Good endurance training for horses?

Question

Uhm, ok, my horse is an arab/quarter, he is 7 and in fairly good shape, a little excess fat, but he has served me beautifully. he is great at sprints and is a fast little booger. the farthest ive rode him before would be about 6 miles, keeping a fast walking pace, trotting, and occasionally loping.

im not training for anything except for when i ridtho my friends, which is a 2=12 mile round trip, and still be good to ride inbetween.

but i am looking for more interesting, stimulating, or just fun ways to train him for long distance, over easy-to hard terrain, besides just taking him on longer rides.

any ideas?

Answer 1

i would like to see what answers (cause i'm interstead too)

my ideas where (where i live) running/troting the pipe line. it's two major hills with two creeks at the bottom/flat area tween the two hills. and going as far up/down the pipe line. (with asking permission to be on people's land).

but other then that i'd agree with most everyone else, long trail rides, hills, ect. (i guess it's the same as what i first said).

good luck

Answer 2

trott trott trott

When getting my arab conditioned, rode  10 mile circuit at the trott.  Got off and walked him the last mile home.

Answer 3

Troting.  lots and lots of trotting.. thats the gait used for endurance.  Horses can trot at 9 mph for  extended amounts of time.  The trot uses the least amount of energy of any of the gaits, and a horse that is exhausted can trot when he cant stand.  

Trot him for 20 minutes, then walk for 5.. working to longer trots.  if you can find water thats chest deep on him walking in it will build his wind too.  

Also a few tips for longer rides.  Carry a water bottle for yourself.  Tie a Sponge to a 8 foot string, and your saddle.  That way when you cross water you can drop the sponge and then wet him down on the shoulders and neck.  leave his back and flanks alone. Cool water+ hot back = stiffening .   when you get off set up a routine you do EVERY time.  Run up stirups or cross them,  drop the bit if you use a trail bridle.. Do Not loosen the girth for 5 minutes or so.  you've already lightened his load by getting off.  Give his back time to relax.  walk him in slow circles and give him sips of water.  Before you leave your barn.  Set a few buckets of water out in the sun to warm, you'll have nice water to cool him off when you come back.  Water even at 75-80 will still cool him thru evaporation.  And it wont cause him to tie up.    learn to take his pulse and respiration.  So you know what is normal for him, normal for a horse is Pulse 30-40 BPM. Resp 8-12 RPM.

Answer 4

it takes a year to two years to build up a horse for endurance.  You need to have lots of time and patients.  first i would suggest riding 6 days a week at around 5 miles a day.  try starting but doing 5 minutes walk, 10 minutes trot. 5 minutes walk 15 minutes trot.  and so on.  THen after 2-3 months move to ten miles, and start doing small hunter paces under 15 miles.  THen 2-3 months after that do 15- 25 mile rides and gradually buil it up.  By the end of the year if you keep to a 6 day a week trainign schedule you should be able to do 50 mile rides.  after 2 years 100 mile rides.

Answer 5

I know its boring. But the best way I know how leg up a horse(increase indurece). Three words. Wet Saddle Blankets

Answer 6

Lots of wet saddle blankets means:  Lots of hours under saddle.  

I'd suggest besides the hill work LOTS of sand work!  That really builds up the stamina!  I had a mare in her late 20's who I worked for YEARS on the beach and could hold her own with a 6 yr old on an all day ride.

Answer 7

I like trail riding training, hill work is so much fun and a great way to suck up that stomach, he he   long extended trots for 5 minutes then bring down to a walk or slow jog for 5 then extend again for 5 this builds wind and endurance. If you have access to trails I like to find streams and gully's to go down into , crossing logs, doing switchbacks....sooo much fun. Good Luck

Answer 8

trot him going up and down hills without stopping for a couple of minutes.

watch out for pot holes though.  

this strengthens his back legs, and his butt :D

it adds a lot of muscle, and he will have more strength for more trails and jumping and such

Answer 9

I have a Arab x as well, I keep him in the mountains of Wombat state forrest on a property. He was always on the chubby side and quite unfit. I had him up there for about a month and his fitness levels are through the roof..! I went on a 4 hr ride last week with a couple of mates and i have NEVER done so much trotting in my life. We were fighting for time due to lack of daylight so we had to move our butts into gear. We probably did around 30-40km on that day. I was so proud of my Arab for his fitness and stamina were unbelievable on this day. I recommend that you do a lot of hill trotting and for an extended period. But i do suggest you ride in a stock saddle, as my western is not cut out for the type of riding that we did last weekend..! Its hard to rise to a fast trot in a western as i ride quite long.

Answer 10

well i would just walk and trot until you know he is tierd     then stop and get off and give him a rest then walk him without you on and he wont have so much weight and wont get tierd so easily