I've been looking for tips to bring my new, as yet unnamed, OTTB horse back into work. He's had 2, nearly 3 months off and I have no idea how much work he was in prior to that.
There are so many tips and schedules out there! I'm going to take the bits I like from each, including not lunging on a circle or working in sand for the first few weeks until the horse is a little fitter and his muscles and tendons are stronger.
I posted a query on a horse forum I follow and someone recommended following the BHS guide - I'm assuming they mean the Complete Manual of Horse and Stable Management book. I put my googlefu to the test and found a blog that covered the steps mentioned in the book (in plain font), with their own interpretation on top (italics). All text taken from the
Grey Horse Matters blog:
1st WEEK
Walking exercise on the level. Half an hour on the first day, increasing to one hour by the end of the first week.
Translation:
10-15 minutes total walking on the longe line in a level ring, increasing to 30 minutes total by the end of the week.
2nd WEEK
Increase walking up to 1 hour by the end of the week.
Translation:
2o-30 minutes total walking interspersed with limited trotting.
3rd WEEK
Slow trotting, starting on the level, together with walking up and down hills.
Translation:
Increase gradually to ½ hour total walking and trotting alternately. This is also generally when we begin to add the tack to get them used to saddles and bridles again, though at this time we do not use any training devices attached to the bit.
4th WEEK
As third week.
Translation:
We agree and do the same. At this time, we also begin to get on the horses and walk them under tack on alternate days as described in “1st Week” above, increasing the walking up to an hour by the end of the week.
5th WEEK
1 ½ hours exercise a day, to include some trotting up hills and short, slow cantering on good, level ground.
Translation:
We’re not big fans of longeing a horse for more than ½ an hour because of the stress continual circling can place on the legs, so we work 15 minutes in each direction of walking, trotting and slow cantering, alternating every other day with light ridden work (walk and easy trot) as in “3rd Week” above up to 1 hour. When working on the longe, now would be the appropriate time to add training aids such as a loosely fitted chambon (we don’t ever recommend side reins or balancing reins like the Pessoa system...) while longeing; however, they should only be used at walk and trot.
6th-8th WEEKS
1 ½ hours exercise a day, to include trotting up hills and longer cantering periods. School work may include jumping and canter circles.
Translation:
Basically as above; 1 hour+ a day - or every other day if continuing on the longe - to include the usual walk, trot, canter with some mild hill-work, ground poles and/or cavalletti added in. Toward the end of the last week we may begin jumping or adding more collected work for those horses who are able. Don’t forget: if you are careful and have good control of your horse, you may longe over cavalletti and jumps as well! It is also not a bad idea to follow a day of more intensive work with an easy day to give the horse a chance to recover and keep him from getting sour.
I'll keep looking for tips and thinking about how to go.
I pick him up next weekend, until then I'll just obsessively think about it look forward to being able to visit him once I own him!
EDIT: Oh this one is great too! Found on Yahoo Answer by Ang:
I'll probably skip the bit about lunging though, as mentioned above:
When I'm starting back on a horse like this, I like to spend 2-3 days just lunging them first. It helps to not only build up their strength, but gets them used to working and having to listen to you again. If the horse is ornery on the lunge line, I'll spend extra time on lungeing until the horse settles and respects me before I start riding.
When you start riding, start out slow. Don't ask for anything too complicated, but expect obedience. Start out at the walk, but don't just accept any old walk. Ask him to walk nice and forward, stretching into a long contact on your reins. Make him keep a consistent rhythm, taking long regular strides. Ponies like to take short & quick strides, so you want him to relax over his topline and start to take longer but slower strides. Use your legs to drive him forward to take longer strides, and use you seat and reins (minimal on the reins) to slow the rhythm. Don't let him get bored with the walk- practice circles, turns, patterns, bending, halting, walking over poles, etc.
Once he is relaxed and obedient in the walk, then ask for trot. You need to be just as picky about the trot as you were the walk. Wait for a good moment in the walk when he is relaxed and obedient, then just close your legs and he should lift right into trot. Don't make a big deal about it and he won't get so excited. Again, ride circles and patterns to work on bending, suppling, and obedience. Also practice a lot of transitions- from halt to walk, walk to trot, trot to walk, etc.
I love using trotting poles to help a horse with rhythm and cadence. Used correctly, they will do a lot of the work for you as far as developing your horse's strength and balance. You can get creative with the poles too. I like to put 4 of them on a 20m circle at 12:00, 3:00, 6:00, & 9:00. You can practice shortening and lengthening your horse's strides by going over the middle of the poles, the inside of the poles (has to shorten stride) or the outside edge of the poles (lengthen stride).
