How many hours or how often a week. Do you work them everyday, or do they have a day off, or two, three, four? 
I'm just curious really
I'm just curious really
How much work does your horse do?
- Thread starter *Goldfish*
- Start date
Milo is being schooled and brought on so we are increasing his work regularly according to his fitness, currently Friday is his normal day off (although it depends on work, weather etc, sometimes it changes). Generally he is either lunged/long lined or ridden 6 days a week (although he isn't lunged/long-lined for an hour!!).
The length of work depends, we go for quality not quantity, and when he shows signs of being too tired we call it a day. Plus he is still full-on wooly mammoth, so he sweats ALOT!
The length of work depends, we go for quality not quantity, and when he shows signs of being too tired we call it a day. Plus he is still full-on wooly mammoth, so he sweats ALOT!
Our general week with Harvey is below -
Monday - Day off
Tuesday - Sharer's day + 1hr riding or groundwork by me
Wednesday - 1-2hrs riding walk, trot, canter small ammount jumping & lateral wk
Thursday - sharers day, if sharer doesn't ride then I do 1hr riding walk, trot, canter.
Friday - 1hr lesson, fairly intense.
Saturday - sharers day, sometimes doesn't ride
Sunday - Riding 1-2hrs walking, trotting, cantering, small jumps, lateral wk
This ammount keeps Harvey sane and nice to ride
Piccolo's week
Monday - lunging, groundwork, maybe short walk under saddle
Tuesday - day off
Wednesday - same as monday/maybe putting driving tack on and long reining
Thursday- day off
Friday - day off with poss short sit on and ride around the paddock
Saturday - day off
Sunday - day off
Piccolo is only 3 though
Monday - Day off
Tuesday - Sharer's day + 1hr riding or groundwork by me
Wednesday - 1-2hrs riding walk, trot, canter small ammount jumping & lateral wk
Thursday - sharers day, if sharer doesn't ride then I do 1hr riding walk, trot, canter.
Friday - 1hr lesson, fairly intense.
Saturday - sharers day, sometimes doesn't ride
Sunday - Riding 1-2hrs walking, trotting, cantering, small jumps, lateral wk
This ammount keeps Harvey sane and nice to ride
Piccolo's week
Monday - lunging, groundwork, maybe short walk under saddle
Tuesday - day off
Wednesday - same as monday/maybe putting driving tack on and long reining
Thursday- day off
Friday - day off with poss short sit on and ride around the paddock
Saturday - day off
Sunday - day off
Piccolo is only 3 though
Malt works most days depending on how far I have to drive to work on any given day.
In winter its mostly hacking 3-5 day a week. 3 if we do a long one, 5 if we do short ones, his muscles need longer to recover and I give him a massage for two days if we go for more than 5 hours in a day. With a massage too!
In summer, schooling/groundwork/messing about and jumping so more frequent but for shorter durations, never for more than 40 mins. I think and hour is far too long for any school work.
We're not major competitors but we show in the season so like to be fit.
I myself run and go to gym most days as supple rider = supple pony! Wish I could get a massage after my runs though.......
In winter its mostly hacking 3-5 day a week. 3 if we do a long one, 5 if we do short ones, his muscles need longer to recover and I give him a massage for two days if we go for more than 5 hours in a day. With a massage too!
In summer, schooling/groundwork/messing about and jumping so more frequent but for shorter durations, never for more than 40 mins. I think and hour is far too long for any school work.
We're not major competitors but we show in the season so like to be fit.
I myself run and go to gym most days as supple rider = supple pony! Wish I could get a massage after my runs though.......
My horse does very little. In fact eating is probably the only work he enjoys.
All attempts at increasing work are met with a horse who plots how to stop this thing called 'Work'. Latest attempt was to pull a shoe a few weeks back, thinking it would delay 'Work' he was right and it did. So unfortunately he know has it in his head when he hears the word 'Work' this means pulling a shoe and it will delay said Work.
As he pulled another shoe today (despite a new set put on last week ) he will be most disappointed when the farrier turns up tmw at 7.30am with a replacement shoe.
This has been the only time in the 2.5years that I have had him that he has pulled shoes.
All attempts at increasing work are met with a horse who plots how to stop this thing called 'Work'. Latest attempt was to pull a shoe a few weeks back, thinking it would delay 'Work' he was right and it did. So unfortunately he know has it in his head when he hears the word 'Work' this means pulling a shoe and it will delay said Work.
As he pulled another shoe today (despite a new set put on last week
) he will be most disappointed when the farrier turns up tmw at 7.30am with a replacement shoe. This has been the only time in the 2.5years that I have had him that he has pulled shoes.
Izzy is generally worked 6 days a week but it depends if I am away for work or not. Like this week I have been away for 3 days so he has had 3 lazy days.
We have two lessons per week which are pretty intense for an hour - we are both tired and sweaty after
The rest of the time I either ride or long-line, sometimes lunge, or walk out in hand. Usually 30 mins to 1 hour. I usually do one session a week on groundwork - trailer, de-spooking, pole work etc.
Otherwise he just eats while I play, grooming, practice plaitting, general horsey phaffing about which I love.
