Q. We spend as much time with our animals as possible because we love them, and they are our friends and companions. Occasionally jobs, duties, and school interfere with exercise time. What would be the minimum amount of time a person should plan on exercising one's horse per week to keep it in reasonable condition?

A. First, we must define exercise and reasonable. The terms are dependent on one another. The reasonable condition for a horse will be directly related to how much exercise the horse is expected to perform. Many horses used exclusively for breeding are maintained in pastures where they have access to free exercise at all times. They are often not exercised formally in any manner. Many folks own horses sometimes referred to as 'pasture ornaments' - horses who are never ridden but live their lives turned out in pastures to roam at will. These animals have little need for a level of fitness beyond the capacity to move from point A to point B in their pastures.

Any horse who is used as a working animal, be it riding, driving, skidding logs in the woods, etc. needs to be maintained in a condition adequate for the work required. At great risk are the pasture ornaments whose owners suddenly decide they want to go for a 3 hr. trail ride on the first warm spring day. These unfortunate beasts often come up lame and resentful when forced to do work for which they are in no way physically prepared.