Preparing for your bridle-ride by Lesley Bailey
* Check out how far you cover on a normal ride. If you haven't got a wheelie, use a bit of thread to measure the distance on an Ordnance Survey map. You'll probably be surprised to see that one of your local rides is only 5 miles or so.
* Assuming that your horse is used to being ridden regularly and can hack out comfortably, travelling at all paces, for an our or so, start to introduce longer rides over the 5-6 weeks leading up to your holiday. This gives plenty of time and allows for set-backs too.
* Aim to ride for 5 days in every 7 so that you can strengthen legs and build muscle tone (yours as well as the horse's). Increase both time and distance gradually - progressive work will give you a better foundation than suddenly going from 5-15 miles in a few days.
* There's no need to go on longer rides every single day. Its worth including flatwork sessions as part of your weekly programme so as to increse your horse's suppleness, obedience and balance. Variety is also important - so use rides out, jumping sessions, schooling, hillwork and canter workouts to build your fitness.
* Remember to include consecutive days of longer rides in your build up. For instance, if you are going on a 4-day bridle ride covering about 18 miles a day, you ought to be able to cover about three quarters of that distance before you go in holiday.
* Avoid too much trotting on roads because of the concussion.
* Try to include "hazards" like fords, travelling up and down hill, opening gates, crossing bridges etc. because you are likely to meet such things on your holiday. Gates are particularly important - there are lots on most bridle rides networks, and you won't regret time spent practising opening them. Also practise making your horse stand still at a makeshift mounting block. You will need to re-mount many times during a day, and you can reduce strain on his back considerably by using one.
* A couple of weeks before the start of your holiday, have a practice run at the weekend, covering say 12-15 miles each day. You can check out your saddle bags and packing skills then as well.
* Don't overdo your training in the week before your holiday - ease up a little as the day gets closer.
* During your preparation, keep a careful eye on your horse's legs and feet so that you are aware of any trouble brewing.
* As you'll be spending more time in the saddle, its worth checking the fit and condition of your tack before you start any fitness programme. Use saline solution to help harden your horse's back and ensure that any saddle cloths or numnahs are really clean. Remember too that your horse's shape may change as he gets fitter.
* While on holiday, the horses in your party will ride together and normally share a field at the end of the day - so, if the horses are not used to each other, its worth taking them all together on a practice ride or two, and perhaps get them used to spending the night in the same field at the end of a day's ride. It is probably best if you do try this to use a completely neutral field, not one that's the territory of one or more horses in the party. (Bobbie adds "We get fairly frequent requests for separate fields, but not all of our hosts have enough land to provide two for visiting horses. If you are concerned that your horses may not settle together or one of them has a reputation as a bully, you can take portable electric fencing with you to subdivide the field or make a separate corral in one corner").
