Training plan help please........

[Field04]

During the summer my horse has only been hacking about 1 or 2 times a week and no other real work. That was from end of June to mid October.

He has only been back in real work for about 3 weeks, and I have been building this up with flat work, and hacking 4 times a week. I have also had one jumping session with him of 60cms.

However, I said that my YO could use him every now and then for classes with the more advanced riders. She knows his history, knows what he is capable of and knows how little work he has been doing up until recently. Firstly it was agreed she would let me know when she was using him and she said she would not get him doing big jumps, at least not straight away.

I found out he was ridden in an advanced jumping class on Saturday. He was jumping 1m10, and towards the end of the lesson he had to stop as he started bleeding in his mouth. I cannot find any signs of an injury in his mouth and am worried this was stress related due to jumping that height after the time off work he has had.

I am not impressed!!!! I would like some ideas on a good training plan to get him fit again please, ie how many times a week flat work and for how long, and work to do when hacking. I am not looking for him to become a show jumper, and do not want him to doing large amounts of jumping at all, so I also want to maybe set a height limit for him to agree with YO. Any ideas anyone please. Thanks

 

[fidleyspromise]

When I am getting mine fit, I aim to do 5 hacks a week ranging from 1 - 3 hours. Lots of active walking and short bursts of trot.

I then add 45 minutes of schooling, twice a week (as I school more out hacking, getting her to bend, increase/decrease speed within each gait as well as collect and extend).

I find this gets her fit enough for what I want.

Im sure others will have better ideas

 

[be positive]

Your horse needs to continue as you are doing, building up the work steadily he has only been doing proper work for a few weeks so is still not very fit, certainly unlikely to be fit enough to jump in a lesson with a strange rider over 1m10.

I would, for now just let him do flatwork lessons, get him jumping yourself over the next few weeks and then if you are happy he could do jumping lessons.

The height of jumps should be restricted to around the same heights you are happy jumping with him, he is your horse and unless the YO is hiring him from you, they are lucky to have the use of a nice horse and should not risk injuring it.

I realise it is a help to have him exercised but you do not want him hurt, check your insurance will cover him if injured while working in a riding school.