As owners, trainers and riders, we are responsible for all aspects of the health and welfare of our horses, which includes ensuring adequate preparation for the work the horse will perform in the future. Good physical condition allows the horse to perform to the best of its ability and reduces its susceptibility to injury.
Working with a horse includes not only its direct training, but also control over its diet and rest. This article is about exercise and rest, but remember that the diet must be adjusted according to the horse’s workload and body condition.
Fitness improves when a horse gets enough exercise regularly (!). Intensive exercise work causes minor tissue damage, which recovers over the next couple of days. Repeated cycles of tissue damage during exercise and the subsequent recovery process results in a horse that becomes more resilient and stronger.
One of the most important concepts in physical training is the need for tissue regeneration between workouts, which means we must alternate exercise with recovery days during which tissue is repaired and strengthened. Repeating the same type of work day after day creates a situation in which tissue damage outpaces the rate of tissue repair, and this is what causes repeated injuries (eg tendon problems). Ideally, heavy training should be done at intervals of 1-2 days, during which time the horse will perform various types of other exercises. Important, so that the day of recovery is not a day of “standing in a stall”! The horse must do a different type of work that will affect other parts of its body.
The most important component of success is the ground on which the horse works. We should aim for horses to be able to perform “slow” work on a variety of terrain and surface types to provide a variety of challenges to their musculoskeletal system. On the other hand, “fast” work and training should be done on good, predictable ground.
The cardiovascular system
Cardiovascular fitness allows the horse to perform its regular work without getting tired. Cardiovascular training enhances the process by which energy obtained from food is converted into energy that fuels muscles during movement. It also helps the body more effectively dissipate the heat that accumulates in the muscles during sports activities. Horses show measurable improvements in cardiovascular health after just two weeks of regular exercise.
An easy way to develop an appropriate training program is to videotape a competition at the same level you want to compete at. When you play back the video, you can see how long the horse spent cantering, trotting, cantering, walking, and how long it was moving at different speeds. This information is used to develop a training plan that will help you get your horse to the required level of fitness. The working periods of training will coincide with those in sports.
Horses that compete in dressage at the beginning levels should be able to work under the rider for 45-60 minutes at the walk, trot and canter. Horses that compete in more “strength” sports such as eventing and show jumping must be prepared physically specifically for these activities, recognizing that the fitness requirements are primarily related to endurance or speed.
The amount of work performed is specified in terms of intensity (how hard the horse works), duration (how long the horse works) and frequency (how often the training is repeated). The key to improving your fitness while staying healthy is finding the right balance between these three elements.
The amount of work performed is specified in terms of intensity (how hard the horse works), duration (how long the horse works) and frequency (how often the training is repeated). The key to improving your fitness while staying healthy is finding the right balance between these three elements.
When the goal is to improve cardiovascular fitness, the appropriate training frequency should be two to four times per week, but not consecutively, to allow tissues sufficient time to recover and regenerate between exercise sessions. Once the desired level of fitness has been achieved, a horse will need only a few workouts a week to stay in shape, but if the horse is worked out less than twice a week, he will likely become out of shape.
Another way to increase your training stimulus is to add a new type of exercise to your training regimen, such as incline work and jumping. Introduce new exercises gradually, and then gradually increase their intensity or duration as needed. Cantering uphill significantly increases the workload and is a great way to improve the horse’s conditioning without putting too much strain on the limbs. But note that when moving downhill, the limbs are stressed by hitting the ground, so it is recommended that horses walk downhill.
Power training
Strength training is aimed at developing locomotor muscles in the neck, back and limbs. Strength training is especially beneficial for horses that need to perform jumps that require explosive bursts of muscle power, as well as collection movements that require endurance muscles to help the hindquarters bear weight and raise the withers. Strength training also protects horses from injury by developing and strengthening the muscles that stabilize joints, especially when they are stressed in unusual or unexpected ways (for example, if the horse trips or steps into a hole).
People use a variety of exercises to strengthen specific muscle groups, both with and without machines and equipment. In the case of horses, weights can also be used, but this method has the disadvantage of increasing the load on the limbs, which increases the risk of injury. Therefore, we must be innovative in developing strength training for horses that develops appropriate muscles without increasing the risk of injury. This can be achieved through hill work and gymnastic jumps.
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