How to ride 2 horses in 1 hour?

[allisontatman]

Ok, so trying to gather ideas on riding 2 horses in 1 hour, including grooming/tacking. Someone has to be able to do this, right? I know the Western folks often tack up 2, tie one, tie the other, ride last one (which is why I think many WP horses tie so well!). For nights when I’m on a tight schedule, I’d like some ideas on getting this done. Each horse only needs to be ridden for 20 minutes, so I’ve got 20 minutes to play with. How do you ride a couple horses in a tight time frame? Any ideas welcome!

My barn is about 50’ from my ring, so can either leave one in a stall, or have place to tie in ring if needed. Just trying to get some thoughts going….Thanks!

[Guilherme]

Ride two (and actually accomplish something besides conditioning)? Probably impossible.

Of course it is possible to ride one and pony the other, swapping off on days. That would allow a period of time for training (solo) and the conditioning (ponying).

Doing this is 60 min.? Highly problematical.

G.

[IPEsq]

Hire a groom

[Alagirl]

Easy:
http://www.noriker.de/resources/_wsb_412x351_ungarische+Post+2.jpg

I suggest a helmet though…

[talkofthetown]

Skip the perfect grooming session; knock the dirt from the saddle area, check hooves, go.

If your horses tie well, I’d be tempted to saddle both, leave one in a stall while riding, untack 1st horse, leave in stall, bridle 2nd horse, go. If you’re only riding for 20 minutes, I wouldn’t think that they are working up a sweat enough to worry about cooling out/brushing/hosing after the ride.

[Appsolute]

I am not sure how you are going to groom, tack up, untack and put away two horses in 20 mins. That gives you only 5 mins a horse to accomplish each task.

I know my horse at least - doesn’t appreciate it when I am in a SUPER RUSH to groom and get on. I hurry - it sets the mood, she feeds off of my rushing, and it leads to not the greatest of ride.

And then you only have 20 mins to ride each - that not much more than a warm up and cool down. What do you want to accomplish? 20 mins won’t add much in the way of fitness. And if you are looking to work on suppling/ dressage etc, I think you need a bit more time for a proper warm up and cool down before asking for much more.

How many days a week are you restricted to this hour?

What I would do, if this was just a few times per week - is tack up one, pony the other, and do conditioning rides. Swap horses on different days.

I did TONS of ponying when I had two event horses, full school schedule, and a part time job. But, I always had more than an hour, and would often tack them both up, pony one, and switch horses half way through my ride.

I would take the two out on the trails (including walk / trot / canter), I tell ya, galloping TWO thoroughbreds at once can be exhilarating! I would also work the two in our large arena together - could even take them both over trot poles etc!

[allisontatman]

I’m not talking every ride, Just a quick “yes you have a job to do” session. I’m not competing, just pleasure ride for fun

[NoSuchPerson]

Catch horse, curry off a saddle-sized area, pick hooves, brush face, tack up, hop on. Ride, release, repeat.

You’ve got to work within the time constraints you’ve got. I believe even a 15-20 minute ride has value, both for the horse and my mental well-being.

The crappy grooming job is the most difficult part of this for me to deal with. It’s really hard to ignore that mud and manure spot on the hindquarters.

[PoohLP]

On the days you really are this rushed…bareback rides. Good for horses and good for you. You can work on suppleness and bending and build up your balance and seat until you are comfortable doing more and more.

PS., I recognize that some horses and riders are better able to do bareback rides than others. Still, if that is the time you have, this could be a great way to build up that skill if it is lacking for you!

[DMK]

Get to the barn, put everything (saddles, bridles, pads, grooming equip) by the place where you tack up, bring horses in (BTW, this is so much easier when you are on night turn out and they are in, waiting to go out!). Put the one you are riding on the cross ties and the other in the stall (even if they tie well, WHY make them stand still before you ride - that just means more warm up time in your ride - at least loose in the stall is keeping the muscle groups somewhat active)

Groom job: saddle area, pick feet, tack up. Ride, untack horse by stall (if that is faster/more efficient), put in stall and grab next horse, head to cross ties. Wash, rinse repeat.

