What's your riding routine when you have more than one...

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express_75

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So...I have my newly backed 4yr old Welsh D back at home and I have my 10yr old Welsh D. The 4 yr old hacks perfectly alone and in company and is coming along in the school.
It's a bit of a shock to the system (in a good way) to have two to ride as they're both so different.
Was wondering how everyone else does things?

I work full time so get to ride after work and at weekends.

How much work should the youngster have?
 
I'm in a similar situation - I have a recently backed four year old warmblood and an eight year old to exercise and I work full time and live 30 minutes from the yard .... It's not easy is it? :D

I go and get them both ridden as early every morning as I can cope with. The yard is so quiet at that time, the roads are quiet and the school is generally empty so it's much easier to get on with it without distraction. I tend to do the young one first as she gets a little impatient if left in for too long. It's her first year being stabled so she's still learning to cope, bless her! I don't worry about grooming, just a quick going over of the saddle area, legs etc and then throw the tack on. In the summer, when they don't need rugs, I ride them to their fields and untack there and throw them out to save a few more minutes.

How about riding one and leading the other so you can get both hacked out at once and save so much time? I used to do this a lot when I worked backing and breaking, we would lead the young horses out like this because we had so many to get through and it was very useful for their hacking confidence, their fitness and to save ourselves time! You do have to practise a bit though and of course make sure they get on okay to avoid accidents.
 
I ride them day about. The older horse is for and that keeps him ticking over. The young horse is building up his fitness so not over doing for him.
 
My riding Schedule looks something like this;

Week One-
Mon, Wed, Fri, Sat & Sun - work GK

Tues, Thurs, Sat & Sun - work Bo

Week Two-
Mon, Wed, Fri, Sat & Sun - work Bo

Tues, Thurs, Sat & Sun - work GK

It does change if one has been to a show... Who ever has been out gets 2 days off, so the other will be worked (either ridden or ground work). I change up what they are doing, so they don't get sour as both are quite active mentally. I lunge once a week and ride out on the trails once a week. I will add trot poles and small grids to schooling sessions and about once every 2 weeks we will do some jumping.
 
I have two to ride - my useless lump and my daughter's horse.

I knit one, pearl one, and drop one on a three day rota :)

As in school one, hack the other, next day swap, third day one gets the day off and I hack the other etc. Keeps everyone fit enough, including me.
 
I usually ride my old boy first because he takes a while to get going and is a bit of a lazy so-and-so.
then I ride my 6yo because he's lovely and forwards and I don't need as much energy :p
I sometimes ride my dad's horse as well.
The only time I won't ride both is on a Tuesday. I have a jumping lesson so Jerry gets the day off to enjoy his semi-retirement.

Generally, I just give them all a quick brush and pick their feet out otherwise I'd be at the yard for hours.
I put all the tack I'm going to use outside each horse's box before I get started to everything I need is there and I'm not faffing about between rides. :)
 
I have 3 to work, although only one of them is in hard work. I will normally do all 3 both days at the weekends, then my event mare will usually have mondays off and be worked every day. The 4yo will be worked twice during the week and the unfit 9yo will be worked 3 days. At the moment both of the 'others' are being lunged or walked under saddle in the arena. I try and do one before work and one after, unless i won't have time at either end of the day. Mine are all out 24/7 at the moment which makes life easier!
 
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