As Fall is quickly coming upon us, Winter will be following quickly afterwards and it’s going to leave many horse owners in a position where their horses are not going to get as much exercise as they would like them to get simply due to the weather and poor riding conditions. This means that come next spring and warmer temperatures, you’re going to want to be sure to condition your horse and you may want to try and keep your horse in shape over the colder months as well.
Conditioning a horse is more vital than many people think. It’s not uncommon for people to bring their horses in after a lazy winter and to start riding them like they never had a four month break. This is hard on a horse in many ways and it is really like you not going to the gym for four months and then deciding to just go run 5 miles one day, it’s hard and you’re probably going to fatigue very quickly. Well, although your horse is a big, strong animal, it’s hard on him too and he’s going to fatigue quickly as well.
There have been several studies done on equine conditioning at various universities. Most studies have found that conditioning is very important for a horse and it should be something you work on before you decide to go rope a bunch of calves the first warm spring day or go do a bunch of jumping or something after the winter. Equine conditioning has also been a hot topic of late because people are also looking for a better way to train their horses so that they can become more competitive in the show ring or on the racetrack.
The University of California-Davis is always in the equine research spotlight. They provide numerous services to horse owners from DNA testing to useful studies that they have performed on horses in an effort to allow us to train and take better care of our horses. When bringing your horse back to work after they have had a long lay-up, they suggest that you do so slowly and provide them ample time to regain their muscle strength and bone strength.
Ohio State University has also done a lot of research in this area and they have found similar findings in the area of conditioning. They have found that horses should also be given an ample amount of time to warm up. You should do this with slow places, such as trotting and incorporate brief intervals of slow and fast work into your riding routine. Faster paced work will help your horse’s muscles prepare for exertion and will allow him to reach peak oxygen-consumption levels sooner. You also want to warm your horse up at the various speed levels that work best for him. It is also important that you listen to your horse’s breathing and adjust your warm-ups according to your horse’s breathing in reaction to the work he is performing.
Additional research in this area has also been performed by Louisiana State University. They have found that those horses that are out of shape and then suddenly begin a hard, competitive schedule tend to be at a higher risk for illness because they are out of shape, even if they are up to date on their vaccinations. This is because the body is not conditioned for the work the animal is performing and the immune system is weakened as a result. Always start out your rides with slow work outs and end with a cool down period. You also want to slowly increase the length of the workouts and start with short rides that also consist of a warm-up and cool down. As the horse becomes better able to keep up with the pace of work, you can lengthen your workouts.
Remember, just because your horse takes off running and bucking when turned out in the pasture doesn’t mean that your horse is in shape. These are just short bursts of energy and are not an accurate reading as to whether or not the horse is in shape. These little outbursts of energy are just that, little, and last only a few seconds. Afterwards, your horse will be breathing hard. You can use these conditioning exercises on the lunge line and undersaddle. However, it is always wise to start a horse on the lunge prior to riding if he has been cooped up all winter with limited or no riding time. This will allow him ample time to get out the “friskiness” and to ensure your ride is a safe one.
