Fitness

R

Ruskii

Well-Known Member
Jun 21, 2000
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Currently at the moment I have little spare time to ride, however Cob and I are going out to a party that requires a base level fitness. This can be acheieved in 6 weeks which I have allowed for but it requires being ridden 4 times a week when I know I will struggle with that for the 6 week period.

Logically I was think what if this 6 week period was extended to 8 could I still acheive the same results in 8 weeks by riding 2-3 times a week ?
 
Personally I would have thought so - yes.

Fast work of course makes a big difference. I do notice with Tobes who is pretty fit naturally that a lot of cantering work makes him a lot fitter than trotting work - but I would do both. Trotting to harden legs and cantering for fitness.
 
You have not said what level he is at the moment and to what level he will need to be at.

Yes canter work is excellent but it needs to be introduced at the right rate or it is like asking for example 'you walk 3 miles every 3 days now I want you to run 1 1/2 miles every time you ride but it's ok because you are walking the other 1 1/2 miles' This is not OK this is bad training and I am sure your body will tell you that going from a min run to lots is not good. But I am sure you are not going to do this.

If the basic level is already there for example you hack for 2-3 hours a week in mostly trot and canter you will fine just upping the canter work.

In theory yes 2-3 times a week for 8 weeks will improve fitness but it does depend on what you are doing in that time.
 
Given that the Couch to 5k was 3 times a week and worked, I'd say from my own fitness plan that 3 days a week is needed to make reasonable progress.
 
Would lunging and some jumping fit into this, small grid. Or is it tendons your hardening up and your doing roadwork?

I think 6weeks to get fit for basic would mean straight from the field where you walk for the first two weeks? Though I thought that was daily-correct me someone.
 
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I think Ziggy must have a naturally high fitness level. He is field kept and hardly worked but when we do work he is never puffed and will canter as long as you like.

Having said that, if I was planning some longer rides (as I hope to this summer, if we have one) I'd work up to it. Our normal hack is about an hour at walk and trot and a little bit of canter. I'd increase the trot work, increase the length, and do more hills, a bit at a time.

The increased trot work would fitten me too!
 
Jane&Ziggy said:
I think Ziggy must have a naturally high fitness level. He is field kept and hardly worked but when we do work he is never puffed and will canter as long as you like.

Having said that, if I was planning some longer rides (as I hope to this summer, if we have one) I'd work up to it. Our normal hack is about an hour at walk and trot and a little bit of canter. I'd increase the trot work, increase the length, and do more hills, a bit at a time.

The increased trot work would fitten me too!
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Silver is the same - she will go out for hours in walk without any prep. She will merrily do the ride you describe even after months off. She is a bit of a speed demon when allowed and seems to hold that base line fitness. However as you say for longer rides I would prep more.
 
That's Joy too. She'll do a gentle walk for hours very happily.

Trouble is, she won't do hours of that forward marching active walk that I expect from her on her fittening programme.

When I restart on her fitness programme, she can generally only march on for about 40 mins and I need to start increasing in 5 mins increments from there till I get her up to my average hack time and then introduce a couple of 5 mins bursts of trot after that.
 
By way of a test Ziggy and I went out today for an hour and 10 minutes, about 5.5 miles. We did gentle walking on the buckle and bursts of trot (up all the hills) along the lane, and then one long canter, about half a mile up a sandy hill. He went much faster than usual to try to catch up two big warmblood mares who had gone up ahead of him! (He failed :yellowcarded:).

He was blowing after that run but his breathing was back to normal after 2 minutes of walk.

Then we walked briskly home with a couple of small trots. He was a bit sweaty today, just on his chest and around his ears, but I would be sweaty if I had to trot wearing a polar bear fur coat in 10 degrees.
 
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