How Long Do You Ride?

[Proffie]

So I absolutely LOVE going to the barn pretty much every night after work. I love decompressing and spending time with my horse. And I enjoy riding him. He’s an 11 year old OTTB; he’s pretty much finished and super easy. I ride 3-4 times a week, either a hack in the fields or a flat school in the arena.

I never really paid attention to how long I actually rode until recently, when another boarder commented that I was always so quick! Then I started timing my rides.

They were normally about 25 minutes, never longer than 35 and sometimes only like 20. When I really drilled down, I walk with some circles and bends for about 10 minutes, do a brief trot warmup for like 5, then school at trot/canter with some transitions for about 10, and then walk for about 5.

I’m not prepping for shows, and I have always just ridden until I just felt “done.” So am I weird? How long do you guys typically ride when you’re not worried about keeping a horse super fit?

[Beverley]

In the arena, most days about a half an hour, an hour tops. On the trails, up to 8 hours sometimes .

[skipollo]

I used to think it was torture to ride for more than 20 minutes on my now-retired QH gelding. He was lazy and although I love him dearly, I didn’t want to ride for more than a half hour max. I was also a teenager and in my pre-trail riding days (it was literally ringwork every single ride for 15 years with a designated “riding pasture” that became another ring, essentially.)

I bought a baby OTTB gelding a year and a half ago, and once I moved to the barn I’m at now, I’m shocked when I check my phone because our rides can be upwards of an hour and a half (if we work in the ring and go for a hack afterward.) It never feels like a long ride, and he’s in good shape and doesn’t get tired at all. Usually if we just ride in the ring it’s 30-45 minutes. If we go hacking we ride until we run out of property

[ArabDiva]

Depends on the horse’s needs.

My mare is very calm and mentally stable, and doesn’t have any physical special needs. Riding her is pretty much like what you described. I can get on, get down to business, and be done in under 40 minutes.

My younger gelding needs a much longer warmup, from a mental perspective. He is a hard worker but also has more anxiety and attention issues, so I have to work on relaxation and getting him to concentrate and focus on the work. He also needs more frequent walk breaks, not from a physical perspective, but a mental one. With him, the warmup could be 10-30 minutes depending on his state of mind, with another 10-30 minutes of work. I’d say my average ride with him is 40-50 minutes. Sometimes I get off after an hour but don’t really feel “done”–either because it’s going really well and I want to ask for even more (but know it’s time to stop) or because it’s been a rough day and I haven’t gotten to work on what I set out to do (instead I had to work with where the horse is at).

[jawa]

If I were stuck in the ring, 40 mins would be the max, at 30 minutes I would feel done.

Hacking out…a good loop is 1hr-1 and 30mins…depending on the location 2-4 hours…like skipollo said…until I run out of property.

[SendenHorse]

I ride dressage and I school 45 mins with lots of walk breaks, for a total of an hour if you could warmup/walk cooldown/stretching cooldown. this is 3x a week or so.

The other days are lounge, jump, long and low/stretching, or hack for 30-60 mins.

Fitness is key as I move towards second and third level so I have to put in the time. I love arena work and I always have more things to do then time to do it

I always watch the clock and make sure I take plenty of breaks and stay on track.

There is no set time, it depends on what you enjoy and what your situation is.

[pacific_jumper]

Some days are light hacks, about 15-25 minutes. I can do a more serious flat ride in 30-40. Private jump lessons are usually around 45 minutes. Hacking out/trail rides… Usually anywhere from 30-90 minutes.

Edit to add, the above is the time I’m actually working, and may not include warm up/cool out walk time.

[Foxtrot_s]

45 minus is a lot of work for my horse in the arena. 3 or more hours on the trail does not seem so much work - for me.

[Emilia]

I ride at least 4 times a week, sometimes 5 times.

Twice, I ride about 30 min. schooling after a warm up. I usually then go for a cool-down hack around property, so it is about 45-50 min. total.

Twice, I go for a trail ride. The trail rides are not usually much longer- about an hour or little over. W-T-C, but mostly walk (we do not have much good ground for higher speeds- too hard and rocky).

Occasionally, I go for a several hour trail ride. Then, I give our horse break by periodically dismounting, loosening girth, and leading him for a while.

