(Be nice to Nancy)
*Note: Shamelessly stolen photo of Dixie getting into the swing of things which gave me my first giggle for the day.
If you have done some winter riding so your horse has not completely went to pot (my words can you tell?) it should only take about six to eight weeks before you can attain your last season level of fitness. You now train on a two week schedule, yes, you read right.....no riding until your eyeballs are ready to pop out and your legs feel like rubber. The strategy is to do three or four short rides, and one long one over a two-week time span. Short rides =10 miles working towards a heart rate of 120-150 bpm. So a good forward moving trot with a canter thrown in here and there. The long ride will be 15 miles (working up to 20 and then 30 miles as training progresses). She recommended using all three gaits in order to train all of the muscles, and not exceeding 8 mph on the long rides. (I like Nancy)Now Funder who got to ride this winter because she lives in the land of plenty, where as I am in nasty snow and -7 temperatures would be able to latch on to this program fairly easily, while I with a wild, unbroke, pintabian will be starting with round pen work, when I see the ground again. Phebes thinks she is trying out for the "The Black Stallion" returns about now. She has been entertaining herself with rearing, airborne special effects, and is a royal little pain in the petunia about now. *sigh* I'm expecting about four weeks of serious ground exercises before we can even think about under saddle again. Not complaining, just the way it is, I've come to sort of accept it *LOL*. Don't think I'll ever give her a three month "vacation" ever again. ~E.G.
Disclaimer: The contents of this message are an opinion and only an opinion, only a short version translation of page 100 and take it for what it is worth. Better yet! Read the book, it is a really nice book, Nancy Loving is a super smart, insightful woman and knows her stuff, except for the nailed on shoes part, because I don't nail, but velcro them on. But to each their own, so be nice to Nancy. ☺
Since Rose has been 200 miles south of me for 8 months and not been worked the entire time and is due to move up here in two weeks I feel your pain. My list visit down to her was full of bucking, kicking, and mare ears. Ground work is all we even have plans for until March. Good luck with Phebes!
ReplyDeleteHahaha, great use of my regal mount! I think I will look for that book at the convention - I need an excuse to go shopping.
ReplyDeleteLess riding! Whee, that sounds wonderful! That's about what I'd been thinking, except of course I was grimly determined to ride 3x a week. 2x a week suits me just fine.
I have yet to exceed 8 mph average on a short ride, so no worries about our speed!
I suspect your wild unbroke pintabian will surprise you a bit. She'll come back to you fast mentally!