How do you explain to novice horse owners that over-training can be worse than under-training?

What is the rider’s background? Is this a new student who is an athlete in other endeavors and has suddenly taken up riding? Does the student own or lease a horse?

I did Crossfit for a bit, and I remember once saying something to one of the coaches along the lines of “I had a half-hour riding lesson today,” and he responded with something like, “well, soon you’ll be working up to an hour,” and I was like, “no, that’s not QUITE how it works, with riding.”

If the person is just over-schooling specific movements, that’s a different conversation.

I hate that there are people who are so ignorant about basic horse welfare in this sport. Good lord, it’s not a bike. It doesn’t take any experience to understand why intense two-hour work sessions carrying a novice rider in the hot sun are hard on an animal. That’s common sense. Good luck to you, OP.

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