Weekly Riding Routine

[Helga1980]

Had a flatwork lesson yesterday (M went fab), at the end, instructor said that M is fit enough to cope with what I ask of him but would benefit from his workload being taken up a gear as his type (a lazy ½ TB x ½ ID) needs to have a bit more in reserve than the average TB.

I’ll ask for more advice at my next lesson but, being nosy, was wondering what sort of weekly riding routine other people have. A typical week for us is:

Mon – rest day
Tues – 1¼ hour riding club flatwork lesson (group so quite a few breaks)
Wed – 45 hack, including short canter
Thurs – 1 hour flatwork lesson or 45 min schooling
Fri – 1 hour hack, lots of hills, walk and trot
Sat – 1½ hour hack, including a couple of canters
Sun – Generally competing 3 weekends out of 4 - currently 2/3 SJ classes but could also be dressage - 2 tests or HT - ind & pairs class from mid Sept.

Thanks

 

[katiejaye]

That sounds like plenty of work to me!

My boys routine is changeable but on an average week:

Mon: day off (includes normally just a light lunge to stretch his legs if he's been competing the day before)

Tues:40mins-1hr schooling

Wed: Jumping or hacking (normally between 40 mins - 1 Hr)

Thurs: 1hr flatwork lesson

Fri: My instructor/YO schools him flat work for 45 mins

Weekends: normally competing BD either sat or sunday. If not I normally go out on sat to do some XC practice with a friend. The day he's not competing I go for a long hack with a friend with some nice long canters and trots.

 

[Tempi]

This is Bloss's weekly rountine:

Monday - schooling 1hr minimum, sometimes 2hrs
Tuesday - same
Wednesday - same
Thursday - lesson with trainer for 1hr (v intensive tho)
Friday - quite often jump lesson, if not schooling same as other days
saturday - competing, if not hack for minimum of 2hrs, all trotting and cantering, hardly any walk
sunday - same as saturday

She gets a day off if its raining! Shes a norman cob x tb and needs to be very fit for all the dressage and travelling/competing she does. Currently she hasn't had a day off since 3rd august.........but i did a short hack last night, and tonight she is just doing a bit of jumping.

 

[Helga1980]

Thanks Katiejaye - it's interesting to see what other people do. Out of interest what breeding is your horse?

I think the problem with M is the intensity rather than the length/frequency, he's very clever in his laziness - give every impression that he's going forward and energic but is actually using minimum energy

 

[Helga1980]

P_G - no wonder you're so slim!

This is the type of thing I think my instructor is talking about but with some canter work thrown in (I'll be doing more jumping than dressage so need to work on that side as well)

How do you find time in the winter? Do you ride in the morning or the evening with flood-lights?

 

[Greyhound]

My weeks can very but this is a typical one ...

Monday: 30 minutes or 1 hr schooling either in the field or indoor
Tuesday: Off
Wednesday: as Monday
Thursday: Off
Friday: 1 hour lesson
Saturday: Hack to let off steam

Sunday: Hack or schooling

Tuesday and Thursday she usually get turned out to chill out and also to keep her quiet and relaxed

Gh

 

[katiejaye]

Hiya, I'm afraid I don't know his actual breeding but we suspect some kind of warmblood and maybe some arab in him (you can try and have a guess from the piccies in my sig!)! He's not a lazy sort jumping/hacking (very fizzy!) but he can also be quite clever in his laziness when schooling so I know what you mean! He does a lot of BD so he knows how to look pretty without doing much work!
My schooling sessions are intense and I don't stop until he's really moving and working from behind. The length of my sessions really depend on how well he's going. If he works really hard and is sweating up and really moving after half an hour then I might stop, however some days it may take over an hour. Sometimes I get off after a long session red faced and very sore!

 

[Tempi]

i ride in the evening with floodlights in the winter. I work 9-4, but dont take a lunch break, which is how i can finish at 4. When schooling she gets a couple of five min walk breaks thrown in, but the rest of the time its hard work all the way!!!!

 

[katiejaye]

OMG

You must be SO fit P_G! I don't think I could physically handle more than an hour argueing with Louis! He's also very vocal when he's had enough and starts inventing fake coughs!

 

[Parkranger]

I'm still building up my TB that I've only had for 8 weeks but on an average week I work him for about an hour a night either hacking or schooling then 2 hours at weekends.....we both like a good blow out when we hack and have upped the gear so that we're doing alot of hill trot work and lots of cantering....we enjoy a good gallop a couple of times a week and jumping on hacks....

 

[GinaGem]

Hi ya,

I have a 3/4 ID x 1/4 TB and on average we do 5 hours work a week, generally spread over 5 days. We do about 2 individual schooling sessions (mainly flat but some jumping), 2 hacks and one competition (usually doing two classes). Sometimes we go for a long hack (up to 3hrs) on a sunday if we don't have a competition or do some jumping in the field. She has plenty of energy for all of this and could do more if i had the time.

Sounds like your boy should be fairly fit so you could gradually increase the work load but make sure you feed appropraitely (sp).

xxx

 

[Tempi]

im fit when it comes to riding, but i couldnt run a mile!!!! its really bizarre!!

Bloss can start getting angry if im asking her to do more difficult stuff, then i stop and just take her for a good canter round the fields to let her chill out!

 

[Claireg9]

Typical week for me would be:
Monday - 30-60 mnutes schooling
Tuesday - Hack out for 45 minutes or a 30 minute trott all the way hack!
Wednesday - Day Off or Schooling as monday
Thursday - Lungeing for 40 odd minutes with pessoa
Friday - Schooling as monday
Sat - Day Off or Lung or hack
Sunday - Jumping or maybe competing when she right.

This does change due to a hectic life but that is typical, her schooling is longer if i have a lesson or ride in the afternoon, but she will loose interest as shes still learning.

I also like to box her up and take her to the woods for a couple of hours sometimes too!

 

[katiejaye]

[ QUOTE ]
im fit when it comes to riding, but i couldnt run a mile!!!! its really bizarre!!

[/ QUOTE ]

That's exactly what i'm like! I have plenty stamina riding...especially when i'm xc or jumping I to be having the looney horse who like to run at everything 100omph! My hubby ran the marathon this year and I nearly passed out after chasing him down the road for half a mile

!

After my lesson on Wed though my instructor told me my legs are too weak and little and I need to do leg weights

Louis was having a "I don't feel like responding to your legs" days!

 

[Helga1980]

I keep on thinking I should go to the gym but with work and everything else I can only just make time to ride (yard is also 12 miles from home so adds time) so I don't see where I can find the time.

As it is boyfriend keeps commenting on the fact he never sees me!!