# Building up horse miles.



## Sharpie (May 24, 2009)

For your balance- lessons with a good trainer (doesn't matter the discipline IMO, any GOOD trainer is going to make sure you're riding balanced) and bareback time. Nothing like a slippery bareback ride to force you to stay balanced and relaxed if you want to stay on. Now, an out of shape horse isn't going to make it easy to work on your own balance, as she's probably going to be unbalanced and flailing about herself for a bit too, so that's a double challenge. Practice walk, trot, and canter bareback and with loose reins (nothing to brace against) and you'll feel the holes in your balance quickly. (Or at least I do!)

For the horse, 6 miles is an easy goal. My friend's book, Endurance 101, is equally applicable to shorter distances. Key things are going to be taking it slow since the heart lungs and muscle can condition in a month or two but the bones, tendons, ligaments and feet can take 6 months or more to catch up, so it is easy to overdo it in the in between time.

How fit/not fit is she? If she's pastured in a large area with other horses, she can probably do 6 miles tomorrow walking without an issue. If she's stall kept, you'll have to condition her up to it. Long, slow distance. Initially try just riding her at a walk for an hour or two. How does she do? If she's huffing and puffing, just do that for a couple of weeks until she handles it easily. Once that's easy, add in 5 minutes of trotting for every 10-15 of walking. Once that's easy add in more trotting, or maybe a short canter and then back to a walk until she has her breath back. Just take it slow and you both will get there. 6 miles w/t with maybe a short canter is a reasonable and attainable goal.


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## LesandLily (Oct 8, 2012)

Just like us, horses get in shape by moving...alot. However they are naturally more endurance based than we are...typically. With the Arab in her I would guess she is pretty long winded and should have no issue getting to the 6 mile mark pretty quickly. If you can, ride her 5-6 days a week giving her alternate fits of walking, trotting and loping. She will leg up pretty quick, faster if you can do it in varied terrain vs. arena only. When we leg up horses for hunting, 2 weeks worth of a variety of easy and strenuous activity gets them ready for pretty much whatever we throw at them. 

The horse I am riding right now at the feedlot was legged up and in good shape and able to go hard ALL day long (6-8 hours steady) within a couple of weeks. And we ride way more than 6 miles in a full day. They can handle way more than we think they can...likely WAY more than you can.


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## jackboy (Jul 8, 2012)

6 miles is nothing to a horse whenever I break a colt the first ride I take them on is a 4 hour ride I'm not sure of the mileage but I'm sure it further than 6 miles. Good luck and have fun I like riding long distance I can make a 25 mile loop from my house mostly in the woods its a great ride


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

you would work her up to that the same way you'd work yourself up to a marathon; a little more each day.

as scary as it may be, if you want some feedback on your riding, then post a video. that way folks can watch and give you specific comments. in general, I would not know how to say to get better at balance because I don't know what you are NOT good at , with regard to balance. Balance can be off due to a lot of things, like stirrups too long, leaning too far forward, or hunching over or pooching the butt, or elbows too far out, or looking down or a saddle that does not fit the horse. there a lot of things that make balance less than it can be.

for me, I have to much tummy. I am literally too fat out front, and it affects my balance. now, what I am gong to do about that is another story.


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