This is an archived Horseadvice.com Discussion. The parent article and menus are available on the navigation menu below:
HorseAdvice.com » Horse Care » Routine Horse Care » Particular Situations & Procedure topics not covered by above »
  Discussion on Do horses need a day off per week?
Author Message
Member:
wgillmor

Posted on Tuesday, Sep 23, 2008 - 12:51 am:

It seems that all the horse people I know and admire try to give their horses at least one day per week off from work. However, I have not found any that have actually tried working them every day and had a bad result.

Do any Horse Advice members have experience with working their horses every day? I'm not expecting a scientific study.

Thanks,
Wiley
Member:
muffi

Posted on Tuesday, Sep 23, 2008 - 3:13 am:

I don't know about the horses - but my Butt sure appreciates a day off a week!

I normally lite ride as often as I can but when I hard ride (canter/gallop) I let them have the next day off. (but I'm a woose...)

I guess is more that I need it.
Member:
canderso

Posted on Tuesday, Sep 23, 2008 - 6:23 am:

Think about what we know about training human athletes - training hard every single day is actually the worst possible approach; not only does the athlete lose interest, they tend to have more injuries and tend to not do very well. We have learned that training with increasing intensity but with planned rest periods is a much better way.

There is a lady in England who is studying how we train racehorses and is trying to apply the concept of human interval training to race horses. She is finding interesting results, many along the line that interval training is better - less injuries, better performance. So yes, let your horse rest! ( and look for research by Kristien Verheyen.)

oops. Guess I just gave you that scientific study you didn't want (grin). But I do rest my horses.
Member:
tpmiller

Posted on Tuesday, Sep 23, 2008 - 7:10 am:

May vary by discipline.

Conditioning a horse for endurance, multiple days off are as important, if not more so, as ride days.

Some have found exercising muscle groups differently after several days off, with light dressage work, to be a positive.

Would agree that interval training by flat track trainers guards against "overtraining". Simply put. one is "breaking down" to rebuild better. And the rebuild occurs with rest.

Once an endurance horse is "fit" they will go weeks with only rest between competitions.
Member:
paardex

Posted on Tuesday, Sep 23, 2008 - 7:13 am:

I think it also depends on what 'rest' is. A day in the paddock is holiday for stabled horses but horses who have to stay in a box might prefer to go on a calm trail ride instead of staying indoors whole day.
Jos
Member:
canter

Posted on Tuesday, Sep 23, 2008 - 7:26 am:

Many of the top dressage riders I have read about will work 6 consecutive days, but they mix up the work: one day on the flat with hard training, next day a quiet ride out in the field, perhaps some light jumping on the following day then back to more intense flat work after that, and so on.

While time never permits me to work that hard at training, I prefer a "fresher" horse and if my schedule permits, will ride every other day or perhaps 2 days in a row and then a break. I couldn't begin to guess, though, if this helps us or hurts us in terms of performance.
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Tuesday, Sep 23, 2008 - 7:38 am:

From a physiological stand point it depends on exactly what type work the horse is doing. Hard fast work weakens bone that then needs time to repair. For more on this see, Training & Conditioning Horses » Muscoskeletal Conditioning » Exercise Physiology and Conditioning.
DrO
Member:
36541

Posted on Tuesday, Sep 23, 2008 - 9:22 am:

I have found that it varies by my horses. My gelding looks for work and human contact every day, so he is ridden 4-5 days per week, but a mix of dressage, jumping, lunging, or long trot sets out on trail. He seems to stay focused better with the almost daily plan. My mare starts to curl her lip a little when I approach her on the third day of consecutive work, so I tend to give her a two on - two off schedule when able. I think they need a little break for their back musculature every few days at least, so I count a lunging day as work. Definitely not scientific - just a "feel" thing for me. Stacy
Member:
wgillmor

Posted on Tuesday, Sep 23, 2008 - 9:35 am:

I should have given more background.

I have a 15 year old Trakehner that I share with my daughter. The question arises because both of us would like to be able to ride more than three times a week. If we were just one rider there is no question he would get at least one day off per week.

