young horse fitness......

[Devonshire dumpling]

Our 5 yr old was broken at 4, done very little work until 4.5, then was ridden 8 miles 3 times a week including some canter work and hunted once ( end of season hot day little scent so very slow).....
We have continued to ride him on 3-4 times per week since then, schooling but mainly schooling hacks, he can trot a 4 mile hack (fields) with hardly breaking into a sweat, but canter him and boy does he blow.

Today we did a couple cross country jumps with him and a couple laps of a 20 acre field and he was blowing so hard for quite a while and sweating like a goodin, he then was asked to round up the tame sheep who had little respect for us so was cutting etc... and then he was really shattered, couldn't be bothered to spook after that and was blowing for a good 5-10 mins and very sweaty....

now my reallys stupid question is, is this normal for a horse to be seemingly unfit in canter doing or is it a young thing (having to work hard witrh balance etc.... or would most horses be that out of puff if they were fit?

Numpty question probably!! Do we need to work on cardiovascular to get him to be more comfortable? He wasn't noisy just blowing his nostrils as if he had run the derby!

 

[Devonshire dumpling]

anyone?

 

[Suziq77]

If I make my 5 year old "think" in the school she sweats and tires after about 20 minutes, if we trot and canter on hacks then not so much. It's easy to forget how "new" things take so much more out of them. For example, if I go out to dressage I usually ride two tests, this weekend we did long arena tests for the first time and by the second one she was totally pooped and I wished I had only asked her to do one. They can be quite fit for usual work but introduce something new and at that age it takes a lot out of them mentally. The first time I took her out in the box for a practice she slept flat out for most of the afternoon! Hope this helps a bit.

 

[Suziq77]

should also have said, mine does the massive blowing nostrils too - without appearing to be in respiratory distress or difficulty. it's like she's saying "oh, my, god, wow, that was SO exciting". when she was first hacked after just being backed she used to snort and blow like an excited little piggy just walking round the lanes.

 

[Devonshire dumpling]

If I make my 5 year old "think" in the school she sweats and tires after about 20 minutes, if we trot and canter on hacks then not so much. It's easy to forget how "new" things take so much more out of them. For example, if I go out to dressage I usually ride two tests, this weekend we did long arena tests for the first time and by the second one she was totally pooped and I wished I had only asked her to do one. They can be quite fit for usual work but introduce something new and at that age it takes a lot out of them mentally. The first time I took her out in the box for a practice she slept flat out for most of the afternoon! Hope this helps a bit.

Yes thanks, if we pop him over jumps hes tired fast, likewise if he has 20 mins schooling its the equiv. of him hacking for an hour lol.... its just hes getting quite muscled up and can walk trot for ever, miles on end, didn't get too puffed out hunting (little canter work that day)... but get him to canter a few fields and hes puffing like I don't know what, wondered if this is normal ie a young thing.. not sure how he will cope with fast hunting come winter, perhaps really need to work on cardio! x