how often do you work your horses?

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I'm pretty sure I've asked this before. But I'm asking again!

How often do your horses get ridden/worked on average? If you have more than one horse and the poll won't let you answer more then once feel free to comment with any differences in their schedules. Also would be curious to know if people have changed the amount of time their horses are worked based on training level or if it's more based on individual horse and/or riding time availability.

[khall]

I try to work mine minimum of 4 prefer 5. Not all ring work. I have 4 that I play with regularly though Juliet I only ride twice a week her owner works her the other days.

Sometimes it does not work out. Weather can play a part vet work farrier work and appointments with my mom. But for the most part still holding true

[Ryeissa]

Very min of 4 per week. I find as I go up in the levels the need for fitness keeps going beyond what I imagined.

I try for 1 lesson a week min

Lately as we do more collection I have found that it helps to do more frequent but shorter sessions.

[exvet]

Because of my work schedule, mine get worked 4 days a week. Ace and Brandon spend more time on the trail. Junior gets a variety of work including at least one day a week out on the trail. If I had my preference I'd be riding Junior 5 times a week but this is the best I can do.

[Srhorselady]

My two senior retirees were hacked out (mostly walk only) three times weekly until recently, now twice weekly. Just not enough time for every one, they are getting older, and it’s getting hotter. My senior pony who still works at all gaits is ridden three times weekly, usually once in the arena and two other times a mix of trail and arena. The green pony is almost being ridden. Currently she is being lounged, leaned across, stepped in stirrups, jump from mounting block, etc three times weekly. I’ve had her about nine months now and she is my pandemic pony project. She was eight years old with very little handling when I got her. We will probably be in the saddle in the next week or two. So far she is doing very well. My horses all live out 24/7 also, sometimes as a herd and sometimes in large individual turnouts with stall access.

[heddylamar]

I answered for normal times when Maia's in regular work Hopefully we'll be back there in the next few weeks (fingers crossed). In the meantime, I'm riding the other LOH, Anzia 2-3 times a week. She's getting FAR more work than our normal once a week jaunt, albeit all at a walk on account of achy old lady joints.

[tlkidding]

I have an late teens upper level horse with a lot of arthritis that gets worked 4x per week for 30-45 minutes (15 min walk warm up every time). I stepped him down from 5 days a week last year and no longer work him more than 2 days in a row as he got stiffer and more sore. One of his rides each week is usually a friend who is learning a lot on him, but asks for a lot less collection. He's not a good trail horse, so we might wander around the farm or do a shorter stretch ride or just walk, but it's usually within sight of the barn or in the arena. When we do school, it's usually only 10-15 minutes total after our walk and and trot/canter warm up as he's fully trained through GP, it's just my chance to keep practicing my skills riding those movements.

I have a 4 year old who just bumped up to 4 days a week. I try to do at least 20 minutes but no more than 30 minutes and sometimes we switch between the indoor and outdoor or finish our "ride" walking around exploring. I'm also trying to make 1 day a week an exploring/trail only day on long lines or as I get braver, under saddle.

[StraightForward]

I answered 5 days a week, but of course it's situational. For a while I was trying to work Annabelle two on, one off while she got more fit. Now I'm more likely to school dressage 3-4 days, jump one day, and just do a light lunging session another day, so she might only get one day a week totally off.

Right now I'm at least lunging Tesla as many days a week as I can, and riding 3-4 days a week when conditions allow. Our indoor is too small to do much riding with her right now, so I have to stick to lunging or give her a day off if the outdoor footing is bad, or the conditions are too nasty (like the 30 mph winds that are forecast for the next three days).

I also try to give myself one horse-free day per week just to maintain life balance, but sometimes that doesn't happen. Like over the past week, between irrigation and then rain, they didn't get out for about 10 days, so I made sure to at least get them out and exercised a bit every day.

[Lipsmackerpony88]

Well right now with Lynx just coming 4, I aim for 3 or 4 days a week. I will probably stick to that for the rest of the year. Might bump it to 4 or 5 times a week when he turns 5.

[Kyra's Mom]

I am shooting for every-other-day. Of course, being a elderly parent's caregiver, that can go south at ANY time. Mom (still) resents my horse time...I don't know why she hasn't figured out that my horse craziness from when I was 5 y.o. has never changed . She just has to deal with it. I do try to get out there, get something done and get home so not a lot of pony pampering most days. At some point, I will probably need to hire a sitter when I go to the barn but so far, she fares OK while I am gone.

I know Kyra would get fitter faster with at least a couple days in a row here and there but she seems to be coming around with the every-other-day thing.

I do try to vary. I haven't been able to ride very vigorously lately due to an iffy back so some days lunging, some days long reining, some days round pen (liberty work).
The footing in the RP has gotten kind of hard so there probably won't be a lot of that unless they can get in there and pull the soft stuff off the edge but there is still lots to do.

Like SF said...anticipating a few days of crappy wind and she may have a few days off . Spring in Idaho = wind. Not much I can do about that.

Susan

[Chisamba]

Kimba does not seem to enjoy a day off. I feel like she would love to be ridden every day but I just cannot make that work. I ride her 5 times a week. in have to keep her in overnight during the summer because she get very allergic to fly bites which are worst at dawn and dusk, when I turn her or she usually gallops all around her paddock 3 of four times. none of my other beasts do that. So Kimba 5 times. Saiph 5 times. Saiph couldn't care less is she works or not she takes a longer warm up, but she loves being groomed and handled. Caliburn 4 times.

[Moutaineer]

I am, like Heddy, answering for "normal times."

Laddie was happy with 4 x per week. But we think Potters will do better with at least 5 days a week, would probably do better with 6 shorter sessions, but I don't see myself making that happen.

He needs to move and feels better for it, but isn't motivated to move in turn-out. Just strolls over to his hay and spends the rest of the day when he's not eating, standing staring at the mountains, whereas Laddie always has a vigorous run and play first thing, and Walker has to have a buck and roll and fool around then go patrol every corner of his domain before settling in to his hay pile.

[demi]

I aim for 5 times a week but if I’m lucky average 4. I think. To get an exact number I’d have to average it over a year because not having an indoor my riding depends on the weather. In the worst of the winter and summer, usually January, July and August, i sometimes miss whole weeks at a time. I keep a calendar in the barn and write down every ride so I have a record. The calendar has only about 1 1/2 inch boxes for each day so I only write the amount of time I rode and a brief comment, like good, windy, see vid, etc.

The progress thread is really helpful for me because I don’t keep a journal otherwise.

[blob]

Thanks, all, interesting to see what people have shared.

RP, like Kimba, would probably be happiest with 7 days or riding. But right now I am struggling to consistently get 4-5 days a week.

[goldhorse]

I'm the oddball. Between my trainer and I, my gelding gets worked 6 days a week. Only 1 or 2 of those days are strenuous rides. He is a Morgan with metabolic syndrome so his prescription is frequent workouts to keep his insulin levels in check and his weight down. When he rests two days, I notice that he is more supple and I wish I could do that. But I have to go with this program since he's prone to founder.