Are horses sometimes ridden more than once a day?

[CanteringCarrot]

No one at my stable rides twice a day at the moment (in Europe). We have very limited turnout due to insane mud and general crap weather in the winter. Most of us work full time and/or have a decent commute that we don’t want to make twice a day.

We are also somewhat casual. A lot of us compete, but in varying levels and not during the winter. If I had the time, I’d consider doing something like a schooling ride and then a hack later in the day. Luckily my horse acts the same being kept in a stall as he does on 24/7 turnout.

[PNWjumper]

As others have posted, many upper level horses have 2-a-day workouts. I’ve done this with several of mine over the years. During the show season they are ridden twice each day with one “hack” (long and low with lots of forward work) and the other a collection and/or jumping ride. I don’t think it’s a europe vs here thing, but more of a horse-needs-to-be-uber-fit (i.e. upper level) versus not. And in the case of summer camps, perhaps the issue is more of a “the horse needs to be used more” one.

When I go into that routine, I typically do 4-5 days of 2-a-days each week for 2-3 weeks before each show (which are often only 2-3 weeks apart anyway). Again, it’s a fitness and conditioning endeavor, and I do whatever each horse needs. I’ve gotten spoiled in the last few years with my TB who is naturally fit with the stamina stereotypical to the TB breed. It’s been nice not having to do 2-a-days on him! But my younger Holsteiner is going to need to start that program soon.

[sascha]

My horse loves being ridden twice a day. Both times I had her stifles blistered, I worked her twice a day. Just about killed me with my work schedule, but she loved it. I have been told that she is the type that would benefit (mentally and physically) from working twice a day year round, but I just can’t do it

When I am forced to do it, I make sure there is variety from morning to evening work and variety throughout the week. Hacking, riding forward, collected work, cavaletti, hills, and long walks all get incorporated into a week’s worth of riding.

[crthunder]

I wish I could work my horse twice a day and I think he would like it too. He’s an OTTB and a workaholic! Unfortunately his Mom’s work thing gets in the way

[Angela_Freda]

YEARS ago, probably before he was 10, I leased Yo to a SAHM who would ride during the day a few days a week, Dressage… and I would ride evenings. It was a huge help to me in terms if giving me a more ride-able horse, and it didn’t hurt him at all, quite the contrary.

[Crockpot]

When I was kid we rode twice a day in the summer. One ride was a hack.

[Scribbler]

I don’t know anyone who has the same horse ridden twice a day as part of a coherent schooling and fitness program, but I’ve often thought that would make a lot of sense, especially if the trainer could do a schooling ride in the morning for instance and then a working student or leaser do a big hack in the afternoon. I’m sure my mare would love the attention!

She can trailer out for a 3 or 4 hour trail ride off site, so the workload per se wouldn’t be an issue.

[fordtraktor]

All our GP jumpers and some of the high prelims were on 2-a-days when I was a working student. One serious flat school and one hack or trot/canter set in a looser frame. My favorite because the working student often got to do the second ride! We also took them for at least one long walk/grazing session, but usually two, at shows. At home they went out in the paddock instead. A horse that is not fit to do the work cannot perform so base fitness for the task becomes very important.

[WildLittleWren]

It is not unusual to work a fit horse twice a day. I have occasionally lunged lightly in the AM, and ridden in the PM. As long as the horse is fit, and it isn’t two horribly strenuous workouts, I don’t see any harm in it at all.

[exvet]

I have certainly ridden horses twice a day. The discipline and fitness level of my horse dictated what type of work I did each session. I am very careful to make sure that what I’m doing isn’t going to cause muscle fatigue or injury so I try to alternate the focus of each session if I worked hard on a certain area ex. if we did a lot of upper level engagement work in the morning I would focus on stamina/conditioning exercises in the afternoon. I grew up at a time when lots of us kids were used to leg up horses for eventing, cross training and fox hunting. Twice a day riding was expected even if horses had decent turn out.

[MorganMadonna]

Our horses were worked twice a day most of the year, except during the middle of the winter when it was really cold. Usually only one of those was jumping or driving and the other was ground work or a hack in the woods.