Riding Everyday - Too much?

[Tillymay]

Opinions please on riding everyday please as I am finding I have the time to ride everyday, mainly hacking for 1-2 hours and usually on a long rein with not too much schooling. Usually lots of walking and chatting with a couple of good long trots and maybe 2-3 canters. Sometimes I go out on my own and go a bit faster, sometimes I got with someone who just wants to walk for an hour. I usually have a 40-45 minute lesson in the school once a week but that's it. I think this is absolutely fine and liken it to walking my dogs everyday.

Horse is stabled from 4.00pm to 8.00 in the winter and when there is no grass in the summer and lots of flies (like now) or from 5.30/6.00pm to 8.00am other times. I usually ride outside of his turnout so also feel that getting him out reduces his time in the stable.

When chatting with others about their horses, people say there's should have a day or 2 off or that they get tired and it does make me wonder if I am doing too much with him? He is always full of beans and keen to go! Sometimes if it is a bit warm he might be very chilled but usually he is very forward, alert and seems to enjoy it.

He does have the odd day off and he had to have 9 days off through the very hot weather for other reasons but other than that it's daily.

Thoughts?

 

[cold_feet]

Sounds pretty much like my routine. If we do more than usual he might have the next day off, but otherwise I ride most days.

 

[AmyMay]

Sounds pretty much like my routine. If we do more than usual he might have the next day off, but otherwise I ride most days.

Same here.

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

I ride just about every day, except in deepest winter when I'm in the office all day on a Monday.
Up till Monday last week, B had done 5 weeks of daily riding, 7 days a week. She's fit.
She has 22 hours in between to amuse herself......

If we have had an exceptionally long one then I might just do a shorter one the next day to ease off any tight spots.

 

[stangs]

My rule of thumb is one day off a week and a proper holiday once a year, with some exceptions and variation.

The difference between what you're doing and walking a dog is that your dog isn't carrying a decent percentage of its body weight on its spine. So your dog doesn't need a rest period to encourage the development of the muscles along its back.

 

[ponynutz]

Another one who has the same routine.
When I was younger (and smaller) she was doing more and then she had one day off a week but not now when she's just hacking.

Edited to add: If I box up to go somewhere or go on a particularly long hack with others then she gets a day off the next day.

 

[JumpTheMoon1]

I think one day off a week is ideal - 6 days in a week out hacking is ample.Try and fill your time with other things you can be doing.Dogs are not horses so their needs are different.

 

[Barton Bounty]

I used to give two days off a week stopped that and most of his napping stopped, BB likes his routine and keeps him going

 

[SEL]

Most of our horses should be doing a lot more - they are designed to walk miles with the odd spurt of speed to get away from a wolf.

Mainly walk hacking is perfect and good for the legs while the ground is hard. Add a bit of faster work to help their lungs and I think any horse without injury should be fine with that. Plus if your horse is happy going out then he's obviously ok with the set up!

 

[catkin]

I ride most days too.
As long as the pony is doing the work happily ( and boy will they tell you what they think if you listen!)

There's enough times when for one reason or another you can't get out everyday so I crack on when possible.

 

[JBM]

I always give my horses a day off but..the older mare gets more if she wants
Barry could probably work 7 days I just like giving them a day off ? no reason really!

 

[Neversaydie]

I would ride everyday if I could even if two days were just a pootle

 

[Melody Grey]

Mine has a varied life based pretty much on hacking and thrives on it- I generally ride 5 days a week, though he’d go out every day and has done in the past. I also have OH’s cob so ride him on my horses days off which is good for us all. I wonder if there’s another horse available to you if you feel you need to give a day off? (you may not!) might be good variety for you and help an owner out if you’re inclined?

 

[Winters100]

Mine are ridden everyday, plus lunged / loose schooled. They get about 1 day in 10 off, but I count a day when we just go for a gentle hack as a day off. Old lady pony is the exception, she basically does what she wants to do. If I get on and she feels full of beans we ride until she has had enough, if she feels less than enthusiastic then I just get off. She owes me nothing.

 

[babymare]

Every horse is individual. Some can be happy being ridden every day. Some need a day off. You know your horse and hey it sounds like you just love pootling( I loved pootling ?) so has long your horse is happy you continue and enjoy.

 

[Kat]

My mare tends to get days off more due to my availability than anything, she's quite happy doing 7 days a week ridden providing there's a fair amount of hacking as a break. She loves hacking and I really don't think she considers it a hardship to hack daily.

I don't like to do too many days schooling in a row so that is normally a reason for her to get a day off. She also gets a day off after a long ride or a pleasure ride.