# How much riding do you do?



## barefoothooves (Sep 6, 2007)

I was thumbing through some training books before I packed them away and got to thinking about how the best training tool for any horse is "lots of wet saddle blankets' or lots of hours of proactive riding. This got me to thinking, how unless you are a trainer or a kid on summer break, how many hours do you realisitically get to ride your horse on average? 

Most of us are working class so that eats up a lot of time, not to mention taking care of family, then doing chores to maintain the horses we are dying to ride. My job is such that I usually get a sporadic time schedule and some days I'm happy to get 30 minutes in if I can. Others, I go for 2-3 hours but usually stop around there as I don't think it's fair to the horse to be used to 30min-1hr rides and then have to work extra hard for extra long. 

Soooo, how much time do you ACTUALLY get to ride your horse normally?


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## sempre_cantando (May 9, 2008)

Normally? About 2 hours a week will be spent riding... and that's a good week :-( But before anyone labels me a 'bad horse owner', my mare is well cared for and gets plenty of turnout! Being busy is never an excuse to neglect my horse!

At the moment, I'm riding everyday because I'm on holidays... and I'm noticing such a difference in her behaviour :-D


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## NorthernMama (Mar 12, 2008)

Ya, work & family cut into it big time for sure. I try to aim for 2x a week. If I've had a bad week at work, I'll tell everyone I need to de-stress and I take off in between. Average is probably about 2 - 3 hours of actual riding time in a week.


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## FGRanch (Feb 9, 2008)

Well I don't work but I have a almost two year old son. Dad works out of town so I usually don't get that much time away from the house to ride. 

My husband was home for about 2 weeks so I was riding every second day for about an hour and half then but not that he is away at work I ride for about 2 hours once a week. It sucks. I got so much done on my training with the horses while he was home! 

But my horses have 24/7 turnout so they are able to run and play and not be bored.


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## iridehorses (Oct 22, 2007)

I try to ride at least 5 times per week. During the week it may be only for 1/2 an hour then a longer ride on the weekend for a total of about 10 or 12 hours per week. That is aside from the occasional competition.

During the summer I'll ride in the morning or the evening but during the winter it has to be the mornings.

I'm fortunate to work from home so I can schedule my time better and work in a ride during "rush hour" then head to my office and work.


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## PrettyJumper (Jul 10, 2008)

I work 6am-2pm so I normally get to ride about 5 days a week. About an 1 hour per ride some times a little longer, about every other week-end I compete, and on the other week-end I go on 2-4 hour trail rides . I love working mornings hehe, I'm also blessed with a nice Office with, peace and little Boss problems.


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## PoptartShop (Jul 25, 2010)

I actually ride about 3-4 times a week. In the meantime if it's like too hot to ride or something, I'll just do some groundwork or groom.


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## Vidaloco (Sep 14, 2007)

In good weather we ride every other day for 1-3 hours. If the weather is bad we try to get in at least one or two rides a week. Usually about an 1-2 hours each. We take a break every hour no matter how long we ride. I'm overweight and my horse is smallish so I figure I owe her a break every hour. 
It really comes down to how tired my husband is that day and the weather :lol:


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## FriesianSH (May 28, 2008)

I go out to the barn 2-4 times a week and spend at least 3 hrs. out there each time. I usually ride Cody for at least an hour each time. A lot of it just depends on my schedule and the weather.


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## Abby (Nov 26, 2007)

I typically go riding between 5-7 times a week because sometimes I ride in the morning, and again in the afternoon, so I really only go out to the barn 5 days a week. I usually ride about 2 hours, 5 hours tops when we go on an "expedition" which is usually on Mondays we take a big ol' trek through the world.

So averaging all that stuff out, lets say I ride six days a week, at 2 hours a day. So I ride about 12 hours a week on my average week. 

