How much work does your horse actually do?

[Casper]

I'm one of those lazy horse owners who even though the weather is getting better can't seem to motivate herself to do to much!

This week for example, C was lunged for 30 minutes on Tuesday, ridden for about 50 minutes last night, will be hacked or schooled for about 30 minutes tomorrow and then have 2 45 minute hacks at the weekend - hacks will be all in walk although he will be asked to do some schooling.

I aim for 2 schooling sessions per week - usually a short 30 minute one focusing on a specific area and a longer one, at least 1 lunging session (or long lining as I'm about to start this) and then I'm trying to hack at the weekend as it's still not light enough after work (but it will be soon  )

I remember when I first bought C - I would ride every day without fail - now I prefer shorter schooling sessions (we both get bored) with lots of lunging and hacking  - when I hear about some people who school for an hour or more every day I wonder if perhaps I'm not doing enough (an also where do they find the time) - but then I realise, we're not training for the olympics so what does it matter!

Just interested in how often everyone else works their horse!

[ChrissieW]

My mare? - as little as she can possibly get away with!!! 

Seriously when I have a non broken or partially broken horse, I used to aim for 6 days a week in the summer, 4 - 5 in the winter and not panic if she only did 3 in the winter months.     

This would consist of a mix of lunging, hacking and schooling, usually 2 sessions of each, length could vary from an 30 - 60 minutes schooling, 20 - 30 minutes lunging/long reining or a couple of hours hack or anything in between.     

Personally I don't believe in "drilling" horses day in day out in the school, but then I keep my horses predominantly for pleasure and competition/schooling goals come second to that, although I do like a schooled horse, I also like a well rounded horse that knows how to have fun.

I also don't believe you can have a really fit horse by schooling in an arena alone and hill work/hacking etc should be an integral part of any horse's life.

Having said all that I keep my horses in an area where we have fantastic off road hacking and hills and whether I would feel the same if I had to face busy roads every day, I really don't know.    Probably it would still be my ideal, but I'd end up spending more time in the school.

I also agree about time - I'm on a fairly fixed rehab programme with Minnie at the moment, but that still has to bend and be flexible to fit in to time/light constraints.

I also am past the stage of riding in the dark and cold in the winter, I used to do it religiously when Minnie was young, but nowadays I'd rather give them some chill time and pick them up when things improve.

[catkin]

Mine are both in very light work. I have an old one and a young one so the actual sessions are quite short. I work them as often as I can, 6 or 7 days a week, as the young Welshie gives every sign of always wanting to do something, and yep, you've guessed it - if one goes out the other has to too .

I doubt if either of them do schooling sessions of more than 20-30 minutes, and hacks vary from 2 miles round the block to a couple of hours with a stop at the village shop (their fave).

They both do a mix of school-work ridden and on long-reins and hacking alone and together. On the 'days off' through time pressures or bad weather I often will have a session of clicker-training with the Welshie in the stable, we have fashioned ourselves a game of fetch with a dog toy. She has such an active brain she wants to do something . They are turned out daily as well.

What motivates me? - that eager little face if I have tack in my hand....................

[Claire]

at the moment not a lot ... still waiting for proper light nights and less freezing...no arena and no lights!

[DollysMum]

Not nearly enough!

In the last week, she's done 2 short fast hacks, 1 short slow hack and 1 long slow hack. I'll take her on a short fast one tomorrow and hopefully two fairly rapid long ones on the weekend but she really needs daily working, especially now the grass is shooting through...

[Appy2quarter]

Like others have said, not really enough!  Have been very ill with face pain so have to fit what I do around that and work which often means I can't get up to the yard.  Going out in the cold is a no no, but luckily I have a horse who lurrrves going in the school! 

I try and ride my gelding a couple of times in the school, we're doing stuff mainly in walk at the moment to try and recover from an incident where he got caught in the fence and panicked.  I then do inhand and clicker sessions involving lateral work, some lunging and flexions on the other days.  If weather allows I try and get out once or twice at the weekend.  So if I'm well he does 5-6 days, at the moment 4 possibly 5.  Sessions are generally shortish so that i stand a chance of getting home by 8 or so.

