# how often do you ride your horse?



## heyycutter (Sep 26, 2009)

so i only have enough time, what with work and everything to ride my horse 2-3 sometimes 4 times a week, for like a half hour-an hour. i always wonder/worry if hes going to loose all his muscle tone from the lack of excerise. how often do you guys ride your horses? do you think this is a ok amount of riding per week?
just curious


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## Jake and Dai (Aug 15, 2008)

Sigh...not nearly enough...


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## ChingazMyBoy (Apr 16, 2009)

I ride 5-6 days a week at the moment I am only riding 45 minutes to an hour as that is all Chinga can do without becoming extra hot in the heat.


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## heyycutter (Sep 26, 2009)

do you guys think 2-3 times for only 30-60 minutes is too little excerise though?


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## ChingazMyBoy (Apr 16, 2009)

Yeahh, I think its to little from what I've heard the horse is meant to be worked 8 hours a day, 7 days a week. I think this would be impossible (I am not suggesting doing it by the way). I know one friend who is a teacher, so she doesn't have much time to ride. So if she doesn't ride she lunges. I know most people ride 5-6 days a week, giving the horse one day of rest. 

If you can't ride your horse that much a few things you could possibly do is getting someone out to ride your horse for you, I know many people would like to ride everyday but because of the price of owning a horse or the price of lessons this is hard for them. If you decide to go with this idea you could do a deal eg: They ride your horse for 45 minutes and then have to put them away, feed and rug your horse (general morning or night care) for the day they ride. So this means they get riding time and they also get to do some of the stuff in owning horses. For you it makes it easier. There are a few more things you can do but did you think about not being able to ride enough when you bought your horse.


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## roro (Aug 14, 2009)

My horse has a trainer who rides him 3-4 days out of the week, so I can choose not to ride on weekdays if I don't have time. Typically I ride 3-4 times a week, either dressage, jumping saddle, or bareback pad.


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## MyBoyPuck (Mar 27, 2009)

I'm an addict. I'm up there 6 to 7 days a week. I ride about an hour most day. Trial rides go up to 3 hours. I work at night, so I have some freedoms there that most people don't to ride in the daytime.


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## M2twisted (Sep 9, 2009)

i ride about 3 times a week, sometimes more. if i trail ride it's much longer. i try to change it up alot. i'll ride western, english and bareback (i'm e loser, i can't stay on at the canter bareback on my own horse!), and we trail ride, mostly in western tack.

good question as to if that's enough. i've heard for people getting in shape you are supposed to work out a day, and then rest, to let your muscles rebuild and repair, i would think in some ways it would be the same for horses?


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## Lucara (Apr 5, 2008)

I try to ride Duchess 5 days a week if its not raining. I usually ride between an hour to an hour and a half. With the temps in the upper 90's still, she cant take much and neither can I!


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## LolaGirl160 (Sep 12, 2009)

i ride 6 days a week for an hour depending on the workout im giving. I only ride for an hour no longer. Only at shows do i ride longer than an hour , and even then i gey off anddo things to free up their back.


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## kchfuller (Feb 1, 2008)

Maddy: M, W, F and either Sat or Sunday

Brodie: M, T, TH and either Sat or Sunday

i ride for about 30-45 min at a time unless I take Brodie roping, then it's like 3 hours


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## Cougar (Jun 11, 2009)

Cougar gets out for an hour 4-5 days a week. Greylite gets out for half an hour to an hour 2-4 days a week. It feels like nothing. I used to ride 5 horses a day six days a week.


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## myQHpaul (Jun 25, 2009)

during the summer, everyday of the week. during the school year, on the weekends and during vacations or other days off. when we finally move closer to the barn next year, i'll be there everyday again. we want a house with some land and there isn't anything like that around here.


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## NorthernMama (Mar 12, 2008)

heyycutter said:


> do you guys think 2-3 times for only 30-60 minutes is too little excerise though?


It depends what you want to do. If you expect to be able to go on an all day trail ride or lope across the fields for an hour or compete, then, no, it's not enough. But if this is all you do, then, yes it's enough. Watch your horses diet and give them as much free turnout as possible and you should be OK. I work full-time, have a full family, do house renos, school meetings and who knows what else, so I don't have enough time to ride either. My girls get out 1 - 3 x a week for a couple of hours. I try hard to get out on the weekend both days, but it doesn't always work. I never ask much of them though. 90% of our riding is at a walk, 8% at a trot and 2% canter. I've been doing this for years and never had a problem with them.


