Quick poll fitness question :)

Can a horse get fit if it's only ridden max 4 times a week?


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Megibo

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As title, currently I can only ride horse max 4 times a week. Want her fit for next show season...since I can't ride every day do you reckon she will get fit if i ride her 4 times a week and just make each stage of the fitness longer?
e.g. rather than hacking for 30 mins building up to 1 hour 30 mins in the first week, do it over a two week period.

what do you think. :)


Oh and she lives out 24/7 field isn't flat so abit of slope think she is not totally unfit but did two short trots each rein on her yesterday and she was puffing. (I put other as i am not sure...)
 

*hic*

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I'm not sure who would advise building up from 30 minutes proper work to 90 minutes proper work in 1 week! Especially if two short trots left her puffing yesterday:( I know you say hacking but if you want her fit she shouldn't be slobbing along but walking out properly.

Didn't you work out a plan from the last time you asked about her fitness?
 

Megibo

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I'm not sure who would advise building up from 30 minutes proper work to 90 minutes proper work in 1 week! Especially if two short trots left her puffing yesterday:( I know you say hacking but if you want her fit she shouldn't be slobbing along but walking out properly.

Didn't you work out a plan from the last time you asked about her fitness?

i read it somewhere...but thought it was a bit much! and just hacking in walk not proper work!
not puffing as in strained badly but got her breath rate up, allowing her to stretch in walk on a long rein for a minute or so and she recovered.
I did but I'm not sure if it will work!
 

charlimouse

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I've put other as it depends what you want to get your horse fit for. For example if you want to event your horse, then 4 days a week is too little. However if you want do be able to go to a local show and do a jumping class and prehaps a showing class, 4 exercise sessions a week should be fine.
 

fidleyspromise

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I put yes but maybe I've been lucky with my horses fitness?
She can be taken in for work and do a 2 hour hack with ease - marching out in walk and no puffing or sweating. On 4 days a week, I had her fit enough for an 8 mile hack to show, do 3 classes and then hack home. - we trotted most of the wway there and back.

I aim to have her fitter this year, not so much by riding more, but by going for longer hacks and trying to find some hills.
 

mystiandsunny

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I have two that are currently fit enough to hack (fastish as lots of verges/bridleways) 5 miles to a venue, jump a class or two, and hack home again. Other than when I'm on holiday, they're only ridden 4x a week.
 

JFTDWS

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Yes, for local jumping type classes. Not if you plan to event etc, obviously.

It does depend on the age and type of horse, and how much turnout they have etc. My 5 y/old keeps a basic level of fitness much easier than my 18 y/old - similarly cold bloods tend to lose fitness easier than hotbloods (so I'm told since I don't have much experience of keeping the latter fit :p). 24/hour turnout also makes a big difference ime. I doubt I ride my 18 y/old cob more than 4 times a week for most of summer but he's still fit enough to do multiple show / jumping classes / one HT class / L2 TREC / 2 unaff horseball matches etc.
 

Megibo

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Thankyou :) Here is a plan I outlined for her:
week 1+2:
20 minutes brisk walking in, half hour road work 4 times a week
week 3+4:
10 minutes brisk walking in, hour road work 4 times a week
week 5+6:
30 minutes brisk walking+5 minutes trotting 3 times a week
hour road work 1 time a week
week 7+8:
35 minutes brisk walking+10 minutes trotting
hour road 1 time a week
week 9+10:
35 minutes brisk walking+15 minutes trotting
hour road once a week inc short periods of trotting
week 11+12:
35 minutes brisk walking+15 minutes trotting+ 1 short canter per rein
hour road once a week inc short periods trotting
week 13+14:
35 minutes brisk walking+15 minutes trotting+ 1 longer canter per rein
hour road once a week inc trotting +short canter (on a field)
week 15+16:
35 minutes brisk walking+15 minutes trotting+ 2 short canter per rein, small fences
hour road once a week + trotting + short canter
week 17:
10 minute warmup, 2 mins fast trot 3 mins break and repeat 3 times both reins, 2 long canters per rein,small fences
hour road x 1 + trotting + short canter
week 18:
10 minute warmup, 3 mins fast trot 3 mins break repeat 3 times both reins, 3 short canters per rein, bigger fences
hour road x 1 + trotting + short canter
week 19:
10 minute warmup, 4 mins fast trot 2 min break repeat 3 times both reins,3 long canters per rein, bigger fences
hour road x 1 + trotting + short canter
week 20:
10 minute warmup, 5 mins trot 2 min break repeat 3 times both reins, 4 short canters per rein,bigger fences
hour roadx 1 + trotting + short canter
week 21:
10 minute warmup, 6 mins trot 1 min break repeat 3 times both reins, 4 short canters per rein, bigger fences-
hour roads x 1 +trotting + long canter
week 22:
10 minute warmup, 6 mins trot 1 min break repeat 3 times both reins, 4 short canters per rein, 1 fast canter up track, bigger fences
hour roads x 1 +trotting + long canter
week 23:
10 minute warmup, 6 mins trot 1 min break repeat 3 times both reins, 4 short canters per rein, 1 fast canter up track, bigger fences
hour roads x 1 +trotting + long canter
week 24:
10 minute warmup, 6 mins trot 1 min break repeat 3 times both reins, 4 short canters per rein, 2 fast canter up track, bigger fences
hour roads x 1 +trotting + long canter
Any thoughts? Changes? Was going to follow it roughly and obviously change it according to her. also, the trotting times listed aren't 'all in one go' she will have breaks inbetween!
 