Izzy is of the opinion that all that is WAY too much and he should just be left to eat 24/7!
We have two lessons per week which are pretty intense for an hour - we are both tired and sweaty after
The rest of the time I either ride or long-line, sometimes lunge, or walk out in hand. Usually 30 mins to 1 hour. I usually do one session a week on groundwork - trailer, de-spooking, pole work etc.
Otherwise he just eats while I play, grooming, practice plaitting, general horsey phaffing about which I love.
Izzy is of the opinion that all that is WAY too much and he should just be left to eat 24/7!
mine only get hacked between 1-4 times a week, i try to average at 3 a week, but depends if im working away or am lacking in an extra rider for rosie.
They only do gentle hacking, mainly walk, with some trot and maybe a canter. Usually about 45mins to an hr per hack, sometimes longer.
seems that if rosie does more than 3 hacks a week and any that are longer than an hr she gets sore muscles and needs a few days rest, if she does less than 1or2 then she gets stiff! lol!
I would like to increase Moets work, but i am very mindful of her previous injury so am trying to increase slowly, with some ground work or a lesson.
maybe one day i will have a horse that is more suited to having a more strenuous life and wont have injuries!! lol!
They only do gentle hacking, mainly walk, with some trot and maybe a canter. Usually about 45mins to an hr per hack, sometimes longer.
seems that if rosie does more than 3 hacks a week and any that are longer than an hr she gets sore muscles and needs a few days rest, if she does less than 1or2 then she gets stiff! lol!
I would like to increase Moets work, but i am very mindful of her previous injury so am trying to increase slowly, with some ground work or a lesson.
maybe one day i will have a horse that is more suited to having a more strenuous life and wont have injuries!! lol!
Wednesday and Saturdays days off as i teach
Other days can be the following or mix of
Free schooling liberty in school with and without shetland, more fun with him!
Hacking min 1 hour up to 3 hours
Jumping, groundwork, bridle less
Only really do something for four days as winter is time off time, spring and summer this increases
Other days can be the following or mix of
Free schooling liberty in school with and without shetland, more fun with him!
Hacking min 1 hour up to 3 hours
Jumping, groundwork, bridle less
Only really do something for four days as winter is time off time, spring and summer this increases
Hack between three or four times a week. Also try to have one schooling/jumping session or lunge in pessoa. We aim for working 6 times a week, but depends on weather, how energetic I am feeling and general life circumstances!
Not enough!!!! lol. Seriously, atm I reckon our pair are ridden only for about an hour a week. Storm does lunge sessions 15 - 20 mins three times a week. I'm a warmer weather rider (and so is my horse - she doesn't suffer being ridden in the freezing fog or whatever ice there is!!!)
Ours only ridden twice a week - weekends only in the winter because we work full time and it just isn't light enough morning or evening. Summer - probably three or four times. I do feel ashamed - ours are very lazy compared to the work that other people's do. Still in the summer, they do work quite hard - if we decide to ride up to the moor, have a cup of coffee at a pub and then ride home, they can be out for up to 6 hours!!
Amber gets Monday and Tuesday off because of my college schedule, she's usually ridden the other 5 days. We usually do 1 day of intense jumping, 2 days of flat/dressage, 1 day of poles and grids and one day trail riding. She gets bored and cranky if you do the same thing every day
My two are worked both the same
Monday - Day off
Tuesday - Day off
Wednesday - Day off
Thursday Day off
Friday - Day off
Saturday - sometimes taken for a 30min walk ridden otherwise day off
Sunday - As saturday
So my two are in very light work... lol
Monday - Day off
Tuesday - Day off
Wednesday - Day off
Thursday Day off
Friday - Day off
Saturday - sometimes taken for a 30min walk ridden otherwise day off
Sunday - As saturday
So my two are in very light work... lol
I love riding
Mon - Schooling - 45 mins
Tues - Flat work lesson 30 minutes
Wednesday - free school/or day off if not had one for a while
Thursday - light hack then OH has lesson in the evening 30 minutes
Fri - Quick 1/2 in school the gentle hack 1/2
Sat - Jump lesson gentle hack 1 hour
Sun - gentle hacking 1 - 1 1/2 hours
Hacking is limited to trip round a housing estate, around the field where the horses are or the river back both the last two are mud heaps at the moment to a no go really.
Weekend is always just for fun. If he is not ridden and handled daily his manners go down hill and he becames quite dangerous to ride.
Just like nani I keep myself fit so that we get the best from each other
Love my lad
Mon - Schooling - 45 mins
Tues - Flat work lesson 30 minutes
Wednesday - free school/or day off if not had one for a while
Thursday - light hack then OH has lesson in the evening 30 minutes
Fri - Quick 1/2 in school the gentle hack 1/2
Sat - Jump lesson gentle hack 1 hour
Sun - gentle hacking 1 - 1 1/2 hours
Hacking is limited to trip round a housing estate, around the field where the horses are or the river back both the last two are mud heaps at the moment to a no go really.
Weekend is always just for fun. If he is not ridden and handled daily his manners go down hill and he becames quite dangerous to ride.
Just like nani I keep myself fit so that we get the best from each other
Love my lad
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