That would be great if I worked him hard when I rode him, which I have been a little more but I usually don't. I've been asking a lot more of him when we ride, before we used to do LOTS of walking, and minor trotting and and even less cantering. We used to walk for a good hour and 45 minutes, trot 15 minutes and MAYBE canter a minute, usually less. The trot and canter was usually done freely, meaning, i didn't ask him to extend or collect at it but lately I've been asking for a lot of collected trotting, and I've been starting to ask for collection on the canter, but thats only in its baby steps since I really want to get the trot down pat before I move on you know?
Now when we ride its more, and hour of walking, 45 minutes of trotting, and fifteen minutes of cantering... roughly.  I try to time it out so I know, but I forget sometimes to write down what I was working on and for how long. :roll:


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## Fox Hollow Deb (Jun 22, 2008)

If the weather is good, I ride every morning for 15 to 30 minutes. Weekends I try to get out for at least one 45 min ride. So the total is not much, about 4 hours a week I guess. 
I don't ride in July & August - too many bugs and too hot. I usually don't ride for weeks at a time in the winter, depends on the amount of ice & snow we get.


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## kickshaw (May 7, 2008)

3-4 days a week at 30-60 minutes per ride


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## PaintHorseMares (Apr 19, 2008)

Having to work, it is hard to get out for long rides sometimes. Typically, I get a 3 hour ride in every weekend, sometimes 2. Since our horses are here with us, I can sometimes get a 30 min ride in during the week. When I'm on vacation though, I can usually get a 3 hour ride in every other day.


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## Painted Horse (Dec 29, 2006)

During the summer, when the days are long. I try to ride one or two evenings each week. Thees are usually 2-3 hour trail rides. Then on Saturday I try and get away for a 4-6 hour ride.

We try and go on a camp out at least once a month, most months except the very coldest. Dec-February I ususally don't get away for a camp out. March & Novemeber may be just 1 over nighter, While Aug-Sept and Oct may have 3-4 camp trips each month that last several days each. (Hunting season and scouting for hunting season)

I used to do CTR and that involved everyother weekend May through August traveling to an event, competing in a multiday day ride that was 40-50 miles in length. Show up friday afternoon, Short ride to get familar with the area and loosen the horse up after a long trailer ride, Compete Saturday and Sunday and drive home late sunday. But fuel prices have the last few years weaned me off that.

Weekend camp outs, usually involve a pretty good ride in for the horses. We usually get 8-10 miles off the beaten path.









Some of the early spring or late fall rides we sleep in the trailer and just ride 20 miles during the day.


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## my2geldings (Feb 18, 2008)

I've been on time for a long time now but when I rode, I was out every day. I didn't always ride. We did either ground work or we rode. On the seldom occasion we would go out on a trail ride. Kept my horse alert and ready to go. 

Next year I will be taking it nice and slow so a couple rides a week I think is what I will be doing. The following year tho, I will have 2, 3 year olds started under saddle so there will be LOTS of riding then.


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## mlkarel2010 (Jan 27, 2008)

Really it depends on how hot it is here... that is a huge factor... normally anywhere from 12-20 hours depending on the week....

if it's hot and i'm unusually busy more toward the twelve side and then if it's cool and i have nothing to do then more toward 20  I can't stand riding for less than an hour.... that's just me...


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## horsejumper123 (Jul 9, 2008)

Well im in MO and my mare is in MN so 0 hrs a week lol. PLuse she isnt use to riding so it will be a while till i actully get to ride her. plus i dont have a job so i will be training her and getting her use to it again. 
So then i will try to ride everyday. which i might be able to do. Im planning on getting a job at the stables down the road.
lets i get out of school at 3.10. get home around 3.40. dont know the hours of the stables but it will most likely start at around 6 or 7 and not for long. its not a real big stables so i dont think i will work there long. 
homework and studing about an hour or so. since my mare is older, and she isnt use to riding i wont ride for long peroids at a time. so proly 30 mins a day.


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## Harlee rides horses (Jan 13, 2008)

I ride 6 days out of the week and when I ride it's anywhere from a half an hour to an hour and a half, unless it's a show then I'm on for around 5 hours.


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