Riding Stable Horse

[erinstevens]

I am studying equitation training and behaviour and doing a research project and want to know people's opinions.
How long do you think riding school horses should stay in the riding school for?
Do you think the horses are made to be ridden too often in the school and not enough hacking offered?
What about the riding stables that only offer riding lesson and not hacks, is this fair on the horses?
Should there be a age limit on when horses should stop working for the riding school and if so what age would it be?
how many hours should the horse do per day and what weight limit should be substained by the riding school?
Are their joints, tendon and ligaments under more strain than a horse that spends more time hacking?
What are people's views on how riding school horses should be kept e.g turn out, stables, work load, exercise.
I would appreciate if people could take this forum seriously and look forward to hearing your answers.

 

[Blythe Spirit]

Ok well this is what was done at a RS I worked for (15 years ago)
- horses stayed in the RS all their lives if they were good at it
-we offered some hacking - but most of the horses were over excitable hacking so we avoided it where possible
-Some of the horses loved it and seemed totally happy - others didn't - depends on type of horse
-horses did a max of 3 sessions - many would be very slow compared to what someone would do schooling their own horse
-we did stick to weight limits - our largest took 15 stone
-Our horses suffered from aches and pains but I never knew one do a tendon or ligamant in all the time I was there - 7ish yrs - the work was slow and steady with little fast work or jumping
-Our horses worked 6 days a week and were mostly kept stables IMO this was a bigger issue for them than the RS work. I think they would have been better RS horses if they had had more turn out.

 

[cupcakelaura]

I worked at a riding school for 3 years.

- Horses stayed at the RS all there lives if they were good at there job. ( some were there but were retired and not being ridden or only being ridden 2/3 times a week. On hacks mostly walking, with some trotting and about 3 canters for people who could canter, lessons did have jumping but not big jumps.
- Hacking was done twice a day max for 1-2 hours. with no lessons or 1 hack in the morning and lessons in the evening ( just one group lesson for between an hour/hour and a half).
-Weight limit was 18 stone for big 17.2 shire x.
- In all the time I worked there, no horses ever suffered an ligament or tendon injuries, just occasionally throwing a shoe,slipping on mud/ground.
- Horses worked 7 days a week, with week long holidays every 2 months for all horses. There was about 50 horses at said RS and only about 25 were worked each day and most horses worked one day,day off,work day,day off. And horses taken out on hacks in morning were then let out to graze afterwards, and all horses not working that day were let out to graze all day. In summer after all hacks/lessons done all horses were let out to graze all night and bought in early morning.

 

[Kittykins]

Based on the riding school I learned to ride at and worked at for a bit just after leaving school:

- the horses stayed their whole lives if they were happy there. One or two came and went, but most stayed on.
- the school specialised in teaching children so there were no equines over 15.2hh. Rider weight was not really a problem as a result (although this was 15 years ago, now that children are becoming obese I wonder whether that would have changed!)
- Lessons were only given after school for a few hours and on the weekends, so the ponies got most of the week off, or only had an hours work at most weekdays. On the weekends they might do up to three hours work, but very light work, mostly walking on a loose rein. I don't think that's excessive.
- not much hacking, but most of the ponies were only walking or trotting with young kids on board so it wasn't stressful work for them. With the older, more capable children, the ponies were often taken into the fields for faster work and jumping, which the ponies enjoyed.
- not much hacking, but that was more because the school was not located near any good riding. We did sometimes take the lessons 'down the lane' and up a nearby bridle path, but again it was only walking and a bit of trotting.
- not aware of any tendon or ligament injuries in the whole time i rode or worked there
- the ponies were kept out as a herd. There were only three stables on site, and around 15 ponies or so. In the winter if it was snowing or particularly stormy they might be let loose in the indoor school with plenty of hay overnight.

As I say, the ponies seemed happy and didn't seem to mind their workload. They never suffered physical ill effects from it. They enjoyed the faster rides with more capable kids, but were always very gentle with the younger kids and never showed any sign of being bored or discomforted. I certainly think that living out as a herd helped; I'd be very wary of riding at a school where the horses were stabled round the clock as I personally think this makes them fizzier when being ridden, and find it cruel (I know others disagree - we're all entitled to our opinions).

 

[undergroundoli]

How long do you think riding school horses should stay in the riding school for? - Depends on the horse

Do you think the horses are made to be ridden too often in the school and not enough hacking offered? - Depends on the RS, ideally I'd like to see some hacking.

What about the riding stables that only offer riding lesson and not hacks, is this fair on the horses? - Depends on the horse.

Should there be a age limit on when horses should stop working for the riding school and if so what age would it be? Depends on the horse.

how many hours should the horse do per day and what weight limit should be substained by the riding school? Part A depends on how fit the horse is. I think 14st is a pretty reasonable weight limit, but that not all the ponies would be capable of taking that.

Are their joints, tendon and ligaments under more strain than a horse that spends more time hacking? Surely that would depend on the relative surfaces?

What are people's views on how riding school horses should be kept e.g turn out, stables, work load, exercise. I think turn out is pretty essential for RS horses.