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JowAngel
02 Sep 2009 18:26
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I'm interested to hear what your typical training session break-down looks like. Yes, a lot of this will depend on the horse's mood and abilities that day, so generalize it.
Also, if you can break it down for a horse at XXX level in training and maybe another for a horse at a higher level (for those who ride horses at multiple levels regularly in training).
And also, maybe this is too much for one thread, but what does your horse's weekly training look like? Like I work my horse 6 days a week, 1 of those will be a mostly lunging session, 1 may involve ground poles, and 1 light jumping (though I'm mainly a dressage rider).
Quick example:
10 minute warm up at walk loose rein
5 minute trot focusing on stretching
5 minute canter for ___?
Walk break - work on free walk
....lateral work....blah blah blah :)
^ Totally just made that up for example purposes! Be as specific or as general as you like.
Thank you in advance! I plan on sitting down with my instructor and discussing some optimum session plans with him (dressage). I feel I'm not structured enough during rides that are not lessons. So I'd love to hear what others do.
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bellini
02 Sep 2009 19:42
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I don't know if your thread was aimed at anyone in particular but my plan for riding my 8yr old PSG horse, competing Med/Ad Med is as follows if it's of interest:
Normal schedule
Day 1&2 schooling, day 3 hack, days 4&5 schooling, day 6 hack/lunge day 7 turnout all day.
For a schooling session I walk for 10-15 mins to warm up, if he has not turned out or been on walker am I walk in hand for first 5 mins.
10-15 mins slow gentle stretching mainly in canter to start as it's his better pace.
I then walk for a short break of a couple of mins then start on the canter work, either lateral work and pirries or changes and transitions. I try not to muddle too many things at the moment as all too fresh in his mind. I do this for 10 or so mins with some short breaks if he gets stressed. I then walk before picking up trot and working on gymnastic exercises with lots of transitions and getting him sharp to my lateral work aids. This is another 10 mins.
This is followed by another 5-10 mins stretch in trot and canter. i then either walk for 10mins or go for a short hack.
I jump or do pole work 3-4 times a month and lunge instead of a schooling session 3-4 times a month. This particular horse has 1 month in the field per year normally after the nationals.
I sometimes miss out either trot work or canter work if he is getting tired and has worked well already.
Occasionally I then take him out a second time in the afternoon if I have time in between my other horses. For a second ride I only walk and in snaffle only.
Hope this is what you were looking for. I love seeing how other people work their horses and I hope other people post their programmes too...
Any advice for 5yr old MEGA movers to keep them sound without them staying seriously unfit???
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catrin
02 Sep 2009 20:43
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My training plans always seem to get derailed by work but I try & make sure there's school work 4 days a week, plus hacking, loose jumping, lungeing etc.
Again the precise make up of the session depends on if the horse feels like a rocket about to explode or not. One thing I am firm about is a good walk warm-up & cool down on the buckle - preferably in the fields if there is daylight. One horse we tend to go straight into canter then come back to the trot as she relaxes quicker that way, but in general I start in trot. So 10 mins walk, 15 mins trot progressively checking the basics, big circles, transitions etc. If everything feels nice we'll then work on whatever the focus is that day, progressing a new exercise etc. Often this plan is changed as the "warm-up" reveals some holes which need fixing. The baby horses keep the sessions short & sweet, the older horses never over an hour in total.
Bellini - I would suggest you get the youngster out of the school to work on fitness - slow trotting up hills & interval training in canter will really build stamina & muscle without putting as much strain on the limbs as doing the big trot in the school.
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JowAngel
03 Sep 2009 15:59
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Thanks both of you! Definitely getting some great info that I can learn from and apply to my particular situation.
My particular situation is a 13 yr old Trakehner/Saddlebred gelding who is turned out in the herd 20 hours each day. We are at a very "backyard" type of stable. No arenas, indoor or out. 500 acres of trails available. We have a relatively flat spot on the top of the hill that we use as our "schooling area" for dressage and jumping. But it is not completely flat and that can be a big hurtle some days and other days it isn't even noticeable.
Because I have tons of hills and varied terrain available, I have started using that to my advantage in our conditioning. This is only recently because my horse was too high strung and nervous outside his comfort zone until this summer, after lots of work on that. So now I have a wide variety of tools available to me that I either didn't have before or I didn't recognize! Jumping, cavaletti, hills, long-lining, lunging, and the riding. I'm starting to realize there's too many options and not enough time to do it all. :) Hence I would like to get a general idea of some kind of structured program. Definitely not set in stone because my horse is one that can be two completely different horses on different days. For example, if he can't focus then we won't get the benefits out of a lunging session that we should. So I'd rather ride so I can use my aids much more effectively and really mix it up with patterns and poles.
Anyone at any level can answer, of course. I can take some tidbits from everyone. And then have a sit-down with my trainer and get something figured out for my horse. Now that the work is harder (aka more correct and off the forehand), I realize that we need to get a little more structured with our time as he can wear out fast if he puts his all into a session.
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Leonises
03 Sep 2009 20:58
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my typical lesson is as follows on my- My 4.yo belgium Wb
Walk strech ,practice free walk trying to lengthen steps and get the horse to strech down.
Take up reins and work in a outline still in walk- circles and some lateral work leg yeild, shoulder inn and half pass
Transitions, Up into trot getting a mainting a steady even pace and back to walk x3 on each rein.
Canter transitions, 20m a bit of counter canter both reins.
Free walk to finish, same as when we started
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