Winter routine when can't hack during the week?

[beatrice]

Mornings,

I was just wondered what everyone's work routines look like for those of us who can't ride in daylight during the week?

I ride before work during the week so i'm just curious how others structure their sessions when stuck in the arena. My mare is competing elementary/ heading towards Medium.

Her summer routine is usually something like:
Mon - Lunge
Tues - School
Wed - Hack
Thurs - School
Fri - Off
Sat - Hack
Sun - Lesson/competition or another school.

Last winter the girls on the yard hacked her on the Wednesday but I'd like to try and avoid that this year. Grace seems to enjoy her work but definitely appreciates some variety and I'd hate for her to get stale going in the arena 4 days in a row. Our arena is 40x60 and we have plenty of jumps etc (Grace hasn't really jumped but seems happy to have a go).

Thanks in advance!

 

[Flowerofthefen]

I'm afraid I've juggled my work hours in the hope I can keep variety in his work. I've got wed afternoons off until Xmas and I'm starting work later, 9 am, in the hope I can still get out hacking before work. As long as I can hack a couple of times a week I'm happy with that. Hate being confined to the arena.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

One of my horses doesn't hack out very well and one of my friends often has her young child with her during the week, so we often just have a bit of a hack around the school we mainly just walk and chat but the horses seem to enjoy it, it just gives them a break from schooling or some days we do a pole work day and just change the pole pattern every week so it just makes a bit of a change.

 

[Bernster]

May not work for you but I have them hacked in the week by the yard and I have a sharer who hacks Finn twice a week. Otherwise they’d only do school work with me. I try to limit work in the school to around x3/4 a week, with a mix of lunging, flatwork, poles and occasional jumping.

 

[beatrice]

I'm afraid I've juggled my work hours in the hope I can keep variety in his work. I've got wed afternoons off until Xmas and I'm starting work later, 9 am, in the hope I can still get out hacking before work. As long as I can hack a couple of times a week I'm happy with that. Hate being confined to the arena.

Well this may have given me an idea. I work from home thur/fri so maybe i change her day off to Wednesday, hack Thurs and then school Friday before hacking again at the weekend. Will give me an extra hour of daylight to play with!

 

[beatrice]

May not work for you but I have them hacked in the week by the yard and I have a sharer who hacks Finn twice a week. Otherwise they’d only do school work with me. I try to limit work in the school to around x3/4 a week, with a mix of lunging, flatwork, poles and occasional jumping.

Thats what i did last year I'm trying avoid the yard hacking her as I don't trust them 100% anymore. The odd hack/holiday cover is fine but I don't really want them to ride on a regular basis.

 

[RachelFerd]

I pay someone to hack out once a week during the week so that I can juggle work and provide the variety.

 

[nikkimariet]

Pole work? Interval work? I hybrid work home/office so try and play it to allow me to canter in the field in daylight in lieu of hacking.

 

[Jango]

I work 90% and have weds afternoons off. I cam also a late start, late finish day I'd I don't have any early meetings 10-6.30. I'd have an informal chat with your boss in the first instance. A longer lunch, late start or something might be possible?

Otherwise I think getting someone to hack them is the best solution, along with varying the work done in the school as much as possible.

 

[mavandkaz]

My summer routine is similar to yours. I have the added issue that my boy has several medical issues so am really aware of not doing too much school work. Also means he can't jump.
My winter routine looks something like:
Mon: off (I work late so no option really)
Tues: school
Wed: in hand/longrein pole work
Thurs: school
Fri: off
Sat: hack
Sun: hack or compete.

I am lucky in that I do have access to off road riding direct from yard, so depending on weather and how quickly I can leave work, I can sneak round for a quick walk every now and then

 

[scats]

I’m fortunate in that we have off road riding around the farm so I set off in the dark in the winter mornings and then we watch the sun rise as we come back.

