Re: Re: Conditioning Tips/Schedules for The Full Time Worker

[Tracey & Mark <mwdodger@mweb.co.za>]

Truman wrote:

> My feeling is if you expect to do a ride where you run at heart X you had
better maintain (or exceed) that heart rate in training. I would doubt very
seriously that one can get the heart rate up and maintain it in an arena.<

I think that depends on the type of work you're doing.  At least once a
week, my arena work involves what I call "down and out" work.  In other
words, put the horses on the buckle (ie on a long rein) and work them at
first trot and then canter like that for the duration of the schooling
session (which could be up to an hour).  I use the full length of the arena,
do serpentines, 20 metre circles, halt/canter transitions, etc non-stop.  It
encourages the boys to stretch down and stride out.


As I said before, I don't think that this would be correct training for
someone hoping to do a long endurance ride, but this, coupled with
"flatwork" the rest of the week, and a trail ride on weekends keeps them
ticking over nicely.
Tamara wrote:

>>Plus if you consider that the impact on limbs of concussion is miminised
if , like me, most your 'trails' are on tarmac its maybe not such a bad
swap!> >

My "trails" are helluva stoney, and I find that for the first four miles or
so, I have to keep slowing to a walk, and can't get into a nice easy trot,
the way I can in the arena.  I can overcome this at weekends by crossing the
main road and going into another area, but I won't do this on weekday
mornings because of all the trucks.  Arena work is a nice compromise, then.


Tracey