okay now i ride an appaloosa mare i am only 15 and i dont have a lot of time to ride her and im the rider that does ride her! i can only ride 1 or 2 a week! now my ? is what is a really good exercise for the horse if i dont have a lot of time?
2006-12-10 14:26:23 · 16 answers · asked by mandy needs help! 1 in Pets ➔ Other - Pets
Ride her at a walk and trot for as much time as you can. Or work her on a longe line.
2006-12-10 14:31:00 · answer #1 · answered by eilishaa 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Well if you can only ride her one to two times a week make sure that when you do ride her, you don't over exert her, because then there is a good chance she will become really grouchy when anyone goes to ride her if you do. I would recommend that when you do have the chance to ride, do a lot of trot work with walking breaks so she can catch her breath. Trotting is the best gait to build muscle in. If you can come up to work with her more than the times that you ride, I would recommend lunging or free lunging if you have an enclosed arena (obviously only free lunge when there are no riders in the ring). This way, she can at least get 15 or 20 minutes of exercise or however much time you have and you don't have to commit the time to riding. This will help her to keep muscle tone in between the days that you ride her. Good Luck!
2006-12-10 16:21:05 · answer #2 · answered by ilovesubasketball 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
any exercise. What discipline do you ride? You can do the same exercises once or twice a week that you could do 5 times a week- it just takes longer to get the desired results.
A good english/dressage exercise (probably could be converted to western):
Warm up at a walk- get her supple to your aids. Make sure she stops exactly when you tell her to- she will listen and start remembering what you worked on last time.
Then do the same thing at the trot working on the walk halt trot transitions until she listens well. Canter a circle or two and ask for the same easy transitions.
Next, just continue whatever you were working on last week. You don't need to work her into a sweat every time, and just work on your circles, barrels, poles, Western pleasure stuff, whatever, afterwards.
1 to 2 times a week is much more than some others can ride (or go out to ride) and is perfectly fine. As long as you have a good horse that will be ok with breaks between riding (compared to one that will buck you off if you even let him rest 2 days in a row), your riding times will be no problem.
Between 40 plus hours of work and 18 credits of classes, I rarely get to ride more than 2-3 times a week.
Have fun on your new mare, and just email/ IM me if you want me to explain the warm up better.
2006-12-10 14:35:45 · answer #3 · answered by D 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There is no single best exercise for a horse. Since you only ride 1-2 times a week, I would suggest working on endurance, coordination, balance and collection to keep her well rounded. Serpentines and figure eights are good as well as lounging, just be sure lounging doesn't become your primary means of exercise. Always be sure to warm her up before riding and cool her down after riding. Only a vet or trainer can evaluate your mare and tell you exactly what would benefit her the most.
2006-12-10 14:35:43 · answer #4 · answered by rockerchic821 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Your horse needs more consistant exercise...working her harder one or two times a week is not the answer. If I were you, I'd find someone you trust (riding wise) to half lease her. She'll get more exercise and you will get some money (or help paying the bills)!
If a half lease is not an option, I'd take it easy on her. Trail rides are good, or if she's too hot and that's your problem, lunge before you ride. Also, make sure she's getting plenty of turnout. Just make sure you don't ride the hair off of her for the couple of times a week you ride.
2006-12-10 17:25:35 · answer #5 · answered by Carson 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It really depends on what your exercising for. Muscle mass an extended trot is better, stamina wise you'll need to lope more. Two days a week is hard if your trying to get her ready for anything, but I too can understand the time restraints. If your just trying to keep her legged up then just vary your exercises up. Walking some then trotting to a lope in figure 8's, serpentines, small and large circles (be sure to change directions) Say three to the left then do three to the right. If you don't know how to flex your horse check out some trainer sites and learn how to do that, it'll save you a lot of time down the road. Good Luck!!
2006-12-10 14:30:39 · answer #6 · answered by dakittenizcozmic 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Having been in the same position with my own horse I know how you're feeling. If you're anything like me, you'd rather spend your time with her riding, not doing ground work, or longeing. And as I am not a proponent of longeing unless you have been trained and know what you're doing to make sure you are maintaining respect and not just running her around in circles, I wouldn't recommend it. What I have done, and what I recommend would be doing grid work. If you have never done grid work before, the first website below has a good introduction. Your local tack store should carry some books about cavelletti or arena exercises (Cherry HIll has a great one - 101 Arena Exercises, her website is below as well). The grid work and figures should keep her flexible, and in shape. They will also keep you mentally on top of your game while riding, allowing both of you to benefit from the ride.
2006-12-10 15:47:28 · answer #7 · answered by skachicah35 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Have you tried longeing her? This is where you stand in the center and send her around you. This works well and teaches respect, too. If you are riding her 1 or 2 a week, though, and you are not competing, she should be just fine in the fitness department. Horses are very athletic. Good luck
2006-12-10 14:29:42 · answer #8 · answered by demongelding1@hotmail.com 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
if you can, try to ride on trails once a week!! even in surrounding fields if you are rural.....thats what i do b/c i work and barely have enough time to feed my horses let alone ride 2 and train one! find a trainer and ask for some tips i guess! you are never too good for lessons either! the best rider i know is probably 35 and takes regular lessons!
2006-12-11 11:29:26 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
how good of a rider are you? can you make her do canter to trot transitions every 5 to 7 strides? circles and figure 8's do you know how to make the horse counter canter? do canter to counter canter transitions on the figure 8. or you can do extended trot to reg trot transitions. so many things to do but these ones will keep you busy for a while!! good luck
2006-12-10 14:36:30 · answer #10 · answered by cattledog_vinnie 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