Spring is in the air and often times this means getting your horse back to work after some winter time off. While it's easy to get excited once you get back in the saddle, it's important to keep in mind that the finely tuned athlete that you turned out at the end of the season may start compensating if you move ahead in your training too hard, too fast. I'm a strong believer in the saying that "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" so here are some tips for making your horse's Road Back to Fit a smooth one .
1) Soft ground puts more stress on ligaments and tendons while hard ground puts more stress on bone, so change it up! Try rotating types of ground from day to day to help strengthen your horse's body without putting excessive strain on one area.
2) It's easy to get tunnel vision seeking perfection but try to keep your training regimen diverse. Repeating small circles or sprints every day is going to put repeated stress on the same areas of your horse's body. Try and keep your horse's fitness program consistantly varied- crosstraining is your friend! Go for a long trot down the road or get out and chase some cows, your horse's body and mind will thank you!
3) When muscles get fatigued, tendons and ligaments are forced to take on more of the workload. Slowly increasing your horse's duration and intensity of work over time you will decrease their risk of injury. It can take up to 6 months to gain bone density, depending on the length of time your horse has had off. So even when your horse's heart rate is coming back down nicley the rest of their body may not have caught up yet, give it time.
4) A balanced foot is always important but this is especially true when your getting a horse back into shape. Any confirmational flaws are going to magnified the longer it's been since your horse has been shod and since muscles are going to fatigue easier you want to be sure that those tendons and ligaments taking over are going to have all the support they can get.
6) As your horse's level of fitness increases be sure to pay close attention to how your horse feels under saddle each day, are they feeling balanced in both directions? Is it difficult for them to hold a lead behind? Are they cranky when you go to saddle them? Are they having difficulty with lateral work/bending through their ribcage? They may not be able to speak to us out loud but if we pay attention to all these little things and listen to our gut, we can learn a lot about what they may be trying to tell us. If at any time your horse starts to show signs of lamness don't hesitate to call your Vet to get a quick, clear diagnosis. I also reccommend using the assesments techniques in the video below regularly so you are able to see how your horse's body is feeling and what their range of motion is like.
1) Soft ground puts more stress on ligaments and tendons while hard ground puts more stress on bone, so change it up! Try rotating types of ground from day to day to help strengthen your horse's body without putting excessive strain on one area.
2) It's easy to get tunnel vision seeking perfection but try to keep your training regimen diverse. Repeating small circles or sprints every day is going to put repeated stress on the same areas of your horse's body. Try and keep your horse's fitness program consistantly varied- crosstraining is your friend! Go for a long trot down the road or get out and chase some cows, your horse's body and mind will thank you!
3) When muscles get fatigued, tendons and ligaments are forced to take on more of the workload. Slowly increasing your horse's duration and intensity of work over time you will decrease their risk of injury. It can take up to 6 months to gain bone density, depending on the length of time your horse has had off. So even when your horse's heart rate is coming back down nicley the rest of their body may not have caught up yet, give it time.
4) A balanced foot is always important but this is especially true when your getting a horse back into shape. Any confirmational flaws are going to magnified the longer it's been since your horse has been shod and since muscles are going to fatigue easier you want to be sure that those tendons and ligaments taking over are going to have all the support they can get.
6) As your horse's level of fitness increases be sure to pay close attention to how your horse feels under saddle each day, are they feeling balanced in both directions? Is it difficult for them to hold a lead behind? Are they cranky when you go to saddle them? Are they having difficulty with lateral work/bending through their ribcage? They may not be able to speak to us out loud but if we pay attention to all these little things and listen to our gut, we can learn a lot about what they may be trying to tell us. If at any time your horse starts to show signs of lamness don't hesitate to call your Vet to get a quick, clear diagnosis. I also reccommend using the assesments techniques in the video below regularly so you are able to see how your horse's body is feeling and what their range of motion is like.
I also highly recommend watching this series of video's by Dr.Hilary Clayton on conditioning. The title says for Dressage horses but really the information is useful for all disciplines.
I hope these six tips help your horse's road back to fit a smooth one! The time you invest now in your horse will pay off tenfold in the future through reduced time off, less vet bills and a longer career for your horse.
Happy Riding!
Tiffany
P.S. Keep an eye out for my next blog on Saddle Fit :)
Happy Riding!
Tiffany
P.S. Keep an eye out for my next blog on Saddle Fit :)
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