When you can only ride at weekends

[MyBoyChe]

Just pondering, with the dark nights I can really only ride at weekends, no school at yard but if fields are dry can do the odd bit of schooling 2 mornings a week, although tbh this doesnt really interest me or Che! So we are restricted to weekends which is not a major problem, but, when the weather is awful, wet and windy I don't really feel safe venturing out on to the roads, which are unavoidable, so sometimes we can go a couple of weeks with no work at all. Che is out all day and stabled at night so gets plenty of natural exercise, he has a high fibre and forage only diet and this year I havent bothered to clip him cos he's doing so little work. He is a TB, but very laid back and has the most fantastic nature, a real gentleman. So far, I havent had any issues with his low work load, he is naturally quite a lazy horse and was bought as a hack, but just wondering am I asking too much to expect him to remain calm and chilled whilst doing so little. Does anyone else have a TB who does pretty much nothing through the winter but still stays 'sensible".

 

[Katie__Connie]

I have a connemara that does this over the winter... and does NOT remain sensible..

 

[reddie]

My TB is also very laid back and lazy. He gets ridden most weekends during the winter as we are lucky enough to have an indoor school, but if for various reasons he doesnt get ridden he is still fine as long as he gets turnout

 

[Spottyappy]

Have a part TB, will live out til probably early December assuming fields not totally trashed before then,quite happily.Then comes in over night, out in day. I don;t usuallly ride from December through to end FEB, and once I start to ride again, he is fine.Can even allow my 13 year daughter on him immediately as he is so laid back he's horizontal!
Think it's largely down to natural temperment and also how you handle it.If you expect them to get wound up, no doubt they will!

 

[MyBoyChe]

Thank you guys. Spottyappy, there is definitely something in what you say about how you treat them. Che is the only TB on a very small yard with a mix of ponies. I tend to treat him just like one of the ponies, with a few allowances for his delicate constitution

and he definitely behaves like a pony. Cheeky and naughty but absolutely no malice.

 

[SO1]

I can only ride at the weekends now the clocks have changed but my pony lives out 24/7 and is clipped and rugged. He does to some extent exercise himself as he is in a field with a big hill and the water trough is far from the area where the ponies like to graze so they have to move about.

As I can only ride at the weekends I tend to go out even if the weather is bad - unless the roads are icey and slippery. I base this on if the pony is happy grazing in the field in the same weather then no excuse for him to get silly going out for a ride in the same weather.

If your horse goes out during the day then he will have time to let off steam if he wants a run about. If you are riding less you might also want to adjust his feed so he is not on anything too heating.