[asterix]

So, every year I get a bunch of PMs about this, and there's a current thread about it, so I thought I'd post this again. This is by NO means the only way to do it, but we based it on a good old-fashioned * schedule, and I can vouch that it worked for my couch-potato, non-event bred and trained, giant easy keeper WB, so...his recovery #s in the box were great, and he was full of beans for SJ the final day. Have fun!!!

This is adapted from Sally O'Connor's * schedule in her old book-- my friend calculated the ratios from a standard * speed/distance, vs. the T3d, and ramped down her schedule by the same ratio...
works great! If you are normal T fit when you start, this will get even the biggest fellow fit. It might be overkill for a TB...


Week 1:

* Conditioning Hack: 10 min trot,
2 hour hack
* Sets:
Trotting: 3x5
Cantering:
4 min, 350
4 min, 350
4 min, 470


Week 2:

* Conditioning Hack: 15 min trot,
2 hour hack
* Sets:
Trotting: 3x5
Cantering:
4 min, 350
4 min, 350
4 min, 470 (2 min)
520 (1 min)
470 (1 min)

Week 3:

* Conditioning Hack: 15 min trot,
2 hour hack
* Sets:
Trotting: 3x5
Cantering:
4 min, 350
4 min, 350
5 min, 470


Week 4:

* Conditioning Hack: 20 min trot,
2 hour hack
* Sets:
Trotting: 3x5
Cantering:
4 min, 350
4 min, 350
5 min, 470 (2 min)
520 (1 min)
470 (2 min)


Week 5:
* Conditioning Hack: 20 min trot,
2 hour hack

* Horse Trial!!


Week 6:

* Conditioning Hack: 25 min trot,
2 hour hack
* Sets:
Trotting: 3x5
Cantering:
4 min, 350
5 min, 470
5 min, 470


Week 7:

* Conditioning Hack: 25 min trot,
2 hour hack
* Sets:
Trotting: 3x5
Cantering:
4 min, 350
4 min, 350
5 min, 470 (2 min)
520 (2 min)
470 (1 min)


Week 8:

* Conditioning Hack: 20 min trot,
2 hour hack
* Sets:
Trotting: 3x5
Cantering:
4 min, 350
4 min, 350
4 min, 470 (1 min)
520 (2 min)
470 (1 min)


Week 9:

* Conditioning Hack: 15 min trot,
2 hour hack
* Sets:
Trotting: 3x5
Cantering:
4 min, 350
4 min, 470
5 min, 470


Week 10:

* Hacking at walk.

* Three day.

[tlw]

I'm one of those who got a PM on this subject a while ago. Thank you for sharing.

[Tuckertoo]

Wow!! Thanks so much

[CookiePony]

This is so valuable-- thanks asterix. I asked the mods if this could be a reference thread because it is bound to be requested again!

[RunForIt]

This is so valuable-- thanks asterix. I asked the mods if this could be a reference thread because it is bound to be requested again!

Let's see...how many times have I requested the schedule and dear asterix has graciously obliged... I'm betting she will LOVE this idea!

[Kairoshorses]

Wow, Thanks for this.

I'm wondering....I have a warmblood, not a TB. How does that factor in? Or not?

[asterix]

kairos, kairos, read my intro.
I have
The
Biggest
Slowest
Warmblood
Ever

This schedule worked like a charm on him and he made time on steeplechase to boot.

I said it would possibly be overkill for a TB (although certainly when Sally wrote her book, it was largely TBs who did long formats, so...).

You should start this schedule when you can comfortably make time at 450 mpm at Training, in weather as hot or hotter than your T3d might be (and over similar terrain). Then you will be fine.

Hey, I'm thrilled if it's a sticky-- saves my PM inbox!

[Flipper]

Thanks, Asterix! But actually, I think I have the slowest WB ever! We have yet to make time on our Training XC courses - which has brought us down from 1st place to 3rd or 6th on several occasions.... so, our goal # 1 this season is to make the time, so we CAN do a T3D. But once we get there, we'll definately use your schedule.
I'm not sure I understand the schedule as it's written though - please help me out! I.e. for week #1: does the 2 hr. hack include the trot & canter sets, or are those on different days? (and are the trot sets on different days from the canter sets?) And, where does dressage (& days off) fit in? Forgive me for being daft, I need to have it spelled out!
Also, as I don't have access to nice big fields to condition, (though I've trailered to one in the past, I can't use it all the time due to poor drainage) most of my conditioning work is done on dirt roads. I'm always worried that it's putting too much wear & tear on his legs (though he really is a rugged guy). What do you think? Thanks for your help!

[Moderator 1]

Just to let you all know, we got a request to make this a "Reference" thread. It's just the type of thing suited to that forum--oft requested, and too short to escape board pruning--so we'll move it over in a couple of weeks when new comments die off.

Thanks!
Mod 1

[Kairoshorses]

Thanks, Mod 1! And thanks, Asterix! You're right; I skipped to the meat.

I have two WBs...one is making time/coming in too fast at N, the other is JUST making N time. The former is the one I want to move up, but he's on marquis now....so I hope he recovers so I can do this. I'm just not sure the slower one has it in him.

[asterix]

Cool about the reference thread thing!

To answer the questions:
1. Dirt roads -- that I have no expertise on, so will defer to someone else

2. Making time/slow WB. My first event with this horse was April the year I bought him, Novice. I had to KICK to make time. Seriously. October of that SAME year he was rocking the T3d (we came in 4th, mainly bc of my mediocre dressage and, yes, a few seconds time on XC, but that was about me not trusting his fitness and keeping him a bit under wraps on the middle of the course. He made time on the steeplechase no problem!). He finished several tough 470mpm courses the next season well within the time.