I borrowed the tactics from one cavalry manual I read (I forgot, which country though). I do not follow it exactly the same, but their practice was - 40 minutes ride, then dismount and lead for 20 minutes with loosened girth, then tightening and getting back on.

This was for marches. I figure, long trail ride is a little bit like that, hence the imitation.

[tbchick84]

I can’t even get my horse warmed up in 20 minutes, no less complete a ride. We go about 45 to an hour with a few free walk breaks.

[Janet]

I rarely ride for less than an hour. If I work in the ring, it is a 10 minute walk over, a 10 minute walk back, and about 40 minutes of “work”, either jumping of dressage.

If I am doing a conditionaing ride, it is usually 10 min walk, 5 “sets”, each 4-5 minutes of trot, canter or gallop, followed by 2-3 minutes of walk, then 10 minutes + walk.

If I go on a trail ride, that is usually an hour also.

If I am working in the ring, and get to a good “stopping point” early, I hack around the fields for the remaining time.

[sascha]

My horse would prefer her work to be about 2-3 hours a day, but somebody has to look out for her longevity so I limit it to 45min - 1.5 hours. If it’s a shorter work, it’s harder. If it’s a longer work it’s more hacking and fewer difficult dressage exercises.

That said, if all I have is 25 minutes, then those 25 minutes count, either in enjoyment level, or doing 5 or 10 minutes of hard stuff between warmup and cool down.

And that said, it doesn’t matter. Do what’s right for you and your horse. If you’re not training towards something that requires more fitness than you can gain in the time you currently ride, doesn’t matter. Enjoy your pony! Let your pony enjoy the work.

If, otoh, you want to do more - go on long trail rides, show, etc., then suck it up and start timing your warmup, work, and cool down. Gradually increase them all until you’re where you need to be.

[saultgirl]

Usually about 25-35min. Longer if we’re going hacking.

[charismaryllis]

Our lessons are an hour, which includes up to ten mins of warmup on our own and several mins of cool down; when i ride on my own, though, i also find that after about 45 mins, i’m done. (Flatting in the ring.)

[2DogsFarm]

On my own usually 20-30min unless horse appears to be on the verge of “getting” something we’re working on.
Then I might go a bit longer to end on a successful note.

In a lesson I warm up for 15min before trainer arrives, then work for 45min-1h with maybe a 5min break.

Trailriding is at least an hour, mostly walk with some trotting & cantering.
Longer if I’m with friends, but that ends up mostly walking.

[Abbie.S]

40 minutes, max. Usually more like 25-30, and in those 25-30 minutes it’s active riding, 100 or more transitions of varying types (transitions also meaning changes of direction, changes within a gait, etc) and work in all three gaits but focus on the walk.

[Simbalism]

For my older horse, I rarely ride her in the ring. Usually trail ride at least 40 min if not longer. My younger mare is 7, but quite green when I got her last fall and not in good condition. She was unbalanced in the ring, so mainly did approximately 30 min trail rides at the walk with bits of trot added in. She has gotten more balanced and I have been doing more riding in the ring with her. Usually, about 30 min then cool down by walking up and down the driveway or around the yard. She has gone on quite a few longer trail rides about 1-2 hours. Some days I don’t feel like doing much, so will just hop on old mare and walk around a little and maybe stand in the sunshine and watch the traffic go down the road.

[sophie]

If I’m riding on my own I usually ride between 20 and 40 minutes, unless we’re having some issues to work through. If I have time I’ll go on 15 - 20 min hack around the property afterwards.

Lessons are typically 1 hour including warm-up.

I probably should ride harder / longer, since my mare barely breaks a sweat during our sessions - most days she is only sweaty under the saddle and girth, even when we jump. She’s in much better shape than I am

[TWH_Girl]

I think it depends on age and health of horse as well as your goals. Sounds like for what you do, it’s perfect and if you’re happy, I wouldn’t pay attention to busy bodies who are timing your rides

My guy is 12 yr old TWH and we ride about 4 times per week most of the year, 3 in winter. Arena rides are about 30 min, lessons about 45, off properly trail rides are a few hours, and on the property trail rides 45 min to an hour. My fair weather rides are always longer than my cold weather rides, for sure!

[Lilykoi]

I work my horse about 20-30 minutes. That is, I how long I expect her to really pay attention and learn something. That doesn’t include walking out when we are done or warming up in the beginning. Days when we are just having fun bouncing around the field or taking a trail ride can go much longer.