# How often and how long do you work your horse?



## myQHpaul

I work my horse on Saturday's and Sunday's for an hour each day and I have a friend who rides him on Tuesday's and Thursday's for an hour. We spend most of the time walking him first and working on neck reining for about 40 minutes and then about 10-15 minutes trotting. He is really green on the canter so we will work on that with him later. My horse has weak stifles and the vet gave us directions on building them up so that is where we are starting


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## jody111

I have two horses and both are worked 4-5 days a week for around 45 - an hour weekdays and up to two hours in the weekends when not competing...

the longer rides are usually hacking.... I dont just school though - I have a one hour lesson on the young one once a week

Completely disagree that they stop learning after the first 15 mins - thats usually just warming up.... I dont tend to focus on one thing for a whole hour either I like to change it up...

Ill often school for 20 mins and then road hack for 40 and stuff - or jump school then interval train or whatever


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## hc23881

Thank you guys for your imput! Yea thats what I was thinking, I am pretty sure that they learn still after 15 minutes! I also have another specific question. Almost everytime that I go to catch my horse in the pasture she starts trotting away from me. I have tried the method of when my horse starts to trot away, I send them off so that they realize that If they walk away they will have to work. And after a little bit my horse stops and lets me catch her. But I do not see any signs of improvement in terms of where I can walk up to her and get her. I have also tried not going straight up to her and spending some time around the other horses then going up to her but that does not seem to work either  am I doing something wrong? Have you guys had this problem? What have you done to fix it? thanks!!


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## MHFoundation Quarters

Mine that are in training and my personal riding horse get worked 6 days a week, usually an hour each session sometimes longer depending on what we are doing - ie trail riding, even though it is a longer ride for me any ride is training at some level. My aged horses that don't need training get me 3 days a week to keep them true and students 3 days a week keeps them fit.

I can tell you where the 15 minute concept comes from though and that it is true in some cases. With very young horses just being started, they have the attention span of a gnat. Prime example is foals being halter broke or yearlings learning ground work. Some will have more than that 15 minutes but others do not. It's best to quit while their minds are still grasping what you are asking of them and end on a good note, not pushing them past their mental limits or physical capabilities. Under saddle I start mine as long 2 yo's through the winter before their 3 yo year, it is always short sessions mainly at a walk, just getting the basics down. Taking it slow with them those several months gives them a solid foundation (neck rein, stop, back, sidepass) before they are asked for more speed or advanced maneuvers.

Unless you are riding a very young green bean, I would just nod my head when told that and go on about my business :wink:


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## MHFoundation Quarters

hc23881 said:


> Thank you guys for your imput! Yea thats what I was thinking, I am pretty sure that they learn still after 15 minutes! I also have another specific question. Almost everytime that I go to catch my horse in the pasture she starts trotting away from me. I have tried the method of when my horse starts to trot away, I send them off so that they realize that If they walk away they will have to work. And after a little bit my horse stops and lets me catch her. But I do not see any signs of improvement in terms of where I can walk up to her and get her. I have also tried not going straight up to her and spending some time around the other horses then going up to her but that does not seem to work either  am I doing something wrong? Have you guys had this problem? What have you done to fix it? thanks!!


Was typing as you posted. I've always used the walk them down method. How big of a lot/pasture are you working in? If a large area, do you have access to a smaller lot to use until she gets the concept down? When I get them in that are hard to catch, they go in a small (1-2 acre pasture). Some catch on rather quickly others not so much. It does take time and you will log a lot of miles yourself. Are you approaching her or giving her the opportunity to come to you? When walking one down, I won't go to them. After pushing them around for a bit, I stop, give them the chance to turn and come in to me, if they choose not, back to work we go. They will eventually connect the dots that coming to me means the end of work and the path of least resistance.


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## Lexiie

Monday-Thursday: 30 minutes of trotting, circles, grids
Friday: 1 hour to 2. Usually starts out trotting up our big hill a few times, going to the ring, trotting, circles, grids, and jumps, then cool out walking to the game lands or a trail
Saturday and Sunday: Usually one day is just a trail day and to have fun or do ground work, and the other is the same as friday

My baby girl is one conditioned pony! hahah


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## COWCHICK77

I ride about 5 days a week. 
A few days in the arena, about an hour. Not all of that is schooling, I do a lot of warming up. Schooling is in short sessions, once they make an effort they get to sit and let it soak. Once I get a slight improvement then I cool out.
I spend a couple days of trotting down the backroads for something different out of the arena, or going to a friends to track and rope cattle.


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## RunJumpRide

With school and everything, I really only have the time to work with them on the weekends, so I try to ride as much as possible on them. Saturday I'll do a 1 hour English ride, and Sunday I'll do a 1 hour western ride.
That's about all I can get in during the school year. Summer is a different story


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## VanillaBean

When my horses (3) are in heavy summer and fall work, I ride each everyday for about 1.5 hours each day but it can vary depending on where I ride/what I am working on wth who.

In the winter they get ridden like 3X per week for 30-45 minutes.

Spring is about 5 days per week for about an hour each ride.

Show days of course are different.


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## DejaVu

Depends on the time.
When I have school, it's maybe once during the week, and then on the weekend.

During summer or breaks, it's four days a week, so there's one days break inbetween. The days I don't ride, I'll get a lot of barn work done, get everyone groomed, etc.

I try not to go over an hour if I'm schooling. If I'm just refining, that can be as short as 20 minutes. Get two or three good ones, and then be done.
If I'm teaching something new, that also depends on how well the horse is grasping the concept.

To keep things mixed, I do go out for little hacks often. Sometimes they're hour long trot rides, other times we just walk around though the trees..
I do mix in a lot of ground work also. That's always beneficial.


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## jillybean19

hc23881 said:


> Thank you guys for your imput! Yea thats what I was thinking, I am pretty sure that they learn still after 15 minutes! I also have another specific question. Almost everytime that I go to catch my horse in the pasture she starts trotting away from me. I have tried the method of when my horse starts to trot away, I send them off so that they realize that If they walk away they will have to work. And after a little bit my horse stops and lets me catch her. But I do not see any signs of improvement in terms of where I can walk up to her and get her. I have also tried not going straight up to her and spending some time around the other horses then going up to her but that does not seem to work either  am I doing something wrong? Have you guys had this problem? What have you done to fix it? thanks!!


I have been dealing witha similar problem lately, and the sending off thing is not an option/didn't work in my case. However, I started a discussion about it and got a lotif really good suggestions, and now we are slowly but surely improving I believe. Check it out here http://www.horseforum.com/horse-training/cant-catch-my-horse-118092/


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## Super Nova

It really depends on the horse, how old it is, where it is in its training, how fit it is, where I am teaching something new or brushing on a skill, whether its all on the flat or if it is a jumping class.

Super Nova


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## BarrelRacingLvr

I ride mine 6-7 days a week for 45m-1h (depending on the day really). Also depending on the day our workouts range from just Long Trotting, drills, pattern work, ect. Some days I just long trot them while others I concentrate on the little things that need to be fixed.


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