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## drafts4ever (Sep 1, 2009)

I ride 4-5 days a week and she has two days off. She has all day turn out from 8am-5pm and during that time I try to ride for an hour in the morning and an hour after dinner normally 6:30-7:30. I'm not going to be showing her in anything more than some fun shows, nothing too serious and when my funds come back up I'll be hauling her for trail riding a bit before the rain and snow hits.


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## xEquestrianx (Aug 30, 2009)

During the summer, I ride just about everyday, during school and the winter, probably about 2-3 times depending on the weather.


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## xLaurenOscarx (Aug 11, 2009)

When Oscar Was At His Peek And Was Totally Fit And A Pure Muscle Machiene I Could Ride From 1 hour to 2 hours Depending On How He Was Still Going Just To Keep Him Fit. Then He Got Serios Case Of Colic And I When I Eventually Started Riding Him It Was For Half an Hour and Ive Just Gradually Brought It Up 2 An Hour But Now Im Injured So Cant Ride For A While

During The Summer I Used To Go Down Every Day But Id Always Give Him At Least 1 Day Of A Week And Jump Twice A Week Then Id Either Do Hill Work Or In The Arena Or Just A Quiet Hack As Theres No Fields Locally I Can Ride In
During School I Ride Weekends Tues Wed And Maybe Show On Fri Evening And Sometimes Show On Sun If Not Fri


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## mom2pride (May 5, 2009)

I'm able to ride pretty much every day if I want to. And now I've got a new project horse, so I definitely will be out there everyday with her. Plus I've got the two yearlings I'm training...let's just say I horse around alot! I don't complain!


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## lanlaysapphire123 (Sep 27, 2009)

i ride 6 days a week 1 day i school 2 day i hack 3 day i jump then do the same again but my ponys only 5


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## ClassicalRomantic (Jun 2, 2009)

Usually between 3-5 days a week with the rides being about 45mins-hr.


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## heyycutter (Sep 26, 2009)

ive been riding more now, but its hard with work, and my barn doesnt have an indoor ring so with winter coming soon, i have no idea how ill be able to excerise him!


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## justsambam08 (Sep 26, 2009)

Well once my horse is sound again (he's had a rash of injuries that keep me from mounting up) I plan on riding him five or six days a week, and the very least four days a week. Usually I ride for fourty five minutes or so, depending on how much of a brat he's being. When I don't feel like riding (a.k.a its too **** hot) or its too dark out, I lunge him.


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## heyycutter (Sep 26, 2009)

haha my horse doesnt lunge. he looks at me all confused, and then refuses to do anything but eat grass


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## Gillian (Aug 2, 2008)

School is cutting down my riding time immensely. Zeus gets worked on average three days a week right now. Some weeks it's less, some weeks it's more It all depends on the weather and my schedule. It's not enough for him to be in amazing shape but it's enough for now. My rides don't go over 45 minutes unless it's a trail ride. He gets turned out every day for around 6 hours in a big pasture with all the other geldings so he's not cooped up for too long either.


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## CloudsMystique (Mar 3, 2009)

ChingazMyBoy said:


> Yeahh, I think its to little from what I've heard the horse is meant to be worked 8 hours a day, 7 days a week. I think this would be impossible (I am not suggesting doing it by the way). I know one friend who is a teacher, so she doesn't have much time to ride. So if she doesn't ride she lunges. I know most people ride 5-6 days a week, giving the horse one day of rest.
> 
> If you can't ride your horse that much a few things you could possibly do is getting someone out to ride your horse for you, I know many people would like to ride everyday but because of the price of owning a horse or the price of lessons this is hard for them. If you decide to go with this idea you could do a deal eg: They ride your horse for 45 minutes and then have to put them away, feed and rug your horse (general morning or night care) for the day they ride. So this means they get riding time and they also get to do some of the stuff in owning horses. For you it makes it easier. There are a few more things you can do but did you think about not being able to ride enough when you bought your horse.




What?! Who told you that? That is WAY too much work for one horse to handle.