 

[Starzaan]

I was interviewed for an article about this in last month’s Your Horse Magazine. See if you can get your hands on it because (although I do say so myself) it was excellent ?

 

[NinjaPony]

When I worked for a school and got to the yard at half 4 I could squeeze a hack round their fields up until it got dark by 5. Then I would do some polework or inhand work instead of schooling, and make sure I hacked at the weekend once. That was when he was in work 4 days a week as he was older and very well established (and competing at a lower level). When he was in more work, I used to either have a sharer to hack him out in the daylight, or paid the yard to hack him out.

 

[LEC]

I find it’s best not to worry. I had no arena, corporate job with no flexibility but I did have decent turnout during the day. Found decent hacking/hillwork one day a week at weekends, a lesson mid week and then maybe a competition at weekends kept them ticking over fine. Maybe go for 2 days off in a row if you have turnout and they are pretty sensible.

 

[beatrice]

Thanks everyone. Pleased I’m not the only one to think about this.
Im quite restricted with who is allowed on the yard to ride - I really don’t want to use the grooms and it seems silly to pay the rider that comes to school the other horses just for hacking.

Our turnout is ok - they are out everyday but in the depths of winter it will only be until lunchtime. Gracie whilst sensible, definitely appreciates work so I try and do as much as I can but won’t stress if she has extra days off this winter!
Im going to jiggle my days around to make use of my working from home days so I can ride a little later so should squeeze another hack in during the week.
Really appreciate everyone’s help.

 

[Shoei]

Chester doesn't hack after being chased by a dog, so to try and keep it varied I include in hand work, I do a lot of TRT exercises and he enjoys this. I also do in hand work over poles

 

[Fieldlife]

I’m lucky I can often start work after 10am so my winter routine doesn’t change much, I just pretty much stop riding after work and only ride before work or odd lunchtime.

I also take the odd half day off Nov / Dec / January just to make sure I get more daylight riding time.

My routine is roughly

Hack
School
Groundwork
Hack
Lesson / compete
Repeat.

I try and hack 2-3 times a week
School 2-3 times a week
Do 1-2 sessions of in hand / groundwork

 

[sbloom]

I would give two days off a week if that helps, swapping from a Friday as you say. Actually horses don't need working daily in the way we think they do, time to process and rest is good. Then arena work can be much more varied, lunging is great for horses If done really well, but few horses move truly straight on the lunge. Have a look at some groundwork for posture, maybe try some horse agility etc.

 

[Goldenstar]

Two days a week through the worst part of winter is a great idea if you are at work g as long as there’s decent turnout .

 

[Flowerofthefen]

I do think we worry a bit too much about tiding in the winter unless you need a really fit horse or for veterinary reasons. As long as they have plenty of turnout most can manage on a few days riding a week. As long as your conscious about the amount of work you can do with a horse only being ridden a couple of times a week there shouldn't be an issue.

 

[beatrice]

I def worry too much about riding in the winter - feel really guilty if she has an unscheduled day off but seems extra days off here and there really isn't the worst thing.

Our turnout will reduce to mornings only but she will go out everyday. I think they only had one day in last winter but that was only because the snow drifts were too deep to get to the fields!

 

[JGC]

Yes, mine have two days off all year round, but works well in winter. They're out from 8 to 5 so get enough time out. Two days work, one day off, three days on, one day off.

I read somewhere that Carl and Charlotte's horses do two schooling session, one hack, then a day off - if it's true, then if it's good enough for them, it's good enough for me and my ponies

 

[KittyH]

I’m fortunate in that we have off road riding around the farm so I set off in the dark in the winter mornings and then we watch the sun rise as we come back.

Me too. I have 400m of single track road, then I'm off road. Wear hi viz. I rotate mine so the first one gets ridden in the school in the dark, on the second one at 7am and its light by the time I'm in my office with electric lighting...

