Work load

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Nicki85

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Could i have a few thoughts on this workload please? Is it to much?

Friday: dressage (prelim 17)
Saturday: 10 mile sponsored ride
Sunday: 1 clear round sj or one round at 2ft 3

Do you think i should omit the sj on Sunday and give her a day off?

She is pretty fit, worked twice a day 5 days a week (1hr approx at a time) and then at the weekends she normally has a low level competition and a day off.

But as i am getting my jumping confidence back i would love to take her round the clear round sj. But i also do not want tire her out!

Opinions please
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I don't think it's too much. TBH I'm not up on dressage so don't know, but I would think it's a mental as much as physical thing. A 10mile 'hack', at a reasonably steady pace is nothing to a fit horse and would probably help her relax from the Friday. One round of jumping is also not really a strain.

My horse does about 10 miles everytime we hack and he is hardly in top form.

Is there a lot of travelling to these events as I think that's the only thing that would bother me?
 
How old is your horse?

Blimey ... do you really ride her twice a day - 5 days a week?
What do you do with her during those two hours?

Perhaps you need two horses if you ride this much?

Sorry, not having a go at all, don't take it the wrong way but this sounds a lot to me, I would be interested in others opinions ?
 
HtG - PMSL at your siggy!
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Two hours a day isn't a lot really. Depends what you are doing and your horse. A 10 mile hack just walking and the odd trot takes about 1.45mins. I would think an hour schooling/jumping and an hour hacking a day is not a really heavy load if your horse is used to it.
 
I think it all depends on whether you are planning to jump at the sponsored ride and do lots or fast work? If my horse ever does fast work or was to jump on firm ground (like at the moment) then the following day I would be walking out as I think there will have sore and tired muscles. This is just my opinion and the way I have always done things. Friends will happily have a heavy lesson oneday followed by a ODE but my horses have never benefited from this
 
Hi ChicoMio,

Thanks - the siggy coment was done just for you!

I think I am just a lazy bugger and only ride my horses once or twice a week! Can't get over someone riding one horse twice a day, it has inspired me, I am getting my boots on as we speak ... I'm off to do 10 miles!!

Ps: how did the horse viewing go?
 
I would say absolutely no problem whatsoever. I used to take my old horse out competing at least 3 times a week either showjumping, eventing or Dressage. I would happily compete on a Saturday and then do a 12 mile pleasure ride on a Sunday and then have a lesson Monday. He even did an 8 mile pleasure ride with 30 jumps twice over. Had a lovely time and he was still totally up for it. Mine was ridden 6 days a week , occasionaly 7 days a week and he loved it. e was never a field ornament and just loved to get out and go. He would travel miles in the trailer - meals on wheels as far as he is concerned as he spent his life on restricted grazing as he could put on weight just looking at food.

You know the horse, you know how fit he is. Go with your own judgement.
 
Hermangerman you made me chuckle! Maggie is on full livery and is used by students for their BHS exams. So hence the work load!
She does a bit of everything, normally jumped 3-4 times a week and schooling or hacking the rest. Never ridden on hard ground (we have 5 sand schools)

I ride her 3-4 times a week dependant on my work and normally do the opposite of what she has done with the students.

Shes a good girl and loves working, shes always really keen especially if there is a jump or hack involved!!

Saying that she will be coming out of student lessons soon as her owner will be getting back on after having a baby.

Oh and she is 16.
 
Ah, your horse sounds great, I am sure she is fine with the work load, working livery sounds just what my two lazy ned's need!

Perhaps it would inspire me to get them out more, you should see their faces when I walk up to them with their tack ... shock
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'what are we being ridden for the 2nd time this week'????
 
My own opinion is that its too much- both emotionlly and physically- and the horse may not perform so well on the sunday jumping through tiredness both with the muscles and the brain. So the confidence giving experience may not be so successful.

for me - horses are not machines, and even a trained athlete would not compete three days in a row.
 
We used to regularly do 10-12mile fun rides on two fit cobs that were used in an RS for at least an hour a day.
They were always given the day off afterwards and were usually quite tired at the end, but they (and we) did like to gallop and jump on the rides - which is why their owner liked us to do the rides on them, to give them some fun outside the RS.
Guess it depends on how much you do on the ride?

Our current horse works six days a week and will often do a two or three day show, but we make sure that she doesn't do loads of classes on all three days, and has at least one day off afterwards. She actually gets bored and charges around her field if she has too much time off, so I guess the ideal workload depends on the horse!
 
Yes, I would say the sunday is too much. When I took my horses to a spon ride (who were hunting fit, and went twice a week) they always got the following day off afterwards.
 
Hmmm interesting range of responses!

I will see how she feels after the ride on the Sat, see how fast she wants to go (probably very!) and then decide about the sj. Its at the yard so no big deal really if we do it or not.

Thanks for the comments its good to hear everybodies points of view. I think i will book a lesson to go round the jumps with my instructor later on in the week. No doubt i will get more out of that as well!

Maggie does love to work and will always try her best. Its difficult to tell sometimes if she is being worked to hard as she will always have her ears pricked when she sees the next jump!
 
well personally if shes fit and used to doing 2 hours of good work each day id say its not a problem.

doing one 5mins dressage test is prob like a half day to her if shes used to doing two hours each day.esp as its a prelim test, hardly tiring.
10mile sponsored ride- depends what sort of ride it is.if you re planning to be galloping and jumping the whole time she could be a bit achey if its not the sort of work shes used to.
and one round of show jumping isnt exactly taxing.

but also take into account in the travelling time is going to be high as this will tire her mentally and physically.
 
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