How to ride 2 horses in 1 hour?

That’s reasonable if you’re efficient. I used to work at a lesson barn, so when kids were late, I got great at a quick brush, picking hooves, & tacking up in about 5 minutes. The only thing I’d worry about is putting the horse in the stall without properly cooling him down, so it depends on whether you’re doing an actual workout.

I have done brushing the saddle/girth area off, throw saddle on, put bridle on, and that is my whole glorious grooming session. Less than five minutes.

I cannot ride a horse for less than thirty minutes though, so there is no way I can ride two in a hour. One and half hour? Yeah.

I learned to ride for less than half an hour when working for a Grand Prix Rider.

I had a totally green, only broken in grey, mare, pony that parents bought for their kid who had just learned how to rise to the trot, who were paying for me to ride for half an hour, when they suddenly found out that Miss Dobbins was no good for their daughter.

I was told off for not getting all my jobs done. I replied that riding the pony for half an hour meant that I was behind in what I had to do.

This was when I was told that they were paying for half an hour in total. This included bringing in, tacking and untacking and riding.

In 2 months that pony was doing lateral work and training at elementary.

She was fit, muscled, and in work and okay for the girl to have lessons on.

Horses learn really quickly. It is us riders who don’t learn so quickly.

I ride 2 in an hour on a semi-regular basis.

Typically I have 5 to ride each day and 2-4 hours to do so. On the days where I’m restricted to 2 hours I pretty much max out at 4 horses (I need an extra 30 min for #5!). But on average I get all 5 done in 3 - 3 1/2 hours. With that being said, I have a range of exercise intensity. My upper level jumper requires the most time per ride, followed by my older/no stirrups horse, followed by my 7 year old. Then my 4yo mare and 5yo pony are still both on a somewhat light ride schedule based on their ages and fitness requirements. So if I need to squeeze in 2 in an hour it’s tougher when it’s my older horses and much easier when it’s the youngsters.

Some (maybe?) relevant points -
-my horses live out 24/7, so I don’t feel the need to walk them out after I get on.
-I keep everyone in blankets/sheets/rainsheets so I’m not dealing with massive grooming sessions…or at least not beyond just having to knock some hair off when I’m in a hurry.
-Probably more relevant than any of that, though, is that my horses are at home, so there’s no one here to talk to and get distracted by. The other riders were always what ruined my quick ride plans when I boarded (not their faults - I tend to talk a lot and am terrible at minding time once I get to talking!).

So I can usually get a horse from the field, brushed off, and tacked up in 5-ish minutes (we’re not talking stellar grooming jobs here). Then right into the ring, and after maybe half a lap we go into the trot and I don’t typically walk again (unless I’m doing transitions or something specific - but no “walk out” walking) until we’re done. I won’t untack/toss out a horse that’s huffing and puffing, so we will walk until they’ve stopped breathing hard if necessary, but the minute they’re not breathing hard it’s back to the barn to untack (2-3 minutes). If they’re sweaty and wet (which isn’t usually the case in a 20min ride) I just toss them out and let them go roll in the dirt to their heart’s content.

I do feel a little rushed with only an hour to ride 2 horses, but I don’t feel like I have to short the rides by all that much when I do so. I think your setup is probably as important as anything, but I think it’s totally possible to do.

I agree that there is value in a short, you-have-a-job ride. I also do a very quick, basic groom, get right to work once in the ring (or sometimes just hack around my farm).

I see it as being a brain thing more than a fitness thing, but a quick ride can help maintain fitness too. People also benefit from short sessions of exercise. I’m no expert, but I think it helps keep them from getting a sour attitude about work, at least it seems to in my mares, especially the young one who is still developing a work ethic.

It is actually better for the young horse, as they don’t have such a big attention span yet, for them to be ridden for about 20 minutes.

If you want to work them more than that it is better for the horse to ride 2 x 20 minutes a day.

The reason this doesn’t happen is because it is easier for the rider to not ride twice a day with life, weather, illness, injury, etc, etc, etc.

By the time the horse is grand prix, the time can be extended to about an hour daily as there are more movements to play with to stop the horse and rider from getting bored.

Remember that if you ask for a circle and the horse does it, you are actually changing to punishing if you keep asking for the same thing over snd over and over and over again.

I can remember I was working my girl, who my boss had owned and trained, and I was circling. My boss walked past and said you are boring her. I went into canter. Again I was told I was boring her.

I changed rein. Again I was told I was boring her. My boss wasn’t giving me a Lesson, she was working in the yard as I was riding.

I halted and said I didn’t understand.

