Productive Hacks: Advise Please

[amnich123]

So, to start off:
How long would you say a productive Hack should be?

Since the weather is getting nicer, I’m transitioning from our pretty good sized indoor which I ride fine in, to outside.

I have this problem where I don’t have a lot of stamina to ride around the outside rings several times, I find myself asking my horse to walk a lap so I can get my breath back.

When I ride outside I have 4 options: 3 extra large show rings (large hunter ring, equitation and jumper ring- that’s just what we call them, the hunter ring is the largest of all 4) and a schooling ring.

I like to ride in the hunter ring because it provides the most space where I can really gauge what I’m doing and where I’m at as far as my stamina is. Most of the time, I cut off half the ring since it’s so huge and one lap around is like 3 laps in the indoor.

Any way I can build up my stamina to ride for a continuous 30+ mins constantly with only one walk break between trotting & canter work? Part of the reason I find myself stopping is because I have ankle pain and asthma. So I think that plays a large part of it.

Any suggestions, comments or ideas would be great.

[GoneAway]

@amnich123;7522210

So, to start off:
How long would you say a productive Hack should be?

For me a “productive” school in the ring is only as long as it needs to be in order for me to work on the training goals I have for my horse for that particular ride. Always have a plan for yourself and your horse. In terms of training value, quality is much more important than quantity. I don’t ride around for 45 minutes if I can accomplish the work in 25-30.

Any way I can build up my stamina to ride for a continuous 30+ mins constantly with only one walk break between trotting & canter work? Part of the reason I find myself stopping is because I have ankle pain and asthma. So I think that plays a large part of it.

I’m no doctor, so I think you should talk to one about the ankle pain and asthma if those are causing you issues. Personally, if I’m having fitness issues myself, then I try to work on that off the horse. Yes, saddle time is important, but I don’t think of my horse as my own personal exercise machine. If my stamina is lacking, or my back is hurting (I have a bad back), then I need to put the time into working out and improving my cardio and my strength via regular workouts. If you’re not in some kind of workout regimen now, I’d suggest you look into that. Doesn’t have to be CrossFit or involve a crazy gym membership. Just getting out and walking a little every day, or jogging a couple times a week, or doing body weight exercises/calisthenics several times a week can make a positive difference.

Also, be considerate of your horse’s fitness too. If you’re taking it easy, then he’s probably not as fit as he could be either, so don’t try to just up the riding time without paying close attention to how he’s feeling/handling it.

[hj0519]

@amnich123;7522210

So, to start off:
How long would you say a productive Hack should be?

As long as it takes to accomplish what you want to get done. I usually hack for 25-50 minutes, depending on what I want to do. If we’re working on something and it takes 50 minutes to get it done well, then I ride for 50 minutes. If we’re working on something, and we get it done fast, then we finish -

I’m also a big proponent of not trying to overdo it/when you’re doing something really well, stop while it’s good - if you’ve been riding for 45 minutes already and are happy with what you’ve accomplished, don’t try to start something new and risk having to ride for another 30 minutes to get that right, too. Like when we started working on flying changes with my horse, I had one hack where we walked/trotted/cantered, got a lead change in each direction, and then were done. We did what we wanted to do well and we finished on a good note.

@amnich123;7522210

Any way I can build up my stamina to ride for a continuous 30+ mins constantly with only one walk break between trotting & canter work? Part of the reason I find myself stopping is because I have ankle pain and asthma. So I think that plays a large part of it.

Work out/do cardio on the days you don’t ride. On the days you ride, just keep pushing yourself to do a little more and ride a little longer without a break every day. I was pretty out of shape when I got my horse because I got her a couple months after I sold my previous horse, and I just had to keep working at pushing myself to do more every day.

[BeaSting]

On those days when my breathing is compromised, I trot when I can, with lots of transitions down to walking circles, serpentines and leg yielding.

[french_fry]

You can do so much work at the walk if you don’t overdo the trot/canter work to the point where you have to come down to a walk, throw your reins away and basically double over trying to catch your breath.

It sounds like you are trying to get in riding shape right now. I’d go out in the big ring you like to ride in and do a good walk warm up, then see how many trot laps you can do without feeling like you’re going to keel over. Then do some walk work - leg yields, spiraling in and out on a circle, serpentines, shoulder in, haunches in, etc. Then do some cantering, take another working walk break if you need to. Your stamina will improve, you just need to give it time.

I usually aim for about a 30 minute hack but often end up going longer and occasionally shorter, depending on what we are working on and how successful we are at it!

[Janet]

To me a hack is, by definition, something OUTSIDE the ring. So I can not help with that part.

But I can help with the fitness part. Just like getting a horse fit, you want to use interval training.

Start by walking for 10 minutes. Then trot for about 3 minutes. Walk AS LONG AS IT TAKES to get your breath back and be ready to go again. Then trot for 3 minutes again. Then walk again. ETC. Finish with 10 minutes walking.

Gradually reduce the time between sets, down to about 2 minutes.

Then add a 3 minute canter set in the middle.

So you might progress to
10 min walk
3 min trot
2 min walk
3 min trot
2 min walk
3 min canter
2 min walk
3 min trot
2 min walk
3 min trot
10 min walk
(But always feel free to walk longer between sets if you need to)

As you progress, you can EITHER increase the speed (go from a 3 minute trot to a 3 minute canter)
OR
increase the time (go from a 3 minute trot to a 4 minute trot)
but never both at the same time.

With the rider, as with the horse, it is the last couple of sets that actually increase your stamina. The earlier sets just get you to that point.

I would aim toward a goal of
10 min walk
5 minute trot
2 minute walk
5 minute canter
2 minute walk
5 minute canter
2 minute walk
5 minute canter
2 minute walk
5 minute trot
10 min walk

Depending on how fit you are to start with, and how often you ride, it might take 6 weeks of 3 x a week to reach that. Do somethng else (skills based) on the other days.