tips for fittening a cob

cob&onion

cob&onion

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Trying to fitten up my cob but it seems to be taking a while!
We have recently started jumping which she enjoys and has a good pop in her! but she tires quite quickly if we do that little bit extra which results in knocking poles over the place. However i normally stop before this point. Out hacking shes better but again looses stamina especially if we do canter work. She can school for up to 30/40 mins before she tires. We did 2 classes jumping today, 2ft3 and 2ft6 with a good 45 min gap between. She wasn't tired but if i had done the 2ft9 i felt she would have been too tired.
Am looking to taking her hunting in December for a few hours locally, meet is next door :)
Cob is 5 years old and has been in full work a good 6/7 months now after having a year out (whilst i had a baby)........so am looking for tips to build strength and stamina suited to a LW cob.

Our routine is:
Hacking 45 mins walk and trot 3 x per week
Hacking 1hr to include canter work 1 x per week
Schooling/flatwork or jumping 1 x per week 45 mins
She normally has off between 2-3 days per week.
Thanks :)
 
Shy is very fit with just our daily walking regime at the moment - one hour, including hill work. I have had a very bad back and we can only walk, but he seems to be doing really well on it. i am too, it's like physio for me !

You are doing enough to get a horse fit, no question about that. Hunting fit is a different matter though - I would think burst of gallop and stuff like that would be needed. i would check diet too.
 
I would try and work her 5 times each week as a minimum, if you miss a day one week do an extra one the next, increase the hacks to 1 hr and if you can give her 1 longer hack each week or fortnight that will help.
Plenty of hillwork if you can, gradually increase this as she gets fitter, they need to get tired and recover to increase stamina so so interval work would help, this can be done in the school by getting her working until she is blowing then walk until her breathing is almost normal then working again, if you have access to a field for this you can do in in circuits, trot round twice, walk halfway, trot twice walk, repeat then introduce canter circuits she should gradually be able to increase how much she manages with less walk time to recover.
 
I thought it was you there today :biggrin3:

I left before the 2'6 but looked at the pics and was :eek: at yours, she's got a heck of a pop in her, she's giving them loads of room :biggrin3:
 
lots of hill work for little cobbies and trotting - i find cantering and cantering just makes her tired and we dont achieve anything as she'll jack it in before we get to the point of increasing fitness. i try and hack alot when i can and do rides with lots of hills and always get her into a good 'medium' verging on the side of collected walk or a good active trot :) then when we have reached a good level - sort of interval training - gallop tot gallop ect but round here its quite hard to find good gallops unless the big sheep field is open!
 
Thanks everyone, yes i think we don't do enough fast work. Am waiting for the cows to come in on a really good route i know with lots of fields and gradual hills.


3Beasties said:
I thought it was you there today :biggrin3:

I left before the 2'6 but looked at the pics and was :eek: at yours, she's got a heck of a pop in her, she's giving them loads of room :biggrin3:
Click to expand...

You should of cam over and said hello! what horse where you on and what classes did you do? i can look out for you next time :P
 
lots of trotting. Try for 8-10 mins continuously, then build it up. I know it doesn't sound like long, but it's a surprising amount. Worked with my little cob, he can now do little ODE's barely raising a sweat!!
 
If you want her fit to hunting you'll have to have her cantering nearly every day and working an hour minimum 5 - 6 days a a week
 
I'm fittening my TBxShire at the moment, he was on box rest for a good while so started at no fitness, we are about 8/9 weeks in.
He hacks 2x a week for between 1-1.5 hours, walk and lots of trot plus hill work.
Schools 2x a week for 45 mins at walk, trot and canter. Just introducing pole work over the next week.
Lunges 2x a week for 30mins walk and lots of trot, with the occasional explosion chucked in for good measure.

He's actually surprisingly fit now, rarely sweats up and is only ever a bit breathless at the top of a couple of the very long and steep hills.

I'd increase your cobs work to 6 times a week if possible, and increase the time out hacking as well as adding in some hills if possible. Can't remember if you said whether you lunged at all, but maybe lunging once a week would help too, preferably with side reins or a Pessoa.
 
Thanks everyone. Have a good few routes lines up this week, will try increase her workload when work allows, should manage at least 5 days per week.
Will take her on a few good blasts. There are plenty of hills here but we normally walk up them, will increase to an active trot :D
 
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