We primarily ride him in the arena and in light trail or pasture work. In no sense is this hard fast work or the kind of training that endurance and racing horses do. We make an effort to keep his routine varied and not just do circles in the arena. My daughter will occasionally gallop him and as jumped him in the past (but not recently). Typically he works for about an hour and a half. He gets daily turnout in a paddock with another gelding and is in a stall with a run at night.

In fact, the purpose of riding him is not to increase his fitness (we are happy with his current level) but for our own training and pleasure and secondarily to maintain his fitness and well being. (If he had a choice, just standing around and eating with an occasional gallop would be just fine.)

Thanks for all your comments. If this prompts and further thoughts please post them.

I am still curious if anyone has tried working a horse at this level every day.

Thanks,
Wiley
Member:
amara

Posted on Tuesday, Sep 23, 2008 - 2:58 pm:

i had a mare that i used to have to work every single day. for some reason, if i gave her a day off, it was like we were back to square one. this lasted for about 6 months, and i had just gotten her broke to ride, and she was 9 years old at that time.

she worked in dressage, and i did not have to work her hard every single day, but she'd get a solid work out at least 3 days straight, then a light day, then 3 days or a work out, or more... the light days really depended on my schedule.. she had no problems if i worked her harder for more days in a row.. i never tried working her lightly for several days in a row...

never did this with another horse tho..and lately workouts depend on my schedule as much as anything else
Member:
lhenning

Posted on Tuesday, Sep 23, 2008 - 3:31 pm:

Wiley,

We have lesson horses that work longer than 1 1/2 hours per day at the boarding barn. Could you both ride on the same days but still give the horse at least one day off? Perhaps alternating so that one rider gets the "fresh" horse and the other does light work, then switch the next day?
Member:
ekaufman

Posted on Tuesday, Sep 23, 2008 - 10:34 pm:

Hi Wiley,

Seems like it's more a question of his attitude and mental health than a risk of breaking him down. I'd give it a go and see how he handles it.

I have owned horses (not for competition) that soured with more than 3 real rides/week. My current competition horse will work 30 days in a row, if that happens, and be happy to see me every day. Of course I need to be conscious of the type of exercise, but a fit 1100lb mare is not going to break down by carrying an extra 120lbs for an hour/day. I watch her attitude when she's in heavy work (and when she's not). It has worked very well for us-- she pounds on the gate when I take another horse out.

Good luck, and enjoy your horse!
Member:
rtrotter

Posted on Sunday, Oct 19, 2008 - 3:19 pm:

Hi Wiley,

Here's a perspective from a racehorse trainer. I have 5 currently in various stages of training and racing.

My horses on the average work everyday, but it also depends on what they did the day before or where they are in their training, jogging or racing schedules. If they have raced or trained they get the next day off. If they are just jogging in preparation for restarting training then they jog everyday unless its bad weather. My horses are also turned out 24/7 and only come in for about 2 hours after they are worked to cool out, dry off and get their routine daily care( feet, brushing etc.), then back to the field they go. My horses all seem happy and healthy and they let me know when they do not want to work (I have one that knows when she trains and she will refuse to get caught on her "day off")All other times she is fine to catch.

A typical week in my barn consists of jogging 4-6 miles each day at a 4 minute mile clip I use a tow gate for a lot of my jogging, it seems to keep my nutty horses quieter. If they are training that day, they still tow 4-6 miles, come in and get their equipment on and then go back out on the track for their training session. This is either a single trip usually about a 2:20 mile ( depends on the horse) a double header ( two consecutive trips with a 10 minute break in between each trip, usually a 2:40 mile and a 2:20 mile)then they would get a day off the next day, tow 3-5 miles, the second day back and either race, train back or jog the third day back. The average standardbred races every week and from an athletic point of view are very fit from all their work.

I also occasionally jog horses lightly 2-3 miles after they train just to make sure they came out of their training ok.

Good Luck with your horse
Rachelle
Home Page | Top of Page | Join Us!
Horseadvice.com is a BBB Accredited Business. Click for the BBB Business Review of this Horse Training in Stokesdale NC