After a long show circuit do you give your horse some time off? How long?
I do. I try to give 2-3 weeks of no riding for most of my entire barn after winter circuit, and then personal horses get another month or more off in the fall depending on their personal schedule and when they start showing pre circuit (November). I encourage clients to do the same, some do some don’t.
I’m a huge believer that it gives their bodies a chance to heal, recover from all the stressors, and a chance to truly relax. It leads to sounder and happier horses I can guarantee. I also find that they come back fresh for winter circuit this way and ready to perform their best.
None of mine ever are stupid when being brought back into work either, I do keep them going on the walker/aqua tread so they maintain a baseline of fitness.
If I give them 4 weeks off, I give them 6-8 weeks before they show again as well. I start back slow and don’t jump anything bigger than a cavaletti for 4 weeks, that way they have a true base of fitness. All of mine know their job quite well so we don’t jump much at home (even the younger horses!).
I also use this time for any usual vet work, vaccinations, dentist, etc.
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Some trainer once told me one week rest for every two weeks showing–I’ve found that to be an accurate baseline, albeit it’s been a minute since I did more than 3 weeks of showing straight.
I think it also depends on the individual horse–if “rest” is straight up pasture or if “rest” is trail rides, walkers, etc. Some horses really like their routine and do better with some type of activity, even if it’s a real low key one.
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I’m doing this for my trainer’s 1.30m horse right now. He’s had a heavy spring/summer schedule so I took him to a friend’s backyard barn for the week. He has way more turnout here, and the trail network is vast and very well maintained. He’s just going for walking hacks to keep him working a little bit, and then he’ll go back to his mom’s show barn next week and slowly get ramped back up for the fall.
This is helpful, thank you. My horses did about 5 of the 9 weeks of summer circuit. I have given them a week off and I know I feel like I could still use more of a break. They are loving the turnout and not acting “crazy” while turned out. I am not planning to show again until pre winter circuit in November. I think I just needed the reassurance that taking a long break is ok for all of us.
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It wasn’t that long ago that indoors were the exception rather than the rule up north, and that most barns didn’t go south for the winter. Everyone got a few months off then and I’d argue it only led to sounder horses with better mental health.
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As long as you’re willing to bring them back into work slowly than there’s really no issue with it, assuming that they’re getting lots of turnout.
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This. A couple weeks off isn’t going to impact them much. But you don’t want to give them a month off and then load up for another 4 weeks of showing - you’ll need to build them back up to fitness.
I find that TB types maintain fitness better than heavier breeds (especially cardiovascular endurance). Not that you should skip anything with a TB, but you may need to do MORE work with something else to get back in shape.
I think time off in turnout and walk hacks is very good for long term soundness - it lets any micro injuries heal and allows the horse to loosen up any stiffness from travel and show stalls.
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I totally agree, I try to do two weeks here and there after longer bouts of showing. They go in full pasture turnout, no riding and then we do flat work for a couple weeks on our track to get them back into the groove. My horses come back really eager to work and it just feels like good stewardship. Just think how beneficial vacation is for us, and many of us aren’t working such physically demanding jobs and later limited in our movement.
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I usually try to give mine a full week of nothing but turnout after winter circuit and then a week of just trail riding or tack walking. If I give them too much time off, they seem to get a little wild in turnout and try to hurt themselves.
I don’t jump my horses much unless they are still learning. So for example I didn’t jump the entire month of April. And I’ve probably jumped 6 time in 3+ months except for two horse shows.
They inevitably get a week or several days off here and there when my schedule gets crazy or the weather doesn’t allow for riding. I always make sure their time off includes a lot of turnout.
Just curious, do your horses compete for the full winter circuit? How many days a week do your horses jump during a show week?
Last year ours did 6-8 weeks out of 12 weeks, plus 2 weeks in Nov and 2 weeks in Dec.
Jumpers show max 3 classes a week, no matter what height theyre showing in.
Hunters it depends- our green ones that show with a jr or ao on the weekend do the green professional divisions wed/thurs then show sat/sun with their owners. No warmups offered so just 4 jumping plus classics on the weekend. Our older hunters do a pro class on wednesday as needed then just derby friday and division sat/sun.
We don’t jump much at home during circuit, just a gymnastic exercise here and there as needed.
We give them time off then show again starting in May.
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Out of the 12 weeks of winter circuit I did about 8. I didn’t compete again until summer circuit. I don’t jump much at home, I do a lot of flat work and cavettis.
