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Regular
Posts: 65
| Is long trotting the best and quickest way to get a horse legged up and ready to run. She's pretty thick around the middle. |
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 Veteran
Posts: 158
| Its what worked best for mine, I started out with long straight lines out in the pastures, not any circle work in the arena til I got some of the weight off so I didn't over stress anything, and hills but again not until she was in "reasonable" condition. Mine was a very large broodmare after weaning so she was probably in worse shape than yours, I had to be careful not to go too hard too quickly... |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 788
| Im trying to leg up my gelding after a couple months off. I started out working in the round pen for like 20 minutes, then upped it a little every day. Planning on getting back on him later in the week and hopefully he will be in a little better shape for long trotting and such. |
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 Money Eating Baggage Owner
Posts: 9586
 
Location: Phoenix | I did lots of walking and trail rides on mine who was off for 1-2 years. He came to AZ in the middle of winter from a cold state. He sweat SO MUCH with his long hair in the 70 degree weather! But as a comparison, now that he's in shape, he hardly sweats with his summer coat in the 110 degree heat during exercise. So lots and lots of walking is my recommendation. Long trotting is good but I know loping is good for air power and lungs. |
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 Too Skinny
Posts: 8009
Location: LA Lower Alabama | I believe they need all gates to truly be fit. I start off with walking and trotting for a week first then add the lope then the run. You are conditioning muscles, lungs etc and need to keep in mind what we ask of them in a 15 second pattern.
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| Straight lines on a firm surface.
There is no quick way to get a horse in shape, my vet says for tendons and ligaments it takes 3 months. 5 days a week.
My vet said research shows 2 miles is key, and Ed wright also said this, even when he was working barrels, he did equivalent to 2 miles then he was done.
All my horses go through the same regime whether they have been off for 2 months or a year.
Walk 1/4-1/2 mile
Trot 1/2 mile
Lope 1/4 mile on one lead
Trot 1/2 mile
Lope 1/4 mile on other lead
Trot 1/2 mile
Walk 1/4-1/2 mile.
I do straight lines for at least the first month |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 964
Location: Alberta, Canada | cheryl makofka - 2016-08-30 12:25 PM
Straight lines on a firm surface.
There is no quick way to get a horse in shape, my vet says for tendons and ligaments it takes 3 months. 5 days a week.
My vet said research shows 2 miles is key, and Ed wright also said this, even when he was working barrels, he did equivalent to 2 miles then he was done.
All my horses go through the same regime whether they have been off for 2 months or a year.
Walk 1/4-1/2 mile
Trot 1/2 mile
Lope 1/4 mile on one lead
Trot 1/2 mile
Lope 1/4 mile on other lead
Trot 1/2 mile
Walk 1/4-1/2 mile.
I do straight lines for at least the first month
I agree wholeheartedly with this entire response. I'm actually going to steal this breakdown for my spring training lol. |
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 Peecans
| cheryl makofka - 2016-08-30 1:25 PM
Straight lines on a firm surface.
There is no quick way to get a horse in shape, my vet says for tendons and ligaments it takes 3 months. 5 days a week.
My vet said research shows 2 miles is key, and Ed wright also said this, even when he was working barrels, he did equivalent to 2 miles then he was done.
All my horses go through the same regime whether they have been off for 2 months or a year.
Walk 1/4-1/2 mile
Trot 1/2 mile
Lope 1/4 mile on one lead
Trot 1/2 mile
Lope 1/4 mile on other lead
Trot 1/2 mile
Walk 1/4-1/2 mile.
I do straight lines for at least the first month
is this what you start with or do you build up to this? |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| della - 2016-08-30 6:17 PM
cheryl makofka - 2016-08-30 1:25 PM
Straight lines on a firm surface.
There is no quick way to get a horse in shape, my vet says for tendons and ligaments it takes 3 months. 5 days a week.
My vet said research shows 2 miles is key, and Ed wright also said this, even when he was working barrels, he did equivalent to 2 miles then he was done.
All my horses go through the same regime whether they have been off for 2 months or a year.
Walk 1/4-1/2 mile
Trot 1/2 mile
Lope 1/4 mile on one lead
Trot 1/2 mile
Lope 1/4 mile on other lead
Trot 1/2 mile
Walk 1/4-1/2 mile.
I do straight lines for at least the first month
is this what you start with or do you build up to this?
This is what I start with, some horses I have to modify if they are getting winded.
My horses also are on 80 acres move around a lot, and paw for feed for a few months, so they generally don't have issues with it |
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 Off the Wall Wacky
Posts: 2981
Location: Louisiana | cheryl makofka - 2016-08-30 7:08 PM
della - 2016-08-30 6:17 PM
cheryl makofka - 2016-08-30 1:25 PM
Straight lines on a firm surface.
There is no quick way to get a horse in shape, my vet says for tendons and ligaments it takes 3 months. 5 days a week.
My vet said research shows 2 miles is key, and Ed wright also said this, even when he was working barrels, he did equivalent to 2 miles then he was done.
All my horses go through the same regime whether they have been off for 2 months or a year.
Walk 1/4-1/2 mile
Trot 1/2 mile
Lope 1/4 mile on one lead
Trot 1/2 mile
Lope 1/4 mile on other lead
Trot 1/2 mile
Walk 1/4-1/2 mile.
I do straight lines for at least the first month
is this what you start with or do you build up to this?