The conditioning really helped him -- but you need to know that you are hitting your numbers. I borrowed a GPS watch for the speed work and it was really eye opening. Plus steeplechase itself helps tremendously, believe it or not.

3. The "details" -- essentially, you try and fit in one "long trot" day each week and one "sets" day each week. So you might do Sun: dressage, Mon: long walk hack with long trot, Tu: dressage, Wed: jump, Th off, Fri: sets, Sat hack

Best is to do your speed work at least one day removed from a jump school.

For your sets, that's 3 trot sets at 5 minutes each, 2 min walk break in between, followed (after a 2 min walk break) by 3 canter sets as directed, 2 min walk break between.

[bornfreenowexpensive]

Also, as I don't have access to nice big fields to condition, (though I've trailered to one in the past, I can't use it all the time due to poor drainage) most of my conditioning work is done on dirt roads. I'm always worried that it's putting too much wear & tear on his legs (though he really is a rugged guy). What do you think? Thanks for your help!

I do a lot of walking on dirt roads and do build up to trotting on them...especially up some of the hills. In the winter/early spring, the dirt roads are often better footing than the fields. I think as long as you build up slowly and don't do the work (beyond walking) on those roads when they are rock hard, you will be fine. For your canter work...I'd try to find a good field or track. You want good footing.

As for making time....make sure you are not losing time by taking too long an approach, or overly setting up to fences. I find that is where most people really lose time....they are making sweeping turns like on a hunter course and dilly dalling after the fences (thinking about the fence they just jumped). I've walked courses with a few people and they were always surprised at how much ground you can cut away by walking tighter/better lines....and you can bet it is the tighter line that was measured to determine the OT on the course.

[Flipper]

Asterix & BFNE - Thanks!! & thanks for clarifying. I'm psyched... Now I just need to get rid of this snow & ice & we can get out of the f$#*%-ing arena!

[Summies182]

I am planning on going to a 1* long format in may and I have started to bump up my very chunky horse's fitness now. I know this schedule was meant for a T3D but how much would you need to change this schedule for a 1* long format? The schedule I have is very similar, but I am worried its not enough for a very large and slow drafty boy.

[yellowbritches]

Thanks, asterix. While this would be way overkill for Vernon, if I do a T3DE with him, but it will be a good starting point for the BFG. He's not quite a big, slow WB (he's pretty light and fast, when he cares to be), but it will take a bit of extra effort to get his fitness up to par.

[asterix]

Summies, I think you would either have to get Sally's book, which is what we based this on, or do the math backwards...
that is, we took the * distances and speed, and figured out that the T3d was X% slower and Y% shorter (you will note I am not giving you the numbers since I didn't do the original math -- I can find out from my more mathematically gifted friend if he still has the original calculations)...and then we took Sally's sched and made it Y% shorter for the long trots and the speed work, and X% slower for the speed work.

So you could reverse engineer it if you can't get a hold of Sally O'Connor's book...

[Ritazza]

So this thread now means that every horse going to every T3DE ever is going to be fighting fit because we ALL want to use this! All the vets are going to go hmmm, their recovery rates are all perfect, who gets the best conditioned award....

We're not doing a T3DE this year (maybe next if we're lucky??) but this is AWESOME and I'm saving it.

[asterix]

heh. I doubt it. It takes a LOT of time and real consistent effort over those 10 weeks to really do this right (that is, do your conditioning no matter the weather -- it's HARD to get up to speed in our big outdoor, but that's what I had to do once -- and not say, wow, it's cold, I'll only walk hack an hour today instead of an hour and a half) --
this is something anyone who has gone prelim or done a * already knows but it's a considerable step up from what most of us do for regular Training.

Plus, if you have TB that is easily fitted up, you may wish you hadn't stuck to the schedule completely if he's a rocket on xc day

for what it's worth, the year I did the T3d one of the vets told me that ALL the BIG horses (and there were several truly big horses -- mine was not the biggest!!!) had the best numbers; the best-conditioned award went to I think the biggest horse there. That suggests to me that those of us with the big guys put a lot of care into conditioning them, since we were worried about it; perhaps a bit easier to justify skipping if you horse seems to get fit fast and is more TB-built...truth will out in the vet box, and at SJ the next day!!!

[yellowbritches]

heh. I doubt it. It takes a LOT of time and real consistent effort over those 10 weeks to really do this right (that is, do your conditioning no matter the weather -- it's HARD to get up to speed in our big outdoor, but that's what I had to do once -- and not say, wow, it's cold, I'll only walk hack an hour today instead of an hour and a half) --
this is something anyone who has gone prelim or done a * already knows but it's a considerable step up from what most of us do for regular Training.

Plus, if you have TB that is easily fitted up, you may wish you hadn't stuck to the schedule completely if he's a rocket on xc day

for what it's worth, the year I did the T3d one of the vets told me that ALL the BIG horses (and there were several truly big horses -- mine was not the biggest!!!) had the best numbers; the best-conditioned award went to I think the biggest horse there. That suggests to me that those of us with the big guys put a lot of care into conditioning them, since we were worried about it; perhaps a bit easier to justify skipping if you horse seems to get fit fast and is more TB-built...truth will out in the vet box, and at SJ the next day!!!

Doing the fitness work on a big horse is extremely important...I hate to say maybe even more important than a TB or like horse, but big horses are SO hard on their bodies just by their size alone that they need extra special attention to not only get their wind and stamina strong, but to also get their soft tissues good and strong and able to handle their giant bodies at speed for a long time. Us with the little TBs that breath fire if you look at them funny are spoiled by the fact that they often take very, very little to get and keep fit. And this is exactly why I probably wouldn't do anything remotely close to asterix's great schedule for Vernon...we'd be half way to DC before I could pull him up at the end of D.