Workload for a 4yr Old... (well she is 4 in a fortnight)

I'm all for starting very slowly. At 3, mine was not ready, at 4 she was injured, now at 5... we're starting again.

I'd say never more than 30 minutes a day to start with.
 
10-15 mins a day to start with, and slowly build up. Remember their back muscles have to be built up to take your weight, just like the rest of their body. Try going for a mile jog with back pack on and see how you feel at the end of it, exchausted???? and slowly build up till you can manage 2-5 miles, that is how a horse feels, when it's first broken in and started, never mind sore back neck etc:-
 
Long reining, hacking etc should be the basis of a "babies" education. All stuff to get them thinking forward, and to build their balance and confidence up :)
 
I think it depends a lot on the individual horse - how mature they are. Ground work and long reining, backing, then perhaps short hacks. Maybe some pole work from the ground, to give them variety. Some horses need more stimulation/challenge than others and get bored easily, so that is something to take into account too.

I prefer doing frequent short sessions rather than infrequent long ones, but I also think it is absolutely fine to give them time off. My overall aim would be to give them "general life experience" and a positive working relationship, rather than hours and hours of "schooling".

It also depends on the rider's aims and goals. Personally I prefer backing them as 4 year olds and I am not on a "schedule" to compete them. Other people want to compete in 4 year old classes.
 
Walk, Trot and hacking out, Building her up gradually, start with 10 mins and increase it when shes ready.
 
Berkeley said:
I work mine on weekends for 30 mins and by the end of Sunday he is dead!
Click to expand...

PMSL

To the OP: the bottom line is you need to vary the workload. It's like having a kid really... ever captured a little kids attention through the same boring thing each day?

So, maybe just do (for never more than 30 mins)...

Monday: Groundwork
Tuesday: Walking Out (on a lead rope or so)
Wednesday: Lungeing (never more than 15 mins... it's 20 mins max. no matter what age - circles not good for limbs)
Thursday: Groundwork
Friday: Day Off and be a horse
Saturday: Walking Out
Sunday: Walking Out

I find, young horses tend to like the "walking out" bit.

Over time (maybe three weeks or so), you can start changing the "Walking Out" bits to "long reining".

Then, after another three weeks of that you can start hopping on and convert those "Long reining" sessions to "Hopping on and friend takes me around school on a lead rope" - after which you can do the same thing on your "Walking Out" route.

That, in turn would become a "Gentle Hack"... and then you can start converting one of the Hacking Days to Light Schooling and so forth...

Just an idea... but it's better than doing the same thing each day again and again.

It also depends on the horse, for obvious reasons.
 
Agree with those above that it really depends on the horse and what you have done so far. We backed ours last summer then he had the winter off, came back in feb and now built up to what I think of as the right workload for him. He will be 4 next month.
Anyway we are now up to one 20min schooling session a week or a lesson if I have one booked, and ideally two hacks of about 45 mins but I'm a bit restricted at the moment as the hacking from our yard goes straight onto a main road so have to pick my times/companions carefully! If can't hack will vary things by riding in the field instead of school. Hoping to move house this year and if we do will move yards to where I can build up the hacking over the autumn winter. We only do a tiny bit of canter in school as I am in no hurry, we will prob try a few little x poles in a month or two, maybe have a play with some baby xc stuff, water, little steps, etc over the summer. I also try and take him somewhere on the lorry at least once a fortnight to go for a hack or use someone else's school. His longest hack to date was 1hr15 and he was fine.
But I really don't intend to do anything with him more than 3 or max 4 times a week this year, and I'm not into lunging him - maybe next winter but not before.
 
Im in the same situation! Mine is 4 in a week. I backed him last summer and hacked him out once a week over the summer. Then turned him away over winter and brought him back end of feb/march. Been hacking him out a few times a week and some ground work. Not really planning on changing that much for a while. Hopefully going to some shows with him in the summer though :D
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top