I was told I was boring her as I was still riding her on one track. Changing direction and gaits was not what my boss was meaning when she told me to change what I was doing.

Decades later and I was working a young horse.

I found when I rode daily the horse was able to learn something new every day.

When I rode every 2nd day. I was cementing what he had learned in the last ride and we didn’t learn something new. Their was a difference in his brain. Every 2nd day everything else was the same physically he just didn’t learn as fast.

It can definitely be done. Get to barn, get out everything that you need for both. Have both in stalls. Clean off saddle and bridle areas on both. Tack up first one and ride. Put horse back in stall and throw tack on second horse and ride. Put horse back in stall. Groom first horse. Groom second horse. Clean up.

I’m making the assumption that with those time constrains, horses are not huffy puffy, hot and sweaty at the end of their rides. Maybe a light saddle mark that will dry to a point that it can be curried and brushed away before you leave.

I’ve done this many, many times. Those are the days I’d choose to work on transitions or other tasks requiring high brain power, but low physical power from the horse.

[QUOTE=PNWjumper;8085057]
So I can usually get a horse from the field, brushed off, and tacked up in 5-ish minutes (we’re not talking stellar grooming jobs here). [/QUOTE]

I believe you, but I’m trying to wrap my head around how this is possible.

My routine is as follows:

  • Arrive at barn fully dressed to ride (boots/spurs on, etc.), pull horse out of stall, cross tie, and pull blanket off (if any) on the way to tack room
  • Put on helmet in tack room, make sure gloves are in breeches pocket and whip is stuck down my boot
  • Grab grooming kit and all tack from saddle rack/bridle hook where everything was stashed neatly in anticipation of a quick tack up (i.e. clean saddle pad laid out on top of saddle, etc.) Forgo boots or just grab open fronts or bell boots (i.e. something fast) depending on horse’s needs
  • Take everything to cross ties in one trip
  • Pick feet and brush dirt (if any) off of anywhere where saddle or tack will rub
  • Throw saddle and bridle on, buckle chin strap of helmet, head to ring
  • Repeat this process backwards after riding for 20-30 minutes

Granted, it is a bit of a walk from the tack room to the cross ties and from the barn to the arena, but I am known around the barn for my speed and I absolutely could not cut this routine down to less than 10 minutes for a tack up without majorly sacrificing something. I am much more comfortable with 15 minutes.

I don’t know how PNWjumper does it, but I do something similar timewise. It helps that we have our own farms I think. I have my crossties set up by the tackroom with a big metal shelving rack beside them, stuffed with my grooming crap, horse boots, helmet, and stuff on them. Two steps away are my chaps, saddles and bridles. No carrying anything and I can leave it out all the time and not get in anyone’s way. It tooks few minutes longer when I boarded because I had to get my stuff out, that’s just one of the conveniences of home horse life I think.

I get the horse (from the paddock which is right by the barn and they all come right up, so no walking), snap it on the crossties, pull the blanket if it has one. if it has mud run a curry on it, if not run a brush over it making sure I get where the girth goes – grab 4 boots and toss them on as I pick feet. Grooming takes about 2 minutes tops. I run in and grab a pad, half pad, saddle and girth, step out and stick em on horse. Put on my half chaps and helmet if they aren’t already from the previous horse. Grab bridle and a peppermint and my stick if I am using one that day, stick on horse’s face in about 15 seconds and boom, we are in the ring. Everything is in hand’s reach, no walking more than 6 feet for anything and that’s the farthest saddle. Brushes etc. are at fingertips. I dunk bits in the horse’s water bucket when he’s done and clean tack on the weekends when my kids are playing outside while I watch them, no daily tack cleaning.

I think it saves time because I don’t have to do the “prep” of getting out the bridle I am going to use, getting my saddle ready and carrying it to the crossties and putting it there, getting my grooming tote, etc. I only handle things once – from where they live to directly on the horse.

When I am done riding, I either hose it down and toss it out in the field (summer) or brush it off and put its blankies on and toss it back in the field (winter). With treats, the horses remind me not to forget that part.

I think you’re right in that having your own facility is the key here. My barn is very thoughtfully set up but it’s a large facility so it’s impossible to keep the cross ties near the tack, we don’t have communal grooming items, etc.

At a busy boarding barn I am most comfortable with 40-45 minutes per horse. That is 15 minutes to tack up (which gives you a tiny bit of wiggle room if someone is in your way in the cross ties, or grabs you to ask you a question, or if your whip has gone missing) and a good 25 or so minutes to ride.

