How often do you ride/work your horse?

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In a perfect world (without schedule restrictions), how often would you ride/work your horse?

7 days a week
0
No votes
6 days a week
3
15%
5 days a week
12
60%
4 days a week
3
15%
3 days a week
2
10%
2 days a week
0
No votes
 
Total votes: 20

blob
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How often do you ride/work your horse?

Postby blob » Thu Feb 14, 2019 4:51 pm

Curious how much people aim to ride. The poll is for the ideal scenario, but also curious to hear what reality is for folks and also what kind of break down you have for what you do, meaning do you designate certain days as light days or heavier days?

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Re: How often do you ride/work your horse?

Postby StraightForward » Thu Feb 14, 2019 5:06 pm

In a perfect world, I would train dressage under saddle 3 days a week, and do 3 days a week of a mix of trail riding, jumping, in-hand and lunging.

In practice, it's difficult to get the trail riding, and often the jumping days in, so it's usually more like 3-4 days a week of dressage and 1-2 days of ground work.
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Re: How often do you ride/work your horse?

Postby exvet » Thu Feb 14, 2019 5:12 pm

I currently just ride 4 days a week because I work 3 days for a full-time schedule (no way at this time do I have time before or after work to ride). I spend an equal amount of time on the trail vs. in the arena/ring. That includes one lesson a week.

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Re: How often do you ride/work your horse?

Postby Imperini » Thu Feb 14, 2019 5:32 pm

When weather or travel don't get in the way I ride 5 days a week. Since there's limited turnout availability here I usually hand walk or briefly lunge on another day but I try not to make it seem like an actual work day and then make sure that at least one day is completely hers.

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Re: How often do you ride/work your horse?

Postby Mareless » Thu Feb 14, 2019 5:36 pm

In a perfect world, I would ride/work my horse six days a week. That is what I used to do eons ago before kids and marriage.

Realistically, I typically fall somewhere between 3-5 days a week. This winter, though, has been pretty much a bust. I got sick the week of Thanksgiving and it took about five weeks before I could do much without coughing. I think I got three rides in early January before I hit the dirt (cantering that cold morning apparently was a bad idea). Then we had two weeks of nasty weather including bitter cold where I didn't ride. Just got back in the saddle last week, and over the weekend my horse went down on some ice in his pasture. :o :shock: :cry:

So no riding this week as he is body sore. Maybe start back into light work next week, depending on how he feels Monday.

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Re: How often do you ride/work your horse?

Postby khall » Thu Feb 14, 2019 6:25 pm

I aim for 5 days a week with Rip, 3-4 days a week with Gaila and Joplin. A mix of arena, pasture and lunge and/or in hand. Summer of 2017 I spent most of it working in hand in the barn aisle with a fan blowing on us. It was brutally hot. Lately with other issues (parents, weather) I am lucky to get 3 workouts a week with any of them.

We do have a beautiful day today so am planning on getting out there and work horses today. Dealing with a bit of a cold, so will keep it light for us all.

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Re: How often do you ride/work your horse?

Postby Ponichiwa » Thu Feb 14, 2019 7:52 pm

Back when I was in college and had much more time (although at the time I thought I was THE MOST STRESSED), I was riding 6-7 days/week and flying up the levels (1-2 levels/yr).

Now that I'm older and have more working hours per day, I'm lucky to get to 5 and currently average around 4, and my progress (albeit with different horses) has really slowed. I've learned that if you are limited to 4 rides/week, you've really got to make the most of them. No dawdling around on a loose rein or trail riding if you also want to progress!

6 days a week, you've got the luxury of tomorrow's ride to take the pressure off today's. 4 days? Ride like there is no tomorrow because tomorrow might have a late-night deadline.

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Re: How often do you ride/work your horse?

Postby DJR » Thu Feb 14, 2019 9:49 pm

Ideally, 4 days a week(or 5).

Realistically, during winter I'm lucky to ride twice a week between weather & work constraints, as well as the constraint of having to board them so I have to factor in the commute time to/from the barn. During summer it's closer to 4 days a week unless work interferes, or weather (I have no indoor), or hay season, or .... !
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Chisamba
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Re: How often do you ride/work your horse?

Postby Chisamba » Thu Feb 14, 2019 10:11 pm

Kimba lives out 19 hour and in 5 hours a day, she has companions and a hillside and room to play around. (Although this year it's been very muddy)

Because she gets reasonable out time, 4 days a week we do dressage, once a week we do other.

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Re: How often do you ride/work your horse?

Postby Ryeissa » Thu Feb 14, 2019 10:47 pm

I aim for 2-3 "hard sessions" and 1-2 "light sessions" a week. I generally get at least 4 rides a week.

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Re: How often do you ride/work your horse?

Postby heddylamar » Fri Feb 15, 2019 2:15 am

I work from home now, so it's 5+ rides/week depending on workflow, and, lately, how wet it's been (outdoor arena only). When I was commuting into DC 3 days a week, working from home 2 days, I rode 4 days/week (WFH days + weekend).

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Re: How often do you ride/work your horse?

Postby piedmontfields » Fri Feb 15, 2019 3:52 am

Most normal work weeks, I do 5 days a week year round. That's about 90% of the time. When I have at home vacation, I ride more (6 or even 7 days with lots of hacking). When I have someone else ride my horse when I'm on travel, she gets ridden less (3-4 days per week).

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Re: How often do you ride/work your horse?

Postby Moutaineer » Mon Feb 18, 2019 10:46 pm

I normally try to ride 5 days a week, but this winter has interrupted my flow badly.

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Re: How often do you ride/work your horse?

Postby Xanthoria » Mon Mar 25, 2019 11:55 pm

If I felt like my horse wouldn't get bored I'd ride 7 days a week. He's got PSSM and moderate daily exercise really helps with that. He's out 24/7 in herd.

I do think he'll get bored though, as will I. Last year he turned 6, and to get him fit and keep it interesting his routine was:

Sunday Dressage
Monday off
Tuesday Jumping
Wednesday Dressage or round pen
Thursday off
Friday Dressage
Saturday Long trail ride

This also allowed me to mix up which saddle he wore - while they're fit to him, I always feel like wearing "a different pair of shoes" every few days helps their back.

This year he's recovering from injury so we do 5 days on, one day off (IOW, 6 days a week) and it's 50 mins walk, 10 mins trot right now. On flat, firm surfaces only. When he's cleared, we'll go back to adding canter, trails, and trot poles but I fear his jumping days are over.

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Re: How often do you ride/work your horse?

Postby piedmontfields » Tue Mar 26, 2019 12:14 am

I feel like trail days don't "count" to my mare like work. She truly enjoys getting out and about, and it is easy for me to moderate how hard the trail work is. If I had the time, I'd ride her 6=7 days a week.


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