[Red roan rider1]

Just curious as to what everybody does to keep their Sr horse fresh and happy with their job. Also, how often do you ride and what does your practice schedule consist of? Oh yes...and do you prefer to ride in a snaffle for practice still?
My horse is 7. I seem to be doing alot of trail riding as of late. I will work him in the arena for 15 or 20 minutes and then I head out and just ride. While I show in a California Pleasure bit, It usually doesnt leave my trailer. I prefer to work him at home in various snaffles. I hardly ever just ride down the rail with a loose rein, until maybe the last couple minutes of the ride. Otherwise bending exercises and moving his shoulders and hips around, lots of backing, sidepassing, and turns on the haunches and forehand. I also like to mix it up and do the exercises one day and then horsemanship or trail obsticle stuff the next. I try to ride five days a week.
So what works for you?

[shyxpony]

Originally Posted by Red roan rider1

My horse is 7.

A 7 year old is a senior?

[Red roan rider1]

Originally Posted by shyxpony

A 7 year old is a senior?

Yes, anything over 5 is considered a Sr horse in APHA for pleasure classes.

[HUS_WP_lovr]

When my Sr. pleasure horse was still showing I was doing every other discipline under the sun for fun lol. We did HUS,HMS,trail class, Hunter Eq, SMS,some jumps, barrels and reining from time to time. I stuck a lead change on him and did some trail riding. He gave some lessons to kids and toted me around bareback. Oh and we also accomplished bridleless pleasure.

I rode him in a snaffle and a curb depending on what i was doing that day.also showed in a California spoon and hardly ever praciced in it.

so, basically there is tons of things you can do to keep them fresh!

[shyxpony]

Originally Posted by Red roan rider1

Yes, anything over 5 is considered a Sr horse in APHA for pleasure classes.

Haha, guess it shows that I don't show APHA

That's interesting, a lot of the horses here are just getting backed at 5...

[irideazip]

Fancy is 14...she has been showing WP for 9 years. She is getting this summer off...we try and trail ride a lot during show season but I haven't been able to for the last couple ofyears because i had no one to go with, so she is fried, fried, fried. Trail rides, working cows, get them out of the ring as much as possible...i will school in the yard below the ring just to get her out of the ring. Do some fun classes at fun shows, do some crossrails, run some barrells...i knows, sounds strange, but, it works for me!

[mammamia]

Well I think my horse is really senior, she's 23! LOL During the week she is worked in the arena doing dressage and then on weekends we go on nice long trail rides, which I ride her on a nice long rein so she can stretch out, smell the roses so to speak. She gets to gallop on the beach, muck around etc... For me trail rides are all about relaxation, not work. She loves it. The scenery where I go is just wonderful so I don't want to work either! I work all week!!! LOL

[Bruce Wiley]

What sometimes happen, is the horse knows the routine so well, and things would need to be mix up, or change to some new working sessions.
Thats good you're working your horse in the arena & later taken outside on the trail- thats good.

Horses feed off of our emotions.
We are the ones sometimes, thats really bored & we're not giving our 100%. This translate to the horse's mind, performances & yes, us humans tagging the horse for this issue when it is only us.
You may want to consider returning back to the basics with your horse & try another discipline.
I hope this helps.

[Gypsy Rose]

Gypsy's 29, and luckily, she loves to be ridden, so long as I keep her out of the arena!

We just do what she seems to feel up to for that day, depending on her arthritis.

On bad days, we'll just go for a walk to loosen up. On average days, we'll do some trot work, and on really good days, we might be able to do a little bit of cantering.

The weather seems to be a big factor- humidity level and dewpoint.

I'm lucky enough to have a horse that doesn't get bored very easily so long as she's going somewhere! She sees no point in going round and round in circles!

[ChoicePretense_]

I show in a myler curb bit, which I'll ride in once a week. But when I'm training I ride him in a regular snaffle or a broken kimberwick ( i think that's what it's called). I do lots of circles and body control with him, leg work, backing. Then rail work for the last 5 mins of the ride.

During show season, it's the other way around I work on the rail then the last 10 mins I work on the the other stuff.

But this winter I was thinking of jumping with him, because he's acting bored with pleasure. :/