Riding once a week

I have to say I am a every day rider in the winter, the dark is not my enemy! Good lights plus hi vis oat 06.30 every week day on road to keep my horses fit. If they are in 24/7 there is no excuse not to ride every day bar ice and snow
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In a 100 horse yard there'd be no more than five that are kept eventing fit in winter.

Most are reasonably fit (we're in a hilly area so everything involves hills), they have a mixture of 30-40 mins schooling or 1-1.5 hrs hacking or maybe a quick spin around the all weather gallops and get ridden 5/6 days a week. Probably half the work load they get vs when they are fully fit/in training.

Some only get ridden at weekends in winter but this is a leaisurly hack for an hour or so and no fast work
 
Mine get 1-2hrs hacking 2-3 x week plus a trip on lorry for lunging or schooling 1-2x every 2 weeks,plus a lesson every other week. Competing ele bd. In summer they r worked everyday plenty hill work, schooling.
I don't do much canter work December to march as I've not got much chance to on decent ground.they don't jump in winter either as they aren't fit enough.
They are out either all the time or 12 hrs+ per day on a 10acre field.
 
absolutely not, my mare has been ridden once in the last 3-4 months (my lot always have winter off regardless) and when she is brought back into "work"it is done so slowly, don't forget it's not just the horse that's had time off and needs easing back into it! non of my horses will ever know what it is to really work as at most it's 3 days a week mostly hacking and never spend more than half an hour at a time in the school, I don't charge around and jump the legs off them, I'm not a silly teenager, I generally let the horse set the pace (unless it's unsafe to do so) and they live out 24/7 and do alot of hooning around trashing fields so they are fitter than most stabled horses in work anyway
 
I grew up (then worked) with horses which were kept hunting fit and I wouldn't do it to my own, just for leisure riding. I would keep her at a reasonable, healthy level of fitness so that if anything came up which I wanted to do, we would be close to ready - I wouldn't dream of eventing or hunting on an unprepared horse but I see no reason to work her hard needlessly.

I'll probably ride 5/7 but she still won't be hunting fit. I don't want her to be :).
 
Evie91 said:
Thanks for all of the responses. Really interesting to hear other people's views and appreciate people taking the time to reply.
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I only ride once or twice a week as I confess to be a fair weather rider.....and my cob is a fair weather horse....TBH it what people want to do with their horses.....and I would think that most forum users on here are very aware of their horses level of fitness :)
 
I can only manage to ride once or twice a week, see my thread struggling mum (!) but it's down to common sense. My horse is in light work so when I ride it's 25-30 mins in school walking, stretching, long and low, rein backs.All on large circles or round the outside. Hacking is usually about 45 mins, mainly walk with the odd short trot thrown in to warm us up. I won't be able to ride more regularly until the clocks change and then I will start a fittening program to get him up to canter work but even then it won't be more than 4 times a week that he gets ridden. I will never have the time or energy to get him competition fit but that's not what I want to do. The odd local show, fun ride and low level dressage is my max. Fitness is as much about what you want to do ultimately, there is nothing wrong with riding a horse once a week so long as that once a week isn't expecting the horse to perform outside of his fitness level. I have a friend who rides only once or twice a month,but when she does its just a gentle hack. No more than her horse would do in the field.
 
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My friend rides once a week in summer and less in winter. She rolls out her overweight cob and we go off on a hack. The horse copes well. I don't think it's right but bless the horse she doesn't seem to mind and the only obvious signs that she isn't as fit as mine (ridden 4-6 Times a week) is that she is sweating more. It's not right but weirdly it looks like no harm done!! Not sure I'd get away with it if I rode so infrequently though but that's just typical!
 
Evie91 said:
Pippiox - thanks for clarifying! For me, fit is ready to event!! Must admit I was a little worried at the thought of all these competiton horses turned out and sorting out their own fittening programmes ready for the start of the season!! Ha,ha.
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What on earth made you think that every horse in the country is out eventing every week, or even once a year?
 
Considering what you seem to do with your horses OP you seem a bit naïve as to what horses are capable of. In the winter mine are lucky if they are ridden once a week, let alone 5 times a week, but they are out 24/7 and keep themselves relatively fit.
Now of course I wouldn't go hunting or eventing like that, but then I just happily hack with mine so they don't need a fittening programme like these horses need, but I'd like to think that I'd know what to do with the horses if it was required. However I could get on my horse tomorrow (not today weather to manky!!!) and take him for a hours hack with a canter and he'd be fine, he wouldn't even be sweating. I've never had a horse developing leg problems from only going out once a week in winter so must be doing something right. If you do what you do then fine, but don't think other people are doing it wrong because it's not the same as you. I'd love to be able to ride more in the winter, but with a full time job, so being dark most of the time and to be fair the weather being **** I'll just wait for spring.
 
When a horse is fit leaving it for a week is not going to make it lose fiitness or muscle. If ypou leave it for a c ouple of weeks or more then you may have an issue.
 
This pony you're riding for your friend, OP, was it getting any work at all before you started with it? IMO there's a difference between taking something that's used to being ridden once a week out on an hours hack, including some trot and the odd canter, and doing that same work with something that hasn't been sat on for months. If pony hasn't done any work in ages I'd be more cautious and start with 15min schooling or 30min hacking in walk and build up from there. If you're only riding once a week I wouldn't be thinking about cantering it for the first 3months. If turnout is on the side of a hill I find that keeps them naturally a lot fitter than a small flat field.
 