When you are done, use a rag, warm water and do a more thorough grooming job, working over the saddle marks, etc.

Ride the “questionable” horse first - meaning if there is a horse who is more likely to end up in a place where it may take longer to finish on the right note, ride that one first.

It’s not a lot of fun though and when I had two that needed work/riding/something to manage fitness, more often than not, one would get lunged. Properly lunged, not just chased around. And I believe lunging done well is every bit as effective as riding when it comes to reminding them they have a job.

[buck22]

Easy, ride bare back. I did it for a while when I worked a day job with a long commute to the barn and had to get two rode in the last hour of stable hours, 5 nights a week. Just knock the shavings/dirt off, pick feet (racehorse style), slap a helmet and bridle on and go. Saves a ton of time and builds your seat.

Do be prepared for permanently dirt stained jeans/breeches though.

[SuzieQNutter]

Yes it can be done.

Catch 1st horse. Unrug. Curry and brush saddle area. Put saddle cloth and saddle on with a loose girth. The horse’s back is now warming up to the saddle.

Pick out hooves. Each time you go past the girth do it up a hole or 2.

It is quicker if you don’t boot or bandage. If you do - boots are quicker. Remove mud and put boots on.

Put bridle on.

By the time you have walked to the mounting block, your horse’s back is warm and your girth is tight.

One lap of long and low in walk. One lap of walk. Then go down the centre line asking for shoulder in. If you are pressed for time you only have to do a few steps of all the lateral work, not the whole arena. Change rein with a tear drop to the centre line, go down centre line and shoulder in on the other rein.

Tear drop to centre line and travers. Tear drop to centre line and travers on the other rein.

Tear drop and half pass. Tear drop and half pass on the other rein.

You are now warm enough to trot, in Australia anyway!

Repeat in trot. You can do a few circles if you wish, you can also leave them out if no time.

Repeat in canter.

Free walk on a loose rein back to untack.

Have brush with water. Brush where sweating. Sweat scraper only using the rubber on the bony leg bits. Use the back of the scraper on most of the horse. You should hear the water hitting the ground. Rug. You can put a rug on a wet horse. The rug must always be dry. Put away.

Catch next horse. If they are a long way away then yes catch both horses at the same time and leave them tied while you ride.

This is where my signature comes in. Study it. It is very true and the secret to riding horses. You don’t have to ride to the 20 minute mark.

[Vesper_Sparrow]

When I have both horses to get ready (either for me or someone else to ride) and I don’t have much time, I’ll put the two on adjoining cross ties, use curry comb on one, then the other, etc., etc. I only meticulously groom the area where any tack goes and pick out feet if necessary (often not required in the winter after turnout in the snow). The one who is getting ridden afterward goes in his or her stall with the saddle and breastplate on to munch hay while the first one is getting ridden.

[allisontatman]

SuzieQ, I love your signature and I agree!

[SuzieQNutter]

Lol everyone had a signature and I didn’t.

I couldn’t think of one until witing a post one day and figured that was good enough to be on a signature.

It comes from my experience.

[french_fry]

I can do three horses in two hours but two horses in one hour is really tough.

I’d cross tie them both and groom and tack them both at once (i.e. pick out 8 feet in a row, put on two saddles in a row, etc.) Normally I’m not a fan of leaving horses hanging out on the cross ties but since it’s only half an hour total I wouldn’t balk too much at even bridling them both and putting a halter on over the one you’re not riding.

Cool down the first one as best you can then strip tack, stick under a cooler and jump on the other one.

[OveroHunter]

Both my horses tie well and each have their own saddle. In the past I have groomed and saddled them both and tied one within eyeshot of the arena. Luckily, we have a large staff so even if I’m busy with one, there’s always someone around to keep their eye on the other.

Assuming it’s not a hot day and the horse doesn’t need to be immediately bathed, I’ll hop off one, take the bridle off and tie him up, then bridle the other and go for my second ride.

I’ve also ponied in the past, but that gets a little difficult in a shared arena with jumps!

[HorsefaceDee]

CAn they wear the same tack? That always saved me time…One groom box and one set of tack

[Guilherme]

If you’re dealing with well broke adult horses who just need to be remined of their role in life then not much need be done to “tune them up” on a regular basis.

