Fittening horse for pleasure ride

[silly mare]

Although I have had my horse for over a year now, we have taken things very slowly as he had tendon injuries previously. These have not reoccured, and I am having the legs scanned in a couple of weeks to see how they have progressed. (Original injury almost 2 years ago now.) We are doing some canter work, but only a little.

I have been invited to go on a pleasure ride mid-April (about 15 miles) and the two people I'm going with know that Jo can't pelt round at full speed because of his leg weaknesses.

At present he is turned out during the day, in at night, schooled on a Friday, and hacked at the weekends for about 2 hours each day. I am lucky if I get a chance to loose school him in the week, but when I do it is about once a week for 15 mins.

He hasn't been clipped this winter, and does get sweaty out hacking, more from excitement than anything. He never seems to tire when I ride him, and never blows.

I wonder how much extra work he will need to get him fit between now and April. As the evenings are gradually getting lighter it will be easier to school him, but hacking will have to be at weekends as I work.

Can anyone give me any tips what I should be building up to so that the ride is not a shock to his system? He quite happily hacks for 3 hours, but this is mostly walk, with trot and canter where ground allows it.

[ros]

I tell you what, you'd be surprised how much ground you can cover in a normal hack! If a human being walks at around 3 mph, a horse walks faster (well, some do!), so if Jo can hack happily for 3 hours, how many miles is he already doing at that rate, d'you reckon?

If the ride isn't till mid-April he'll probably have lost some of his winter coat by then, and if you're going with sensible friends who won't go belting off at the drop of a hat, I'd be inclined to give it a go. These pleasure rides usually do fast, medium and slow groups anyway so that people have the option. Maybe you could check?

As for fittening, any little extra bits you can do will help to keep him ticking over, so if you can do some loose schooling in the lighter evenings that's good. You should also be able to get off and rest his back now and then during the ride if you feel he needs it.

[silly mare]

Thanks Ros - it is heartening to know that he is quite fit already. And his walk is so fast, that smaller horses usually have to trot to catch up! Especially so if we are homeward bound!!!

[Murphs]

you should be able to ride a pleasure ride at your own pace-just ensure you start at a time that will leave you daylight to finish! I did a 15mile ride end of Nov (well Ebs & I probably did 10 as we did the shorter route) - we took about 3 hrs (she was very tired!)- weather was terrible (fog -couldn't see a thing in places!) and map reading was fun!!!! There were a few endurance riders giving their horses a run out and did 15miles in about 2hrs -others took 2.5 /3 hrs to do the full ride.

Sounds like your horse is already fit enough(assume your hacks include trotting periods - preferably with some hill work?) -particularly if you keep this up between now and April. I've had a look in the BHS complete manual of stable management and it says that for a 20 mile ride (endurance) an hour daily is sufficient with a 3hr ride once a week. It goes on to say make sure that when the horse is being exercised that she is "working" and not on a loose rein as she won't use muscles, lungs or heart and cannot get fitter.

Have fun:D

[silly mare]

Thanks Murphs - some good advice there - hope I can actually go to it now, because things are falling apart somewhat at our yard, and I may have to move away (and then have no transport! :()