Renvers

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Depends on what level of fitness you want - what will you be doing together?

Also what breed is she? some breeds seem to be more naturally athletic than others and respond better/keep fitness level longe.r
 

Megibo

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Depends on what level of fitness you want - what will you be doing together?

Also what breed is she? some breeds seem to be more naturally athletic than others and respond better/keep fitness level longe.r

as mentioned previously-she'll eventually be doing long hacks, schooling, jumping and competing 1 clear round and 2 classes up to 2ft 6 at local level. she is a welsh D. always seemed to gain fitness very well before
 

stencilface

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I think for what you're aiming to do thats fine, for doing that kind of stuff in the past I have never really had a plan as such, just hacked out and done more when the horse felt able - ie wasn't puffing halfway up a hill, so we'd trot to the top.

ATM I am getting my horse fit from box rest/restricted turnout so he gets no exercise in the field. I can only work him 4 days a week and started from nothing to 15 mins in walk, upping by 5 mins a week till I got to 30 mins, then added 5 mins of trot, and I've got to up that by five mins a week until I doing an hour total. Sometime in january I get to canter :D

I have taken it a little slower than vets advice (doing 2 weeks at certain levels) but thats for my peace of mind so I don't feel like I'm pushing him. :)
 

coss

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depends on the horse. If a horse has previously been very fit they usually pick up fitness quicker and lose it slower. My horse wasn't ridden regularly last year and after about 2weeks off was capable of an hours hack with ease. A couple of days later did another hack which was hilly and did a mile of trot work (uphill) without being puffed and was still fresh. He has previously been fit though and keeps himself fit in the field.

Theoretically it takes 6-8 weeks to get a horse fit from nothing to very fit but that is with daily work. As you're only on 4 days but have a few months til show season (?) then yes I would think its possible.
 

*hic*

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Mmmm, well you first outlined a long plan like that back in mid-November when she'd trotted for two minutes and was puffing and sweaty. Six weeks on and she's still puffing after a short trot?

How long has she been out of work for?
 

Megibo

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Mmmm, well you first outlined a long plan like that back in mid-November when she'd trotted for two minutes and was puffing and sweaty. Six weeks on and she's still puffing after a short trot?

How long has she been out of work for?

Yes, but she has not been in regular consistent work since i did that. so, starting in the next couple weeks i will stick to the above plan more religiously.

And she had pretty much all of spring and summer off due to saddle fitting issues so was free schooled, and then did nothing when ground became too wet. now she can be ridden she is back in work and the above plan begins properly soon. does that make sense??
 

EstherYoung

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I think I answered your last thread on this so I apologise if I am repeating myself.

I've managed to get mine up to advanced level endurance on 4 days a week so it is perfectly possible.

I work on the premise of having two longer slower rides per week and two shorter rides, but I aim to make the shorter rides a bit more difficult (ie add speed or schooling or hill work). I also try and spread the rides out as much as I can, say weekends and then Tuesdays and Thursdays.

The first 6-8 weeks are mainly walking. My longer rides to start off will only be about 30-45 mins in walk on the flat. My shorter rides to start off will be either some stretching/schooling walk work or a short route round a local housing estate that includes a hill. Towards the end of the 6-8 weeks of walking, my long rides will have crept up to 90 mins of walking, and my short rides will be up to an hour and may start to include a little trot.

Then we'll start introducing some trot into the longer rides, and some canter into the shorter rides. Once we're about 10-12 weeks in, and if they're happy hacking out for a couple of hours at about 5-6mph on the 'longer ride' days, they're generally ready for their first pleasure ride of the season. I'd be quite happy going to a local show at that point in the proceedings too.

When H was younger and doing the 80kms, our long rides from home got to be about 15-20 miles at about 4 mph, and our shorter rides would include gallop work, hill work, athletic schooling and interval training.

It does depend on the horse, though. You say yours is still puffing? Are you starting from scratch now or have you already been riding her fairly regularly? Is she overweight?
 

Megibo

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It does depend on the horse, though. You say yours is still puffing? Are you starting from scratch now or have you already been riding her fairly regularly? Is she overweight?

I think you did reply before but thankyou anyway as that information is helpful!
If I ride her in brisk walk she is barely put out so I did trot her. She did sort of burst into it (pent up energy, she had started to mess about in walk) so over exerted herself.
I am starting from scratch as of now as i have the oppurtunity to ride 4 times a week definitely. currently i have just been walking briskly once or twice a week since my first thread about her fitness. I did make a recent thread asking about her weight, she is in good condition doesn't need to be any bigger just lacking muscle where she was off work with no saddle, however it is slowly building back up. :)

Oh and I should add that I have no school, so when we ride in i use one of the fields which sloped so one side of our 'arena' is flat, then we turn up a slope, across then back down it. and a footpath is part of our riding area which is a steep incline which she is ridden up in walk so i think she's fitter than she lets on especially as she had a mini explosion into trot.
 
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rhino

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Theoretically it takes 6-8 weeks to get a horse fit from nothing to very fit but that is with daily work. As you're only on 4 days but have a few months til show season (?) then yes I would think its possible.

Interested to know where you got that from, for a 'very fit' horse I would think you are talking 12 weeks absolute minimum. The longer you can spend building up the walk work the better IMO.
 
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