My mare is very stiff and can't do much ridden work other than a little amble, so I decided she could totally chill out during the winter.  It also takes a bit of pressure off me if I'm honest.  Trouble is, she has a majorly active brain so I do clicker sessions with her which she really enjoys.

The problem I have is that since clicker work they always want to do something and sometimes I don't!

[Candypony]

Candy averages 4 times per week - usually 2 schooling sessions, 1 lunge/free school, 1 hack. In the summer that might also include a jumping session or a trip out to do endurance/trec. Occasionally it's less than that, and sometimes we fit more in but 4 is how it often works out.

I used to worry about her not working any harder than that but to be honest, she's the kind of horse that keeps herself fit - and it's not affected our progress to reach the level of training we are now at (so maybe it's taken us a little longer - what's the rush?).  She's always been fit enough to cope with 5 day clinics or summer camp, and can easily complete 20 - 25km rides at a good speed.

Also, for me, that's just life - I have a busy job and spend 4 hours a day commuting, plus I teach ALL day alternate Sundays - so I have decided to be nicer to myself, and to Candy, and only ride to train on days that I am in the right frame of mind and have the energy to do so. If I don't, then I freeschool or hack - or simply give her a hug and go home to sleep.

[Casper]

and only ride to train on days that I am in the right frame of mind and have the energy to do so. If I don't, then I freeschool or hack - or simply give her a hug and go home to sleep.

That's the approach I take these days - I too work long hours and when I ride or lunge I'm rarely home before 9pm and for me it's not feasible to do this every day - I've learned there there is no point schooling if you're not it the right mindset!

[VR]

  Best way to be I'd say.

As for us well, pony now does a lot more work since he met Heather!  We used to be on a yard with no school so we didn't really do any schooling and just hacked out, short hacks at that and mostly in walk, 2/3 days a week!

These days, I am very fortunate in that I work where he is kept and whilst I never work him for very long I do I try to do something with him most days, even if it is just a short lunge or clicker training session as I find this all helps to keep him flexible and mobile (he has an old stifle problem, not so you'd notice now though!) but for me it is important that he has at least one day off a week just to give him a bit of a "brain break" I suppose. Most days we ride in the school/I or Ben have a lesson on him but as he is still not very established this is mainly in walk and trot (no canter) and with a bit of lateral work at the end. He usually does about 30-45 mins on average I'd say.

Weather permiting I do like to take him out for a hack too once a week if possible just to give him a bit of variety, this is nearly always in walk and rarely more than an hour ... largely because we don't know the hacking routes around here and often get lost!! 

[kezshad]

At the mo now it's getting lighter at night I'm lunging once a week, schooling once a week and hacking twice a week, or something along those lines.  Once it gets really light and when he's a bit fitter I'll probably up the schooling to twice a week and or hacking to three times a week.  He's quite a buzzy pony but loves something to concentrate on so he really enjoys being lunged and works really nicely.  He's very spooky and so can end up expelling more energy than he needs to by getting himself worked up 

[Jojoba]

Will it make you all feel better if I say my horse can easily go a month without being ridden, and when Im really really trying hard he gets ridden maybe 4 times a week - 2 walky trotty hacks and 2 20min schooling sessions.
Im trying to bump it up to 5 times a week of fast hacking and longer schooling as the summer approaches, but over winter 1 walky hack every fortnight was pretty good going.

I mostly just write off the whole winter, but he turns 6 this year and really ought to start doing something - as should I!

xxx

[jenb]

I am aiming to hack twice a week to help condition Gazdag's ligament, once the clocks go forward that can be upped to three times a week.  I am schooling twice a week for 30-45 mins - I am another who does not believe in drilling horses in the school, so keep the school work short and fun.  I also try to lunge or long rein once a week.  I like to give at least one day off a week, if not two, as he is a young horse still and still growing, and I am a very busy person and not always in the right frame of mind to work him, so I have a rough plan for the week/month but it's very flexible.

[Wendy]

Well we are still just getting going, but I **intend** to do a weekly ridden lesson and one other ridden schooling session, 2 hacks and 2 non-ridden (inhand/lunge). My physio advised at least 2 non-ridden and a day off every week.