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## cheply (Jul 27, 2009)

2-4 days a week .. half an hr to 3 hrs. depends on how well behaved shes being


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## EventingIsLovee (Sep 18, 2009)

Well I actually only half lease my horse, but his ownwer hardly ever rides him, but when she does, it's usually just a short trail ride. I'm up at the barn anywhere from 4 to 6 days a week, riding for an hour each day. But I also do eventing, so I have to have my horse in shape for that. Another option you have if you can't ride that often is half lease yours out to a good rider and have them pay have the board cost every month.


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## heyycutter (Sep 26, 2009)

my horse cant be ridden by other people. the reason i have him is because he was deemed 'dangerous" and "a liability" and "aggressive" so my horse insurence for him says no one else is aloud to ride him. 
hes gotten alot better these past few months, but i cant risk him back tracking =/
i wish i could half lease him out, itd be such a money saver


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## ~*~anebel~*~ (Aug 21, 2008)

During show season I like to ride 6-7 days a week anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour and a half a day. If I am going to ride 7 days per week, one or two of those will be out on the hills walking.
During off season, when I'm in school, I try to get out 6 days a week and ride for 45-75 minutes. I don't have access to hills in the winter so he just gets at least one day off per week. I find he doesn't stay as fit in the winter, but I think that's inevitable.
He also get turned out for 6-8 hours a day, every day (minus like, christmas or if it is stupid amounts of cold/rain/wind he won't be out for that long, just long enough to clean the barn)

ETA: And when school is really bad I either will drink a lot of caffeine, not sleep and finish my work at night, or get someone to lunge him for me.


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## Doodles (Oct 21, 2009)

What about when it rains? should we ride in the rain?


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## gypsygirl (Oct 15, 2009)

i usually ride my mare 2-4 days a week for about 20-30 minutes & then do ground work the other days, but shes only 3. i ride my boy 0-7 days a week depending on the week. i give a lot of kid lessons & some jumping lessons on him & sometimes i let other people trail ride him bc hes really trustworthy, but i prefer if hes ridden almost everyday =]

before i broke my arm i was training 9 horses for other people, i didnt ride all of them everyday, but usually i got on each of them at least twice a week. most of the owners ride too.


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## Annaland13 (Oct 28, 2009)

I would ride more than that!


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## savvylover112 (Jul 17, 2009)

I ride as often as I can it depends on the weather


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## xoSonnyLove1234 (May 31, 2009)

well in the summer i ride everyday for 1 hour or sometimes an hour in a half! But with school and trying to keep straight A's so i dont get in trouble....i ride Mon Thurs. Fri. Sat.(most of the time) And Sundays...School is so hard im luck if i dont just have 3 tests a week! i miss Sonny all the time but i always try 2 get out there wether it means having to ride at 4am(which i have never done but i would if i had 2)


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## heyycutter (Sep 26, 2009)

im moving cutter on sunday to a barn with an indoor, so im going to try to ride 4 times a week for an hour. the barn manager and other boarders know cutters old reputation so they are very afraid of him and want him practically in isolation. which i dont want =/ but its the only place in the area with an indoor


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## gypsygirl (Oct 15, 2009)

Annaland13 said:


> I would ride more than that!


that what ?


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## BaliDoll (Sep 21, 2009)

I hate being 45 mins away from my horse. The horse I am exercising for some people I only see 3 SOMETIMES 4 times a week, which is awful...


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## haviris (Sep 16, 2009)

I agree that it depends on what you are doing w/ him, and how much turn out time he gets. If he's not doing anything "special" then I think that's plenty of time.

Right now I ride as much as the weather will let me, but lately we have gotten rain, rain, rain, so I'm only getting 4 days a week or so, and usually ride for a couple hours.


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## o0hawaiigirl0o (Aug 8, 2008)

I ride Miss Take 5 times a week. Our rides are usually 45-60 minutes. I feel that she performs best with at least two days off. Her turnout is in a large pasture for about 16 hours per day, since we do night turnout.

I ride Ala 3 times a week. I started off riding him twice a week and want to build it to 4. I ride him for about 45 minutes, sometimes less since he is still getting in shape.


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## xAddictionx (Oct 30, 2009)

6 days a week, with one day off.
Some weeks he doesn't get a day off- if he's been particularly crazy or whateves, I'll lunge instead of a day off.


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## Alli (Oct 31, 2009)

I ride my horse 5 times a week (45min.-1h) but my mother rides him the other one day and the last day, I do something else with him... 
I have luck, because my school is from 8 o'clock to 1 o'clock, so I have enough time for my horse and after riding I can do other things  No problem..


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