If you’re working with youngsters or horses with issues then such short work periods will likely be a serious problem. With a youngster, or a problem mount, you have to surrender your watch. The only “time” that is important is the time you spend to bring on the youngun’ or work on solving problems with more mature horses. Horses don’t know how to tell time (at least not in the way the OP means). If a horse is resisting the resistance must be dealt with. If that takes 5 min., then fine. If it takes an hour and five min. then that’s fine, too. If you end the session without at least accomplishing one thing you run the risk of the horse figuring out that if they just “outlast” you then you’ll turn them loose.

If I were in this situation I’d do one horse well and then, next time, to the other horse well.

G.

[meupatdoes]

I’m not sure about 2 horses in 1 hour, but I can school 4 horses in 3 hours, which is about 45 minutes per horse. Generally I ride 30 minutes, not 20 though.
This is how I do it:

1. It is important to me to still put the needs of the horse first. So, for example, I never asked the barn to keep the horse in after dinner because I was coming to ride an hour and a half later. I am not going to cut 1.5 hours of turnout time the horse could be using to hang out in a field with his friends because I don’t want to walk out 10 minutes. Ditto on leaving a horse tied and tacked in his stall or on the aisle. It does not save any time since I have to tack the same horse up anyway so why make him stand there tacked while I ride? There is also a limit to how much I will “rush” around a horse. Brisk? Yes. Efficient? Sure. But always calm and deliberate, and not making him feel like he is under tack attack.

2. Absolute efficiency in number of steps walked, grooming items touched, etc. So, bring the first horse in, put him in his house so he can pee, while he is peeing get my hat/chaps on, bring out grooming tools, and all tack (coolers, scrims, ear bonnets, earplugs, whatever, have it all HANDY)
   .
   THEN bring horse out.

3. If it is cold groom legs and neck first so that you don’t have to mess around with coolers or have a cold horse for that part. Curry and brush and you’re done. (I use the jelly currys so I don’t need to pick up a separate curry for legs vs. neck.) All the horses I handle pick up all four feet from whatever side the grooming box is on. Then remove all blankets, neatly fold and/or hang each before it touches the ground. Return curry and brush to grooming box, pick up saddle pad immediately adjacent so that you only have to turn away from and back to the horse once. Saddle on, cooler on, bridle on, go. All that should be left on the aisle is folded/hung blankets and a grooming box. (If anyone reading this leaves more crap on the aisle than this when they ride I am looking at you, waggling my finger and muttering to myself as I walk by your aisle detritus!)

4. Upon return to aisle, bridle off, saddle off, boots off (and immediately rolled and ready for put away -don’t touch things twice!). If the horse is sweaty (but not hot), add another cooler if it is cold, and let him hang out/dry in his stall.

5. Put away all tack the next horse won’t use. You are going to the tack room anyway for the next horse so clean as you go! On your way back from the tack room, bring out all tack the next horse will use. One trip! Put next horse on crossties, repeat step 3.

6. When you are done riding second horse, put second horse back in his stall with his cooler(s) on, then finish the first horse’s grooming (curry sweat mark, reblanket, wrap if necessary), and then by that time second horse should be ready to take cooler off and get dressed for bed.

This way if you have a list going the turn around time between horses is only 15 minutes. If you are efficient there is time to do your put away (which in the winter is blankets and currying sweat marks and in the summer is quick rinse, scrapered, and legs towel dried and some sort of hoof oil slapped on after the shower to keep the foot moisture more consistent and get the next horse ready to go (quick curry/brush everywhere, legs given the once over, quick blast of showsheen through the tail, tack on and go). In the summer the consistent quick rinse should keep the horse quite clean, in the winter if the horse persistently has dried mud on him replace the curry/brush with a vacuum. Hopefully if you are only riding 20 minutes and they are appropriately clipped you will not have hot sweaty messes to deal with.

But in all my years of practice I have not managed to whittle it down to 10 min per horse. There is a much bigger difference between 15 min and 10 minutes than between 45 minutes and 40 minutes. If a horse is going to carry me for 30 minutes I feel I should get him at least reasonably clean and attended to that day as well.