Mine is only ridden sporadically at the moment due to the weather as he lives out. I think as long as you are realistic about your expectations of the horse when you are out then there isn't a problem. My friends horse lives out with mine and goes out for an hour's hack at a walk every couple of weeks and she is fine.
IMO "fit" is open to interpretation. As an example your idea of fit doesn't match my idea of fit but it depends on what the horse is doing. My horse would certainly be "fitter" from living out than one stabled for most of the day. I don't personally like the idea of stabling all the time and only doing an hour's work/exercise...however this is only MY feelings. Each to their own.
If you were riding once a week at a flat out gallop everywhere then yes I'd expect problems but seriously if someone is that stupid they should probably consider a different hobby!!!
 
It boils down to common sense surely?? My cob lives out 24/7 in hilly fields so will be keeping himself fit to a degree. I haven't ridden for weeks, when I do pop on board again it will be for a potter round the village.
 
Its not a big deal. I wouldnt do it now only as my pony is older and gets stiff without regular rides (plus i like to get my moneys worth!) but When she was younger i went to uni for 3years and i could only come home on the weekends.she was looked after in the week but not ridden i went out on her once or twice on the weekend. I still cantered about went for a good hack. Never did her any harm.
 
In the winter, I only ride once a week, in the summer twice and someone else rides him once too. The horse lives out and we only do gentle hacking. He's s 27 year old native /cob type and seems to cope well with winter and summer work, and spend plenty of time running around in the field
I wouldn't pretend he was super fit but he's not asked to jump or gallop at his age!
 
Sorry, I tried to make a joke about the fitness thing - obviously people don't share my sense of humour. It is my opinion that horses don't keep themselves fit in the field, so my joke was around that. Others disagree and have made some really good points, which I hadn't considered.
I don't think every one is out eventing.
Just my friends and associates have always ridden a lot and it's the norm to ride five or six times a week and if a horse has time off, it's always reintroduced to work on a fittening programme. So for me I've always tried to ride to keep a certain level of fitness and have always felt this was important to keep the horse ticking over - not sure why this makes me naive!
Other people do things differently and their opinions and experiences have been interesting to read.
I don't think everyone is out eventing, not at all but was suprised to find people just ride once a week - each to their own! I was interested to find out what they do during that ride.
The pony I have been asked to ride has not been ridden for three months, so I've been doing short sessions. Obviously I won't build the pony up as I would for my kind of fitness schedule as its only going to be ridden once a week. Obviously not making myself clear but just wondering what others do in that situation? Some posts have been very helpful and informative.
 
Also I hope I have not come across as saying people who do things differently are wrong, if this is how my post has come across I apologise! Think I said in my first post I do not mean to cause offence but was just asking for opinions on an idea that is alien to me and how this works out for some.
I do worry about everything (will check stable door is shut several times before I leave etc) and do suffer with anxiety ( in my case over worrying) again I do not think this makes me inexperienced or naive but again if that's what folks on a forum want to think then that's up to them! :)
 
Mine wouldn't keep herself even remotely fit in a field either. Her sole intention when out at grass, is to eat it and aside from an occasional single step to the next edible patch, there is very little movement :).

With the pony you are riding, I would treat it as any other. i.e. Although I might stick loosely to exercising concepts when bringing a horse into work, overall I play it by feel, increasing exercise and tempo during the process whenever is appropriate for the individual horse.
 
Evie91 said:
Also I hope I have not come across as saying people who do things differently are wrong, if this is how my post has come across I apologise! Think I said in my first post I do not mean to cause offence but was just asking for opinions on an idea that is alien to me and how this works out for some.
I do worry about everything (will check stable door is shut several times before I leave etc) and do suffer with anxiety ( in my case over worrying) again I do not think this makes me inexperienced or naive but again if that's what folks on a forum want to think then that's up to them! :)
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You did say in your OP that you thought that horses which are only ridden once a week are at risk of tendon injury. I am not sure that that is anyone's sense of humour. It certainly appeared to imply that those who only ride once a week, or even less frequently, charge around the countryside at speed, with little or no regard for their horse's well-being. Any-one with any sense at all should realise that those who do ride infrequently tend to walk everywhere, or if they do increase the pace, take care to keep within the horse's capabilities. Horses which live out in herds on hillsides are likely to be fitter than those which aare stabled for a large part of their time, if they were both being worked similarly.
 
Pearlsasinger said:
You did say in your OP that you thought that horses which are only ridden once a week are at risk of tendon injury. I am not sure that that is anyone's sense of humour. It certainly appeared to imply that those who only ride once a week, or even less frequently, charge around the countryside at speed, with little or no regard for their horse's well-being. Any-one with any sense at all should realise that those who do ride infrequently tend to walk everywhere, or if they do increase the pace, take care to keep within the horse's capabilities. Horses which live out in herds on hillsides are likely to be fitter than those which aare stabled for a large part of their time, if they were both being worked similarly.
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Agreed.

My Welsh cobs regularly train for the grand national and they particularly like doing this when the going is very heavy. They will gallop around for 10-20 minutes for fun, racing each other. They live out 24/7 on hill ground. I have often got on the little one after she has had months and months off and she is absolutely fitter and has more stamina than a lot of horses which are ridden regularly.

I don't like to tempt fate to say I've not had any leg issues but I won't say I have either!
 
muckypony said:
I would be surprised if those that only rode once a week went hooning around on that day so I don't think it's a big deal. Chances are their horses live out too or have lots of turnout so they will hold their fitness well.
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I agree! I ride twice a week at weekends as we have no ménage and I start work at 7.30am and finish about 5.30/6 every week day. Mine has daily turnout and he does go on in-hand walks during the week. It's a bit ridiculous for OP to imply that riders that only ride at weekends are risking hurting their horses; we walk and trot usually and as my boy is getting on, it's enough for him!
 
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