Weight gain & fitness

Holidays_are_coming

Holidays_are_coming

Well-Known Member
Joined
4 April 2008
Messages
6,447
Location
Northamptonshire
Visit site
I think little miss impatient is striking again, Ive had my new boy 10 ish weeks and he is slowly putting on weight and getting fitter, he is being fed:

2 mugs of copra a day
2 Scoops of Alfalfa oil
100mls linseed oil
Vits and mins and probiotics

He has adlib hay and turnout but only eats what he wants to. He seems to love the Alfafa A

He gets worked 5 times a week, usually:
1 lesson flat/jump - usually 1/2hr unless its a group
I schooling session at home
3 hacks usually 1 easy one and 2 1hr/1.5hr fast work with increasing amounts of trot/canter as he slowly gets fitter.

He is getting fitter but especially jumping seems to really tire him out. Before I had he he was worked 2-4 times a week but not at any intensity and last year he had 9 months off due to a serious illness.

Any ideas of anything I could add to his feed? how long would you expect for his fitness to pick up?

Chocolate buttons to share!
 
It sounds as if he is coming along well, 10 weeks is not that long after a long break, illness and inconsistent exercise, his base level of fitness will be pretty much nonexistent so you will find it takes another few months for him to really have the stamina you are striving for.
The feed sounds good and I don't think this is down to feeding just good consistent exercise building up over the next few months, once he is really fit you will find he should maintain it more easily.
 
I think you've answered your own question re impatience :) Ten weeks isn't long at all if he's been in such light work for a long time before, and had a long break before that. Mine came back after about a year off (for a succession of annoying and boring rather than dramatic veterinary reasons!) and we did 12 weeks' walking and are still only trotting now. Between the copra and the alfalfa he's getting a decent amount of slow release energy, so I'd agree that it's a matter of letting him get to a point where he finds the exertion easier rather than feeding him more. :)
 
Last edited:
You could always take a more scientific approach and do some interval training, complete with taking pules rates. I find that sort of thing fascinating though, so maybe I'm not the one to ask!
 
Having just read the brilliant old riders poem/thread, i thought this one was going to be about us older ladies and gentlemen putting on weight over christmas!!
 
TGM said:
What was the serious illness? Might be significant in assessing what level of fitness you can expect.
Click to expand...

He had strangles the pus was up by his ear so didnt drain well, had to have minor surgery to get rid of it, then he got a serious complication - •Purpura haemorrhagica!!! Sounds really horrible poor boy!!
 
Last edited:
Has he had his blood tested sincd he got better? Could be amaemic.
ten weeks isnt long though so I wouldnt be too worried yet . You could add soaked oats.
id feed linseed meal rather than the oil.
 
Holidays_are_coming said:
Oh I'm open to science! Never done that before though where can I find out more????
Click to expand...

If you Google something like 'horse interval training' lots of stuff comes up but you don't really need anything technical and I'll admit, going on pulse rates without a heart monitor is tricky! But riding 'to the clock' regularly can be an interesting way of gauging fitness as well as building it, as it gives you concrete parameters. We often think we're doing more/less with our horses than we are, especially as the seasons change.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top