This is what I start with, some horses I have to modify if they are getting winded.
My horses also are on 80 acres move around a lot, and paw for feed for a few months, so they generally don't have issues with it
And really 2 miles isn't THAT far for a horse. I try to ride 2 miles and depending on what I do it never takes over 30 minutes. Usually more like 20 |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| dashnlotti - 2016-08-30 8:36 PM
cheryl makofka - 2016-08-30 7:08 PM
della - 2016-08-30 6:17 PM
cheryl makofka - 2016-08-30 1:25 PM
Straight lines on a firm surface.
There is no quick way to get a horse in shape, my vet says for tendons and ligaments it takes 3 months. 5 days a week.
My vet said research shows 2 miles is key, and Ed wright also said this, even when he was working barrels, he did equivalent to 2 miles then he was done.
All my horses go through the same regime whether they have been off for 2 months or a year.
Walk 1/4-1/2 mile
Trot 1/2 mile
Lope 1/4 mile on one lead
Trot 1/2 mile
Lope 1/4 mile on other lead
Trot 1/2 mile
Walk 1/4-1/2 mile.
I do straight lines for at least the first month
is this what you start with or do you build up to this?
This is what I start with, some horses I have to modify if they are getting winded.
My horses also are on 80 acres move around a lot, and paw for feed for a few months, so they generally don't have issues with it
And really 2 miles isn't THAT far for a horse. I try to ride 2 miles and depending on what I do it never takes over 30 minutes. Usually more like 20
It takes me more time to walk the walking distance then it does for the 2 miles of trotting and loping.
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 863
| So I got a question, what's the reasoning straight lines instead of round pen excersise? I'm land locked and unfortunetly in spring my arena is mud and soup so I always start getting mine in shape in the round pen lots of trotting, so I was curious on why this isn't as good as straight lines? |
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I just read the headlines
Posts: 4483
| Wild1 - 2016-08-30 9:29 PM
So I got a question, what's the reasoning straight lines instead of round pen excersise? I'm land locked and unfortunetly in spring my arena is mud and soup so I always start getting mine in shape in the round pen lots of trotting, so I was curious on why this isn't as good as straight lines?
It's hard on their joints. I would think not so great for the mind- like mind numbing bored. If I try to take my horse more than 2 days in a row to the round pen, he tries to balk. He hates it. |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| GLP - 2016-08-30 10:05 PM
Wild1 - 2016-08-30 9:29 PM
So I got a question, what's the reasoning straight lines instead of round pen excersise? I'm land locked and unfortunetly in spring my arena is mud and soup so I always start getting mine in shape in the round pen lots of trotting, so I was curious on why this isn't as good as straight lines?
It's hard on their joints. I would think not so great for the mind- like mind numbing bored. If I try to take my horse more than 2 days in a row to the round pen, he tries to balk. He hates it.
Actually I was told it is hard on the tendon and ligaments. The constant turning with loose tendons, the horses are more prone to tearing or bowing.
Also bone density, if the horse has been off for awhile the density depleats. The constant twisting in the round pen horses are more prone to spiral fractures.
I had one who bowed on ice in the pasture. Her vet directed rehab program was straight lines for 2 months. |
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Peecans
| cheryl makofka - 2016-08-30 6:08 PM
della - 2016-08-30 6:17 PM
cheryl makofka - 2016-08-30 1:25 PM
Straight lines on a firm surface.
There is no quick way to get a horse in shape, my vet says for tendons and ligaments it takes 3 months. 5 days a week.
My vet said research shows 2 miles is key, and Ed wright also said this, even when he was working barrels, he did equivalent to 2 miles then he was done.
All my horses go through the same regime whether they have been off for 2 months or a year.
Walk 1/4-1/2 mile
Trot 1/2 mile
Lope 1/4 mile on one lead
Trot 1/2 mile
Lope 1/4 mile on other lead
Trot 1/2 mile
Walk 1/4-1/2 mile.
I do straight lines for at least the first month
is this what you start with or do you build up to this?
This is what I start with, some horses I have to modify if they are getting winded.
My horses also are on 80 acres move around a lot, and paw for feed for a few months, so they generally don't have issues with it
How long until you start loping biger circles, go back to pattern work? |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| della - 2016-08-31 4:39 PM
cheryl makofka - 2016-08-30 6:08 PM
della - 2016-08-30 6:17 PM
cheryl makofka - 2016-08-30 1:25 PM
Straight lines on a firm surface.
There is no quick way to get a horse in shape, my vet says for tendons and ligaments it takes 3 months. 5 days a week.
My vet said research shows 2 miles is key, and Ed wright also said this, even when he was working barrels, he did equivalent to 2 miles then he was done.
All my horses go through the same regime whether they have been off for 2 months or a year.
Walk 1/4-1/2 mile
Trot 1/2 mile
Lope 1/4 mile on one lead
Trot 1/2 mile
Lope 1/4 mile on other lead
Trot 1/2 mile
Walk 1/4-1/2 mile.
I do straight lines for at least the first month
is this what you start with or do you build up to this?
This is what I start with, some horses I have to modify if they are getting winded.
My horses also are on 80 acres move around a lot, and paw for feed for a few months, so they generally don't have issues with it
How long until you start loping biger circles, go back to pattern work?
If the horse is not coming back from injury, after a month of straight lines, then I will incorporate circles into my program, but still do my warm up in straight lines. |
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