Yearling work out

[chevycouple]

I started working my yearling a little more lately since he is an only child and doesn't run around that much. I've started sitting on the tailgate of my truck while my husband drives in the fields. We have doubled our work out in length and stride but he seems to be enjoying it and it isn't a roundpen so it's better on his joints. We mostly stay at a jog. I think it's about a mile that we go do you think thats to much. He seems to handle it really well. Here is our reagular work out: day 1 follow truck in field day 2 off day 3 round pen day 4 off. Again he seems to be handling the work out well but you guys are the experts do you think thats ok or is it to much. Also we worked up to that amount.

 

[Jill]

I'm not sure how to "translate" the distance of a mile into time that your horse is worked. I'm not an expert but what I am doing (under good advice

) is to lunge DunIT, a yearling stallion, for 15 minutes at mostly a good working trot. I lunge him and the show horses on Sunday, Tuesday & Thursday 5pm or later, and then on Saturday mornings. I'm doing DunIT for 15 minutes, and my 8yo and 2yo geldings for a little more than 20 minutes. So, I know the "time" but not the "distance". If you asked any of them, they'd probaby say it's 2 million times around the round pen :bgrin

 

[Cathy_H]

Like Jill I don't know the distance either. I've been working our two yearlings in our round pen for about 15 minutes 3 times a week........ Our round pen consists of 19 calf panels & three 16 foot cow panels so it is pretty big (we had to add the cow panels after Lee got some show shetlands thus needed a bigger pen.......... Hadn't thought of working the horses that way - will keep that in mind when we move to our flat acreage we are buying.

 

[Voodoo]

I think you are just fine leading him for a mile behind the truck, it seems like that would be a good workout, but it really isn't that far either. You will know if you start overdoing it with him because he'll quit enjoying it and start sulking along behind. Just listen to your heart and your horse and you should be just fine

:

 

[chevycouple]

TY everyone. All my horses that just need to be conditioned are worked by mileage or laps around the fields. It's so easy and I can work two at once when I pony except for Mr Pistol he has to be by himself since he's the shortest.

 

[Lisa-Ruff N Tuff Minis]

I think it sounds fine and for the young horses yearlings and 2 yr olds I would much prefer to work them like you are in a staight line as opposed to lunging or round penning