lfh1
Junior Member
Posts: 124
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Post by lfh1 on May 14, 2012 14:10:54 GMT
Hello!
Have had a new boy since November and after slowly bringing him into work and slowly building him up..I have now been to out to my first show yesterday and we won our class. ;D He's a 14.2 coloured cob.
I need to build his fitness up as he was getting very flat by the end of his class (although still tried his heart out)
Since having my last ponies BEFORE having a baby never had issues with fitness as I could ride 5-6 times as much as was needed for each pony and never had any issues
Any advise for Mummy's/Daddy's and working people who only can ride 3-4 times a week and what you do to get horses fit along with your other commitments
Many Thanks Laura
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sarahp
Happy to help
Posts: 9,510
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Post by sarahp on May 14, 2012 15:57:12 GMT
When mine were small I swapped a day a week with a friend with one the same age - I had them both on Mondays and she had them both on Thursdays, or whatever.
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Post by Louise Dixon on May 14, 2012 15:57:58 GMT
Well done at your show. Completely unhelpful, butI have found it impossible - 2 ponies out on loan and got someone coming here to ride another. Is there anyone who could help exercise?
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lfh1
Junior Member
Posts: 124
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Post by lfh1 on May 14, 2012 17:33:08 GMT
I kind of know the answer to my own question but just don't want anyone riding him really. He is still green and ride for people and have never had anyone ride ponies so a bit odd in my head. Daft I know.
I need to win the lottery and get a horse walker :-)
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Post by ilovenatives on May 14, 2012 17:34:01 GMT
Or a nanny
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Post by silvester on May 14, 2012 17:54:14 GMT
It's hard but can you trust your horse (and your toddler!) if he / she would play at the side of the school while you lunged for 20 mins? Or scrap grooming etc for when you have more time and literally tack up and school quickly while child plays, lots of cantering!!!! When you can hack, make sure you march along and lots of trotting uphill and lots of cantering!
How old is your toddler? As some pre schools take kids at 2, reasonably inexpensive and would give you 2-3 hours a couple of days a week
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Post by nici on May 14, 2012 22:12:43 GMT
Our ponies are only ridden 3-4 times a week in a good week, less if the weather is bad and the field isn't ridable, but are fit enough to do a couple of hours pretty hard work without a problem. During the week they get ridden for 30-45 minutes, at weekends it can be for a lot longer on a lovely sunny day (we do get them occasionally!) Yesterday we went on our favourite hack, where there's lots of places to canter, and were out for a good 2 hours with the ponies mainly trotting, cantering and popping the odd little log. The Welsh A was starting to flag a bit towards the end, but still managed a good uphill gallop, while the Shetland could have carried on for another couple of hours.
They live out so have plenty of free exercise in the field, in addition to their ridden work.
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Post by bow1607 on May 15, 2012 14:41:12 GMT
a really good nana
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Post by gooogle on May 17, 2012 21:32:25 GMT
My son was happy in an empty stable, a mini pedal jcb, piles of bedding to move from one end to the other in the winter! In summer similar things in a play pen next to the menage. Road work done before OH leaves for work at silly o'clock in am. I prefer early starts so riding at five thirty am in summer ok for me. Feed when you get back then turn out. Also means ponies not so shocked on show mornings! A good child minder not any more than nursery place (and I found they get more one to one) the solution in winter. Mine would pick him up from yard once I'd finished morning stables and I would collect him as soon as I had finished the exercising. Good luck
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Post by prettyreckless on May 17, 2012 21:41:21 GMT
i know how you feel its hard wrok juggling horses and young children... i have nanas/grandads that help me out.. i get two days when the other half is off work and another two with grandparents... i have done kiddy playing in the menage on a mini digger.. or set up the mouting blocks as a climbing frame.. works great ;D
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Post by madmum on May 18, 2012 12:45:06 GMT
I loose school mine to stretch their legs and carry small child.....gives my arms a really good work out! The kids love to see them loose cantering around
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Post by rubydoo on May 18, 2012 12:59:57 GMT
i have 3 daughters 13, 7 and 2 , they help daddy do the yard duties while i ride or my eldest dauther rides if im too busy. it hard just having the kids at the yard tho, when they go to grandma's i go for a nice hack
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