How much do you generally work your hunt horses between hunts?
I ride through the off season also, not as hard or as much, but I do ride. I give her a bit of a letdown, but not all the way. So she is reasonably fit at the beginning of the season, which affects how much extra curricular riding we do during the season.
I usually hunt her 3 days a week, then take a lesson one of the other days, a a light hack on another. If she were not fit coming into the season, I would probably do more “real work” as opposed to a hack, and do it a couple of times a week.
When I do ride, I don’t ride for more than maybe a half an hour, or however long it takes to accomplish something. I learned the hard way not to take a superfit horse into the beginning of hunt season, by Christmas they are so fit you can’t ride them.
The past two years I have hunted an average once a week for half the season and twice a week for the other half. Footing permitting, then I would ride once or twice more during the week.
This year our hunt has hounds from Red Rock and OMG, put on your seatbelt and leg up your horse cuz those hounds hunt with a purpose & speed. I am behind the curve for a having horse fit enough to keep up with them but plan on fixing that starting next week.
We hunt with the Exmoor Foxhounds so the terrain is very hilly with challenging footing, so horses are working hard when they are out, especially as they are usually out all day.
Generally mine do 3 days a fortnight or twice a week, depending on how much we are able to get out. If they are out twice a week I don’t work them in between, except maybe a bit of long-reining in the school. If they are out only once, then they would probably ride out for an hour or so a couple of times a week, but it wouldn’t be hard work.
Nic
Wow. I can’t imagine hunting a horse three times a week - ours would be dead. I guess hunts are really different from each other.
After hunting starts, our horses get ridden three times a week and hunted ideally once every two weeks but sometimes once a week, like the last two weeks.
When I hunted one horse once a week I couldn’t keep them sound more than a couple of seasons which possibly says more about me than the practice itself.
Back when I was hunting 2-3 times per week, using two horses- once they got fit, I really didn’t worry about keeping them fit. They lived out on 5 acres w/access to stalls when desired, and 4-5 hours of work involved with whipping in, once or twice a week, will certainly keep them fit, even my round quarter horse. Which is not to say I didn’t ride between hunts, simply that it was usually a nice mellow hack. Allowing for recovery from a day of hard work is just as important to a horse’s fitness and health as trot sets.
I hunt my horse once a week. This season, there has been lots of galloping during the hunts, so she works very hard. I give her the next day or two after a hunt off to rest, and then try to ride twice more during the week.
I don’t generally ride her the day before a hunt either.
So, my total rides are usually 3 a week, one of those being a hunt.
When not hunting, I ride 4-5 days a week as the rides are not nearly as intense.
I too am trying to find the perfect balance.
This is my first season out, and I’m learning as I go. I roaded twice a week, and have been out twice a week cubbing (missed one day). I’ve given my 15 year old mare off the day after hunting (with lots of turn-out) and have ridden lightly (lots of stretching, light hack in between, some cavaletti work). So far, so good. Four to five days a week work, depending on how she feels.
She’s sound, happy, and more athletic than I ever would have given her credit for. So, although I think we’ve got the right amount of work and play - I’m now working on keeping weight on her. She ate 1 qt. 10P twice a day with copious amounts of orchard grass before this summer, and now she eats 3 quarts complete twice a day with corn oil… thinking about adding a small lunch in the middle.
[QUOTE=pleasantmeadowfarm;4439727]
I’m now working on keeping weight on her. [/QUOTE]
I here you there. This is our second season, but the first season spent entirely riding in the first field. She is very fit, but lighter than I’m used to seeing her. The faster work has really trimmed her down.
I’d like to put a few pounds back on, so I’ve added oil and increased her alfalfa and beet pulp a little.
Fortunately, she’s on 24/7 turnout by herself, so I can load up the shed with hay and she can eat that all day long.
Her energy is good, I just don’t want her to lose any more “cushion”.
When I was in school, all the pony clubbers stayed in horses by riding the hunt horses. Generally the horses went out hunting every Wednesday and Saturday and we rode them Tuesday and Thursday.
During the off season they got a lot more work from the pony club doing summer camp, combined training rally, etc. Most of the actual owners only showed up to ride for the fox hunts themselves and sometimes they’d even skip a hunt to let us get in a winter show or rally as well.
All in all, the horses usually worked four or five days a week. Mondays were always off.
[QUOTE=xeroxchick;4438968]
Wow. I can’t imagine hunting a horse three times a week - ours would be dead. I guess hunts are really different from each other.
After hunting starts, our horses get ridden three times a week and hunted ideally once every two weeks but sometimes once a week, like the last two weeks.
When I hunted one horse once a week I couldn’t keep them sound more than a couple of seasons which possibly says more about me than the practice itself.[/QUOTE]
I think maybe the ground where you are may be harder than what is in my area. You guys are up in red clay land I believe. But so far knock wood, no problems.
I’m a whip so my horses work hard, but I am also careful with them. I don’t gallop on harder ground if I don’t have to, don’t jump if I don’t have to and take care of them well.
If the ground was a little hard, then I pack feet. I may also do a poultice or brace.
My horses are also turned out 24/7, which I think is really the key to both mental and physical soundness.
I do have an extra horse, but she is sort of in training so I only take her on certain days or to certain fixtures, I usually hunt my main horse about 85% of the time.
But whichever horse I do ride, they (almost) always get the day after a hunt off, depending on the schedule (I whip at two hunts) or if not then they get the third day off.
I think I would go into withdrawl if I only hunted once every two weeks. LOL
[QUOTE=JWB;4439815]
When I was in school, all the pony clubbers stayed in horses by riding the hunt horses. Generally the horses went out hunting every Wednesday and Saturday and we rode them Tuesday and Thursday.[/QUOTE]
This is how it was done where I was in Florida. Most of the hunt members were busy professionals and didn’t have time, so it worked out well with the Pony Clubbers getting to ride some very nice horses in lessons, and the horses getting in some formal schooling from the more advanced riders, which I’m sure made hunting them more enjoyable.
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Wendy
During the season I hunt twice a week, have two lessons every week and maybe one light hack or trail ride, so 5 days a week. Usually the two days off are the days after the hunts. Lessons are usually the day before. My hunt horse is extremely fit and sound. (knock on wood!!)
This is my 6 year old gelding’s first full season hunting. He is turned out all day every day in a huge, rolling paddock with friends so gets a fair amount of exercise just that way. Our schedule each week:
Monday – Off
Tuesday – Dressage school
Wednesday – Hunt
Thursday – Off
Friday – Stretchy dressage school
Saturday – Jump lesson/school
Sunday – Long hack
Before we actually started hunting we were doing trot sets twice a week but now I let the hunting day be the fitness day and work more on keeping him comfortable and rideable in between. I may add a Saturday hunt here and there as the year progresses and time allows but don’t think I’d do that every week.
If I hunt twice a week, the horse gets at least one day, most times 2 depending on how hard they run, off after each hunt. So then I just hack them out once or twice durign the week. Just like a 30-45min casual hack.
If they hunt once a week then they get hacked 3-4 times during the week.
But very true, once they get fit, they stay fit and only need the riding to keep ‘tame’ not to keep fit