 

[palo1]

I try to get my 2 as fit as I can before the clocks change and it gets harder to put riding time in. From the end of October to the beginning of December (about 6 weeks) it's tricky as they are basically just kept going during the week; ridden twice in the week and both days at weekends. The two rides during the week include hill work and fast work. Being ridden 4 x weekly seems to work well during these, the hardest weeks. I take some leave over Christmas and this helps me to ride a bit more and top up the fitness and then, thank goodness, after the winter solstice I know things will get a bit easier AND the horses are generally fit enough to coast again for a few weeks. It feels a bit cheaty but I do take what work they have done into account when I am trail hunting/drag hunting so I can go home early if either feels like they are struggling. Tbh they seem to do well on this schedule and when fit, really fit, they don't need much work to keep going. The rest days are also important during winter; neither of my horses who are both quite sharp and lively, demand extra work in bad weather lol!

Every horse is different of course and everyone's fitness requirements differ so go with what you think will work as the best compromise for both of you.

 

[Fieldlife]

I try to get my 2 as fit as I can before the clocks change and it gets harder to put riding time in. From the end of October to the beginning of December (about 6 weeks) it's tricky as they are basically just kept going during the week; ridden twice in the week and both days at weekends. The two rides during the week include hill work and fast work. Being ridden 4 x weekly seems to work well during these, the hardest weeks. I take some leave over Christmas and this helps me to ride a bit more and top up the fitness and then, thank goodness, after the winter solstice I know things will get a bit easier AND the horses are generally fit enough to coast again for a few weeks. It feels a bit cheaty but I do take what work they have done into account when I am trail hunting/drag hunting so I can go home early if either feels like they are struggling. Tbh they seem to do well on this schedule and when fit, really fit, they don't need much work to keep going. The rest days are also important during winter; neither of my horses who are both quite sharp and lively, demand extra work in bad weather lol!

Every horse is different of course and everyone's fitness requirements differ so go with what you think will work as the best compromise for both of you.

I find there’s about a months respite of extra morning light when clocks first change. Think December and January harder even after solstice.

 

[palo1]

I find there’s about a months respite of extra morning light when clocks first change. Think December and January harder even after solstice.

Yes, December and January can be completely brutal but I have found over years of doing this that you can, with fit horses, get to the end of January without too much trouble; I think for me it is because I generally take leave over Christmas enough to top up the fitness. Either that or years ago, I would simply give up in December and give the horses a few weeks holiday, picking them back up at the end of January.

 

[Petmurf]

Luckily our yards new arena was finished yesterday so just in time for winter so my plan is 2 schooling sessions on a Tuesday and Thursday morning before work, lesson every other week when I have a Friday afternoon off, the week inbetween lessons my YO will get him out for a weekday daylight hack and I’ll hack one weekend day so 4x a week minimum but obviously weather dependent

 

[JustMe22]

I don't hack during the week so usually do something like
Monday: off
Tuesday: dressage lesson
Wednesday: jump
Thursday: Lunge (with poles)
Friday: school
Saturday/Sunday: One day school and one day hack (if there's a show I swap the schooling for competing)

 

[Walrus]

I don't see mine in the light mon-fri due to work from late Sept to March. I have a rule no more than 2 days in a row in the school and use days off or if work really gets in the way the horsewalker at the yard to intersperse. Then use weekends for hacking if not doing an activity. I've accepted 2 days off a week is fine, we have turnout of some description all year whether in the field or all weather pen. At the moment I'm doing hack sat and sun, school mon, day off Tues, school wed, lesson Thurs, day off Fri. But it shifts around if I'm away with work. I occasionally get the yard to ride if I'm away for a few days.

 

[ycbm]

As long as the horse is turned out for a good length of time every day then the only exercise they usually need is what will keep them fit to do what you want to do that week when you have the daylight.

It used to upset me seeing horses out drag hunting that I knew had barely had any exercise all week, but they'd have been fine for an hour's steady hacking.
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