New on here and new owner of a horse.

Hello all,

Your thoughts and support is required! Today I took charge of my first horse. He is a forward going cob with great promise, but I am starting slowly, but surely and intend to do some school work with him, but hack out most of the time. He is stabled at a friendly livery yard on DIY and loving the 18 acres of pasture. The YO lives on site and seems very accomodating.

Two questions for you all. How often do you check on your horse when it is out to pasture? And, how often do you ride your horse at this time of year?
 
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EquestrianFairy

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I only check once as its on a private yard so they are constantly looked on.

I ride around 5/6 times a week...

Welcome
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If no one else is checking on him then at least once a day.

I ride six days a week at this time of year, make the most of the long days and light evenings.
 
IMO horses should be "checked on" at least twice a day. Whether that is by yourself or a friend/YO etc. doesn't matter, as long as someone makes sure they still have four legs and a head each!
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Riding-wise, do as much as you and your horse are capable of. If I were riding (my horse is injured) I would be riding six days a week. The important thing is to make sure your horse is fit enough for the workload (intensity, duration and frequency of work) and equally that if you only ride a couple of times a week, you don't then expect him to get fitter. Four or five times a week at a suitable intensity and duration may get him a little fitter if he's currently unfit.
Most importantly, welcome to the forum and well done for being brave and sensible enough to ask questions!
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Congratulations on getting your horse, I hope you have loads of fun with him. I ride my horse 6 times a week at this time of year and I go and see him twice a day, occasionally once but I know the yard owner always looks them over as well.
Have fun!
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Mine don't stay out 24/7, in summer they come in during the day when its really hot, so I go up in the morning to bring in, and ride in the evenings, 7 or 8 times a week (sometimes school in the morning and hack later or vice versa)

They also often get looked in on during the day and about 10pm from the lane.

It depends on your circumstances, I do morning checks for some friends who can't get up to the yard before work.
 
I personally check my horse once a day but it is usually twice. My field is on the lane and is fully exposed so I would think my horse is actually *checked* at least once an hour by the YO and others on the yard (we all look out for each other!).

I ride at least 5 times a week ATM.
 
Welcome to the forum and welcome to being poor lol, mine sort of stay out all the time they are in in the afternoon I go up twice a day but they are checked on in the morning and there are always people about, maybe if you go up once a day someone could check on him once a day.
 
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welcome to being poor lol,

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How true, it's a good job we love them. Welcome.

I check Star twice a day, just to make sure everything is attached, and that she's where I left her the night before. I usually ride 4 days a week - work gets in the way of the other days!
 
daily is good, ours are a well established bunch who know there respective places so if we both have an overnight on same day we don't worry too much. Our shetties live elsewhere and we check them alternate days but they're fond of each other and there's only a couple of them.

Ride for what you want to do. If you want to do a couple of classes a week at local shows or go on a big hack at the weekend, I would try to ride at least three times over the rest of the week. If you want to do more competing or to a higher level, you'll need to ride more.

30 mins schooling is more effective than 45 hacking out but grab the weather while you can, stops neddy (and you) getting bored of the school.

If you just want to go pleasure riding at the weekend with a couple of friends at a gentle non taxing pace. I would try and ride at least once in the week just to keep neddy ticking over. other than that just watch his weight. A chubby pony could do with slightly less grass, but more exercise will obviously be the best thing for him.

ENJOY!!! Welcome to a world where you worry the minute a black cloud appears and hours are spent checking that imaginary lump on your horses leg that isn't there really.
Best of luck, Cai
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