I am amazed at the fitness level my trail/endurance horse has held with 7 weeks off due to weather and foot abscess. Last ride was 15 miles at the end of January. The last 2 weeks have slowly increased from 4, 6, 8 and then 12 miles with more difficult elevation profile. Horse was pulling and looking for more at the end (and we had gone mostly walk some trot). He is turned out in a hilly pasture, and I wish I maintained my fitness half as well!
It is the rider who usually needs breaks not the horse.
With weather, horse injury/illness, rider injury/illness, work, family commitments, etc, etc, etc, you will find they have enough downtime without scheduling it in.
I suppose that is completely up to one’s individual commitment level.
Yes and if you have a horse who continually tries to kill itself.
I ride most days I can. 4 horses in work here and 2 of us who can work 3 of them if the other is working or ill. I am the only one who trains Stars and I train a school horse one day a week. If the arena gets wet here they have time off.
I won’t ne going to do the school horse this week so I will stay and do mine instead.
