optimum period to give time off for?

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Kelpie

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Been doing a bit of saddo googling about how long people seem to give their eventers a break for over winter and there seems to be quite a few views on this. Seems like maybe a good few years back horses got longer breaks (2 months) but nowadays less so (maybe 4-5 weeks max), tho I can't quite figure out if that is due to convenience/ the way that the eventing calander has extended, or what's actually better for the horse?

So, I just wondered, in an "ideal world", what's the optimum period that you'd give an eventer as a holiday over winter? - i.e. to give a good mental/ physical break?

Thanks :)
 
I think that everyone will have their personal preferences, mine get most of the winter as I can't ride in the evenings - that said, I am putting an arena in so if it is finished soon then i will start to ride my boy twice midweek and both sat/sun.

My boy has been off since the start of October, if no arena then he will be brought into light work at Xmas and then more towards end of Feb.

Ideally I would give them a month off totally, then start hacking/riding at weekends for a couple of months, then bring them back fully. Some horses don't like to be off - my grey horse keeps jumping out and getting up to mischief so I think he is probably saying he wants to work!

For the jumping ponies we used to give them two months off after HOYS, then work them January onwards - that was years ago though :)
 
I think it really depends on the horse, their temperament, what turnout you've got (which can be an issue when giving them a break over the winter), and also if they've got company for the full time off period.
We used to try to give our mare two weeks complete break at the end of the show season, and then just work her quietly until xmas before starting to pick her up again. She was on individual turnout, but with neighbours either side, and in at night. In 2010 after 10 days she was so bored she was galloping about and eventually tweaked her pelvis.
This spring we turned her away with the aim of getting her in foal -took the back shoes off and basically left her to get on with it with a group of visiting mares. She has absolutely loved it and although we sadly failed to get her in foal and she has been back in work since August she's still living out very happily. Normally at this time of year, if there's the slightest drop of rain she's pacing up and down and screaming to come in.
Different approaches work for different horses, but circumstances can also have a big indluence.
 
Mine had 2 months light hacking in walk only for various reasons and he has bounced back and is loving life and work right now. He had a complete break for about 2-3 weeks after the competing season had finished as it was his first one and he had a lot to take in and I felt he deserved it after the improvments he has made this year. Then we just hacked, he is now on the way back in to work and LOVING it I jumped him for the first time since august yesterday and he was amazing.
 
think it depends on their temperament and also age and stage of training etc. as well as what the rider can fit in over winter. i think young horses probably benefit from a decent amount of time to absorb everything they've done and have a mental break. older horses probably appreciate it from the physical side of things and also probably dont need to work on so much over the winter. for those in the middle I'm more of a fan of giving them several shorter breaks through the year of 7-10days with a few weeks off competing than letting them down completely and losing all the fitness you've worked so hard on building up. The risk of injury in the field is much higher with a completely unfit horse. My boy did his last event on 16th Oct, he then did a couple of schooling sessions, hunted on the Sunday, hacked out a couple of times, hunted again on the Sunday and since then has been in the field (about 12days now). I'll get back on him tomorrow as he's entered in some BD a week Sat so will start some schooling again. He's been going a bit wild in the field so I dont think he needs any longer off now. He'll prob get another week or 2 when the snow comes and I think that will be fine for him this winter. Will then aim for another similar break in the summer.
 
I like to give them a decent break (3-4 weeks) once a year. This is usually timed with my winter holiday which is usually over Christmas.

I will then aim for at least one pref 2 short break(s) (5-7days) during the season.
 
Reg is having 8 weeks, because he has worked so hard this season learning and growing. Al and mum also need the time off I think, especially as Al is trying to do an entire A level in one year- she needs some non-horse time to get some proper work in!!
 
well, just given mine his time off, was planning on a leisurely return to work but got called up from reserve into the RC team today so quick schooling session Friday, dressage today and he came 2nd with personal best score :) Guessing the break did him good!
 
My lad is having 5 weeks off whilst I go out to Australia. He's never had that long off before... but having struggled through this season I am using the holiday to let him have down time. Let him relax. I will then spend the time preparing him to event again. If he continues not wanting to go cross country I will give up on eventing and he will show jump. I'm hoping after the holiday though he will come back feeling much more relaxed about the subject of cross country! :)
 
Depends on the horse - how old it is / how long it takes to get fit again etc. My current horse I always give about 3 months off every winter (from end of Oct to end of Jan or even Feb if snow is bad). Up here the snows been quite bad so its pointless trying to keep him fit for indoor events which end up getting cancelled anyway due to the roads. Plus I dont have an arena to ride in, just grass paddocks so its very difficult to keep fit. By the time I get home from work its dark anyway. It suits my horse well, he has his shoes taken off and mooches about the field (mine live out 24/7) - he loves it. He's very easy to get back into work, easy to get fit and time off stops him going stale so he's nice and fresh for the new season of BE and BSJA that I do. If a horse has a busy season, I think they deserve decent time off.

It depends on the horse though - I've got a friends horse currently who I am keeping in work (even just weekend riding) as she's not done much over the past year and it still quite young so she doesnt need the time off, it wouldn't benefit her. She's a totally different type too - quite hard work to keep fit so would take ages to get her fit after time off. My last horse was the same, he'd get a month off but that was about it, for the same reasons.
 
I recently discussed this with my trainer and horses who are already fit don't start to loose fitness until the 4th week off. We agreed it depends on the individual horse (mine will not have it completely off but will have a 4 week mental break with just hacking at weekends).

It can actually puts more stain on their bodies to let them loose fitness and then to get them fit again, than keeping them ticking over....
 
Ideally mine would have 3 - 4 weeks off but he's a monkey and he won't unwind. If he's out of work for two long he charges round the field, paces, gets grump and bored and wants to do something. He's also a big baby and I've had issues with him and 'growing pains' and so I think its good to keep a bit of momentum and fitness. He had a week off and was lightly hacked and now he's building back up into full work.

My instructor on the other hand whos based at my yard has been on hers in well over 6 weeks..
 
Mine turns into an arse if he has four weeks off, but is fine with two. Personally I'd rather keep him ticking over with a good fun hack once a week rather than nothing at all.

Loosing fitness also depends on the breed of horse, a tb will retrain it much better than an ID x so I wouldn't factor 4 weeks before they loose fitness, I was told by an endurance friend it was three weeks before they lost noticable fitness.

A lot of super fit eventers though just won't cope with suddenly being give five weeks off, you have to wind down to it, almost as much as you would gently build it up the other end.
 
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