[QUOTE=allisontatman;8084273]
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![/QUOTE]

Exactly right. It helps, this time of year, if the horses are blanketed so you don’t have to spend a lot of time currying the mud off of them. If I don’t have much time, I structure my ride so that I lope (canter) early in the ride, and do a lot of later work or other similar exercises at the walk at the end of my ride so my horse is cooled down within the time frame. One of my horses is tied to the tree near the ring while I ride the other, then I swap them out.

Ride one, pony one. Amazing how much you can get done. Changes your whole focus on riding.

Thanks for all the replies, especially the ones telling how it CAN be done! I do have my own farm, which as PNW and Fordtractor pointed out makes things quicker as my cross ties are right outside of my tack room, and if I’m in a rush everything doesn’t have to be put away “just so” as if I were in a boarding barn. The ponying is a great idea, and one I’ve considered, but with a younger mare and gelding who’s in love with her, it might be more of a challenge than I’m up to! I ride alone most of the time, so if things go bad I’d be stuck without help.

I hope to be able to incorporate some ideas from this thread and my plan is to bring both in, one in stall and one on cross ties (stall right next to xties) groom both, tack up one on xties, ride for 20, come in untack, swap into stall, tack up stalled one ride for 20, brush both off, turn out and be done in close to an hour!

I think two horses in one hour isn’t that doable on a regular basis. I agree, horses don’t always need to be ridden all that long, but to get two horses done in an hour I need to have the horses lined up in stalls and already groomed. Your horse MIGHT come in pretty clean, but they might not–it wouldn’t be guaranteed. Also, if you board, there’s just a certain amount of time to get your stuff out and put it away. And extra stuff always comes up, whether it is a cut that needs to be washed/medicated or a phone call just as you are trying to mount, etc.

If I’m trying to get horses ridden quickly, I try to ride horses in an order where as much as possible I can take the tack off one horse and put it on the next. Definitely no boots or extra accessories for those shorter rides, and definitely try to keep tack simple. No doodads with a bunch of buckles, etc.

That’s a good point, 2foals – I don’t typically use a bunch of stuff on my horses. Just a bridle and saddle. I rarely use a martingale or breastplate. I have tons of them, but only use them if it is for a particular purpose. Heck, I only use a flash noseband if I really need it. Simple, plain tack most days – a snaffle bridle with a caveson, saddle with girth on at least 90% of my rides.

I do use boots because my horses are doofuses, and my young guy cracked himself and popped a splint during a ride last year. Not looking to repeat that! And the other one will brush occasionally when he’s acting like a fool, which he does about half the time. On my two older horses I don’t use boots at all. They are more sedate and are very unlikely to need them.

Ride bareback. Seriously!

5 minutes to knock the mud off and pick hooves. Another minute to get the bridle on. Hop on and do a nice w/t/c session. Repeat.

I honestly think bareback is one of the best things you can do to condition yourself. And for short rides like that, it certainly won’t do your horse any harm. It will improve your balance and give you a much better feel of your horse.

Yep, I’m with fordtraktor. I don’t use a lot of tack. No breastplates or martingales - just a saddle/pads and bridle.

Also, I don’t use boots on my horses (well, my doofy ones live in pull-on bell boots which I don’t change for riding and my upper level horse gets quick-and-easy eskadrons thrown on his hind legs only). And I don’t pick feet (I have a coarse sand arena that does that for me). I am also sadly ineffective and unattentive to dirt and mud below the stomach line :wink: Oh, and my daughter likes to remind me that I don’t brush tails often either (drives her crazy when she rides my mare and has to de-tangle it herself!) - and certainly not when I’m in a hurry.

In regards to 2foals comment - I don’t ride 2 horses/per hour every day. But there are days where I’m fitting in rides between conference calls or before picking kids up or some other hard stop that I have no control over. So I would say that I do it maybe 1-3x per week. Generally I give myself my normal 3(ish) hours (for all 5).

And it’s probably also worth mentioning that because I ride 6-7 days a week, my horses rarely get more than 24 hours to destroy themselves in the pasture or accumulate a ton of built up hair to rake out. If they get a couple of days off (or more) my grooming time increases for sure!

It’s absolutely doable on days when you are just trying to get both horses out to stretch their legs - not to work.

Bring both horses in. Throw one in stall, other on cross-ties.

Pull sheet off horse one and pick feet. Store a saddle pad and girth on top of each saddle. Grab horse 1’s pile and put on. Grab bridle and go. Should take 3 minutes max.

Walk horse 1 directly into stall. Pull off bridle and saddle and close door.

Repeat process with horse 2. When done, grab a brush to run over both of them before putting sheets back on.