Hello, so as some of you know I have an older seasoned horse I run. He is 16. Do you give your horses breaks? Like I have been running him almost every weekend, usually only once but last weekend it was a three day show. I have given him a couple days off but should I give him a week off sometimes? I just worry about keeping him in shape especially since he is a bit older. I am not running this weekend however. 

My horses get breaks, but I am a "Fair Weather Barrel Racer". . 

With what you are talking about - I haul seasonal and I might haul every weekend for 6 to 8 weeks and then take some time off from competition then start again later.  You can still ride and trail ride during the breaks. It is good for you and your horse.

I usually start legging up Feb/Mar time frame.  Start competing late March / early April and then I take a break around the 4th of July through the hot summer months and start hauling agian in late September time frame and usually take my end end break following Thanksgiving in November.  Sooo. . my horses get plenty of breaks in there, but when we are hauling. . they hit the road for 6 to 8 weeks at a time and those are usually 3 day run weekends.

There also the "breaks" for pregnancies, raising kids, dealing with extended family as they age, etc.  Then you just try to find the time to get to ride and haul.  My horses have never complained with any "break" they have been given and they come back strong when we hit the road again. . . now . . whether the horse or I is competition fit. . that's a whole other story.  

Breaks don't hurt.  Ride in between to keep your horse legged up and healthy.  Then you just pay your fees and pick and choose when you want to go. Your horse will tell you when he is no longer enjoying the road and needs a break.  

I meant like a break from being ridden or worked too. :) Sorry.

Yes for sure. I’m in Arizona and we had 40 plus days of over 110 this summer. With two young kids I certainly want to enjoy the horses and riding. That is hard to do when it’s this hot, so my horses have a break basically since June. 

I'm not running this year due to min being njured, but yes I do breaks. I ride 5 days a week, so if I run 2 days of the weekend then thats 3 days during the week. The day after a run or done rnning if its 2-3 day show, they always have off. I run from April-Thanksgiving. I start legging up mid Feb. So they usually have 2-3 months off, give or take. I also like to do a week here or there during the season to give them off. I usually go on vacation in June for a week so they get that week, and then I try to do another in August and then again in October. Kind of for every 2 months give a week off. And I do a full week off, I don't touch them. I know I sure want a week off from my job after awhile so I'm sure they do too. And I kept doig this until this year obviously, and he's 21. 

Following a 3 day weekend I might not ride on Monday to give them a day of rest. I NEED the rest.  

I think breaks are very important, but that's just me. I don't work my horses a whole lot. 4 times a week when they have a competition and 5 days a week when they don't. It's blazing hot here, so riding sessions aren't that long either. In addition, all of my performance horses get a break between late December all the way through late January. 

Is this the same horse you asked on The Horse Forum about injections/shoeing? The oldest horse I've had to deal with is 13. A horse that requires joint/hock maintenance and is frequently competing would need more breaks to ease up his joints, IMO.

I believe in an off season just like human athletes have, BUT with an older horse I may give them a week off completely, but then go to light riding or big pasture turn out for a few weeks. Mainly because if they have a little arthritis it is important for them to move as much as possible. 

I believe the older they get the less long breaks are needed. For a horse like yours, it would probably be in his best interest to give 2 weeks at the most. It is better for their lung capacity, muscle upkeep and joint fluidity to keep moving. Not long, grueling rides everyday... but they certainly need to keep moving. As for people, if you don't use it; you lose it!

Younger horses are a different game - they need breaks when they are continuously learning all the time. That being said they definitley also need some wet saddle pads, and often.

My guys have had a break because I've been out from a bad back for about 2 seasons. They almost always have winters off from working and showing anyway, but I think I did 3 shows last year and have done the same so far this year so no one is having their legs run off. However, at least this year they are both in top condition since my back is good to go again and I'm riding every day.

I did bring home my 3yo who has been in training since April 2019. She had 3 months of being a pasture butt and now is back to training. Trainer sez she stepped right back where she left. Actually, he sez she improved in attention and attitude!

For how often you run the barrels, it depends on the horse.

For how often you ride during the week, it depends on the horse.

However, I am a believer in breaks (from running barrels) and reasonable breaks from general riding. But you still have to tailor it to the horse.

Curious on the same question the above poster asked, if this is the horse you have had a lot of lameness issues with (or if that is a different one). So that is something you have to consider too. Does this horse need to be running that pattern every single weekend? Is he going to hold up doing that? Of course, that's between you and your vet.

My horses loaf much more than I want them to most of the time.   Even when I was going more heavily, I rode 2-3 times per week usually, because that was all I could cram in.  1/2 to hour sessions. Then they'd get rode/raced on the weekends.  So it equated to 4-5 times a week they were rode. 

Mondays were always off.  

My horses are now 26 and 19.   The 26 yo just ran solid 4D times at our NBHA state show. He ran his fastest time on day 3.   My 19yo ran his fastest time on his 4th run of the weekend because you can carry over to Sr on long rounds, but have to run in the short gos. 

My 26 yo is an anomally, I know, but I haven't ran him into the ground either.  I truly don't ride every day.  Never have.  I did go to week night shows when I was younger and weekend shows.  I've had him since he was 4.    

They get vacation from about Nov until Feb or March.  Due to weather mostly, with a few rides thrown in for fun. 

I have a 3yo, 4yo, 8yo, and two 14/15yo's. The colts are all being started, hauled and patterned and the 14/15yos are finished and competing. 

We live in Montana so they get a GOOD majority of the winter off from 'barrels' but we still get on and ride them here and there as needed but not daily (I would say no more than 3x a week from December-March). Older horses need to keep in condition. Exercise is proven to help ease arthritis! So we try to keep them moving (as ours are out in pasture 24/7, so that helps also). 

As far as running and giving them breaks during the season, I ALWAYS give 1-2 days off a week. Rest is a BIG part of rehabbing and building muscle. A spa day with massage, pemf, chiro (once to twice a month or as needed), liniment bathes, etc. 

Yes it is, I normally lunge him for 20 min 3-4 times a week and then run him on Saturday.  He isn't the type that needs ridden, just kept in shape. I just feel like sometimes he needs a break form being touched at all but I don't want to go too long I guess since he is 16. 

Between the vet and chrio he is cleared to run every weekend, however I usully run 2-3 Saturday's a month and usually only full weekend shows in winter. Besides the one weekend show in the Summer, but after doing this last 3 day show I think I am only going to run 2 days in a row max. He did not seem sore or anything from running 3 days in a row, but he just seems to be over it by the third day and honestly I am too lol. 

Oh wow! Do you have your older horses on any supplements or anything you would recommend? 

I feed Purina Senior Active, which has more fat for topline assistance.

Alfalfa mix hay

MVP 6 Way  because it's pellets and has all around help.

I was feeling T.H.E. Muscle Mass with Joint support, Digestive support, and Moody Mare.  You can add up to a 4th thing in the mixture.   But my picky old fart decided powder wasn't his thing.   Much cheaper than the MVP, but I got a lot of the same results. 

JMO, I think that's his way of saying he wants a break.

As for supplements, a joint supplement and a muscle (amino acid) supplement will benefit. I've heard many good things about T.H.E Muscle Mass, I've never used it though.

The main concern! Don't overwork him

Yes, mine get a break from November to March.