Whats the maximum time a horse can be exercised at a riding school per day?

[RockyxCobx]

Hello, just wondering what the maximum time a riding school horse can be exercised for per day? Is there any welfare acts that states a maximum? Thank you

 

[LaurenM]

Hello, just wondering what the maximum time a riding school horse can be exercised for per day? Is there any welfare acts that states a maximum? Thank you

I've never heard about there being a limit but I'm sure there's a limit to how many hours a carriage horse can work.

If you're concerned why don't you contact a local horse charity for advice?

 

[Moggy in Manolos]

I may be well off the mark here but think I heard once its about 5-6hours per day

 

[Chellebean]

I would have thought it would depend on the individual horse and what it was capable and who was ridding it?

 

[Tinsel Town]

Our school allows for horses to be used for max 4 hours and even then that depends on what sort of work they have been doing, if its heavy its less than 4- I'm sure the BHS will have guidelines on this on their website

 

[fitzaud2]

I didn't realise there was a maximum, but i would think 4 hours to be nice to the horses. Especially if they are being used every day!! Lots of riding schools, however, will use them for as long as they have customers.
The riding school where I learned to ride in, and where my daughter now rides is only open 3 days a week. tues, fri & sat. 2 hours on tuesday and friday and all day sat. 5 hrs on a sat, but any of the older ponies are alternated so they would ride for 2/3 hours, and lots of that would be total beginners so mostly walking and a bit of trotting. They actually still have a pony in the rs that was there when I was there, he's 31 this year and still absoutely flying it, you'd never give him 31!! He still takes off down the xc when the mood takes him, but i dont think he'd survive outside of rs anymore, he's been there that long. The owner offered him to me for my kids as semi-retirement home, but declined as he is so unpredictable when taken out of rs. Institutionalised!!!!!! But best pony ever xcountry!!!

 

[RockyxCobx]

Thanks for all the replies, very helpful

 

[mini-eventer]

Well where I am they tend to do a MAX of 3 at the weekend (they wont all do 3 and we also look at how intense the lesson is)

In the week they all get at least one day off and a few of them get 2 or 3 days off. If they are working they usually do 2 lessons max only 3 if we are really busy. I think 5-6 hours is too much tbh

 

[neeny5]

I thought it was a max of 3 hours.

 

[MrsHutt]

I think (hope) it would depend on the horse, a lot of the time. Our school has some lively characters who could go all day and others who tire more easily, or medical/age restrictions. YO will consider each horse and how they do. We have one old lady of 29 who is still the best for the littlies to learn on, but she'll only do a max of 1/2 hour once or twice a week.

Hugo has been filling in for the top school horse while he's been on 'sick leave' this week, so had a lot of work (for him) - probably max 2 half hour schooling sessions and an hour hack a day, with at least one day with no work. All of them have had to 'step up' to fill in for the poorly one, and most of them seem to have enjoyed the extra work, but I think that is probably quite a light load, compared to some places. They are all 'working livery', so get ridden by their owners too.

 

[Ella19]

there's no time limit on the riding school inpections list from councils however it does state the ponies much have adequate breaks with access to water.

 

[corrie153]

when I was learning to ride as all horses were limited to 2hrs per day so in all they could be used in two lessons each day. it was very very rare that a horse/pony did back to back lessons as they tried to let the horse/pony have at least an hours break b4 its next lesson.