Training plan for a 5-year-old SWB - what is optimal?
Hello! 😊
There is no standard answer to your question, but varied work with rest periods is the be-all and end-all.
A common rule of thumb is a 3-year-old works 3 times a week, a 4-year-old 4 times a week, and a 5-year-old 5 times a week. Bear in mind, though, that your horse is still a growing young horse, and both mind and body need to rest at times. This is highly individual. A horse that goes through big growth spurts needs more frequent rest, or longer rest periods. Make sure you have a calculated feed ration that allows for a growing young horse. A coat change, for example, demands more energy from the body and can leave the horse more tired if you do not top up the extra that the coat change uses.
Do enlist your dressage and/or jumping coach, and ask the people who see the horse with you how it feels. Is the horse suddenly a bit more tired, managing shorter sessions? Is it perhaps time for some rest, or more days simply hacking out in the woods with no demands? Or should you carry on as you are if all is going well?
Learn to palpate the horse carefully every day before work. Has anything suddenly changed, such as windgalls, heat, soreness or swelling? Is the horse standing differently in the yard aisle, resting the hind legs more often? If so, ease off, this matters especially before training and competition. It is wise to get into the habit of taking the temperature regularly before exertion, and do also enlist an equine physiotherapist who can regularly feel over and treat the muscles around the joints so that everything moves in the right direction.
Set small milestones you want to reach, for example a few competitions you want to go to, so you can check in as you train on whether the horse feels ready. It should feel easy, not hard, to go out and compete, so it can be wise to compete at lower levels than you train at.
After the summer, for example, when I assume you will have brought your horse back into work, you will get going for a few months and then feel that it has learnt plenty of new things. That is the time for a longer winter rest of one to two months, before bringing it back into work again. A rest can mean you do not ride at all but still go for walks and do a little groundwork, so the body keeps ticking over. Do book a vet check before you start back, or before a longer rest, to confirm that everything is fine.
Make sure you have a team around you and your horse who can help you keep on top of the details: farrier, physio, coach and vet. Best of luck with your lovely horse, and get in touch if you would like more suggestions, such as a weekly schedule or exercises 💖🦄💖
