it hasn't done her any harm, over the holidays I've been able to get on her more and I have to say she's full of beans!

 

[horselady]

lunging,leading and 15 minute rides in the failing light lit up lake an xmas tree also!

 

[claireandnadia]

Last winter I lunged during the week when the school wasn't frozen but this year she can have the winter off.

 

[Jenna1406]

My horses are in a 5 acre field with no lights. So last night, I took my car into the field and put the headlights on so my SIL could right my OH horse as she is planning taking him show jumping on Sunday.

 

[Annagain]

I do what I can and don't beat myself up about it. Both of mine are 21 and have their own little problems so too much school work is a no-no for them, as is any lunging whatsoever. I ride each of them once, a week in the school (when it's not frozen) and hack out both weekend days. I might do a riding club clinic or local dressage competition on one of them. I'm lucky in that neither cares nor changes if they haven't worked for a week or so - in fact, the first time M got ridden after the best part of 6 months off work we accompanied my friend's 10 year old and another very nervous friend on a mini hack. As soon as the nights are light enough we up the work and by May they're plenty fit enough for what we do over the summer.

 

[amandaco2]

I have no arena and am on clay soil. once we get to November riding on the field is not an option. sometimes by October its too wet.
I hack out 2-3x week on the lanes. they aren't fit to compete or do lessons by November so they just do their hacking until end of feb. I can usually get them hacking out more days per week by mid feb.
wont take them on the lanes if its dark- its not lit and having been hit by a car previously, im not convinced its a good idea so they just get fluffy and unfit.
In march I box up and school at an arena 1-3x week, april I can often find a dry field to school on or do canter work, they are usually ready to go out and compete in april. this gives me 3 months or so to get them qualified for petplans/regionals!
end of the summer I often concentrate on jumping and aiming to do a few ODEs.
they are on reduced work once the clocks change.....