Work - light / med / hard - definitions?

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scotsmare

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There was an ehm, "lively" debate at yard this morning over work levels (was ultimately feeding related). Got me thinking though - what do YOU define as light / med / hard work?

My 4yr old is getting backed just now - worked 6 days a week for approx 1/2hr - 45min at a time - to me, that's light work.

Thoughts??
 
Yep, would be light work to me too. Mine is in light work - she normally gets worked about 30-40mins in the school approx 4 days during the week and we hack out for 1-2 hrs Sat and Sun - I looked this up ages ago on my feed bag and this workload is classified as light on there...
 
I ride Charlie approximately 5 times a week. 1 day schooling, 1 day jumping and 3 days hacking. Each ride is about 1hr long. He is in light work.

I would say medium is being ridden 6 days for about 2 hours at at time and out competing at least once a week.

Heavy work I would say is racehorses, Endurance and Hunters (over winter).
 
Mine gets a day off about once every 2-3 weeks, shes a nightmare otherwise, shes an all or nothing kind of a horse. She gets a month or so off now and then.

She gets ridden in the school for an hour a time, mainly in trot, hacked for at least 2 hours - a wander is 30mins and might be after a session in the school. Has a lesson once a week and competes once a week.

I don't think shes in much more the light/med work...? Hard work to me would be when she is hunting fit.
 
Think it depends what you do in the ridden session as much as length of time?

An hour of concentrated schooling involving walk, trot, canter with either jumps, newly introduced flat work movements etc would maybe constitute more medium work.
If your lucky enough to have hacking with lots of hill work and gallops then again an hour of that as opposed to going for a nice walk, trot and wee canter would much harder (obviously).

:-)
 
So difficult to define, isn't it. It also depends what feed manufacturer you use as they all differ! From the back of my feed sack, my mare is in light work - ridden 6 days a week, 1hr schooling/jumping or 1.5hr relatively strenuous hacking - and either lesson or Novice eventing or dressage comp fortnightly.
 
If during your schooling you are doing lots of canter and pole work which includes new movements for the horse then I would say you are moving into the medium work arena. The feedlines are very helpful in giving advice re-feeding if you explain exactly what you are doing.
 
Light work apparently is nearly every horse in the country.
Med. work - eventers etc
Hard work - race horses and polo pony's.

This is according to an equine nutritionist who gave the pc a talk, i think everyone was a bit shocked and i think about 90% of the pony's were being fed innapropriately.
 
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