| Levels of equine athletic training are becoming more | | | | schooling, aerobics, strength, endurance, and flexibility. |
| acutely researched, more competitive, and more | | | | During this time, the horse's chemical metabolism will be |
| geared towards the longevity of the athlete's career | | | | responding to each of your exercises which will affect |
| than ever before. To be ahead of the herd, a horse | | | | how much water he should drink, what and how much |
| needs cross training and other varied forms of | | | | he should eat, and how much massage and stretching |
| exercise to achieve the all-around competitive level | | | | is indicated. |
| required in most sports. The components of optimal | | | | Any animal, any breed, any age, any size, can be |
| fitness are cardiovascular endurance, muscular | | | | brought to their own level ofoptimum fitness if given |
| strength, flexibility, and ideal weight. | | | | reasonable goals. It will be your responsibility to set the |
| In order to reach optimal levels of cardio-endurance, | | | | goals, and follow through with gradual progression to |
| muscular strength, and flexibility at an ideal weight, | | | | safely achieve those goals. The overload should be |
| workouts need to be calculated, and increased over | | | | designed so that the body can adapt to a slow |
| time. This includes the frequency, intensity, and duration | | | | progression of increased challenges without causing |
| of every exercise. It sounds complicated, but can be | | | | injury. |
| easily monitored. By keeping track, you can carefully | | | | Mix It Up |
| build on each component which adds gradual strength | | | | Like humans, a horse's program should include time on |
| with less threat of injury. Listening to your horse, your | | | | the track, the weight room, and whatever strategy |
| instincts, and how you both feel has a lot to do with | | | | that you can implement that includes flexibility training. |
| each workout. If your instincts tell you not to workout, | | | | Of course, you will need to improvise with hill work and |
| don't. If you remain conscientious, while sticking to your | | | | explosive work instead of a weight room, but you will |
| long term plan, missing a workout won't affect the end | | | | become creative as you witness your horse getting |
| result. | | | | stronger. |
| The Components | | | | This should be fun for you and your horse. Of course |
| Cardiovascular Endurance is the ability of the heart | | | | there are rules, and there are definitely some things |
| and lungs to provide oxygen to exercising muscles for | | | | that are forbidden, like stretching a cold muscle, but this |
| a prolonged period of time. This is achieved by long, | | | | time together is yours to enjoy, and you should remain |
| slow rides, as well as fast, explosive sprints. This type | | | | open to substitutions and changes as circumstances |
| of fitness is required for just about every sport, and | | | | change. |
| should be started slowly to allow the connective tissue | | | | One of my favorite things to do is ride my horse in an |
| of the legs, and the cardio-respiratory system to adapt | | | | arena with loud music blasting. I love to focus on |
| without stress. A strong foundation and a strong heart | | | | patterns, and challenges. Fortunately for me, I've |
| is what keeps a horse strong during competitive | | | | always had a horse that enjoys the same thing. Once |
| events. In events lasting several days, this strong | | | | my horse is strong, I (sort of) let him choose the plan |
| foundation can be what separates the healthy winners | | | | for the day. In my own fitness programs, I've |
| from the injured drop outs. | | | | substituted a day of skiing or a long hike for an aerobic |
| In the event that you or your horse are not quite in the | | | | class. Why not? As long as you include all of the |
| mood to do whatever exercise that you have | | | | important components, and maintain the current |
| scheduled for a specific day, a long, slow walk is | | | | intensity, your horse will appreciate the variety of trails, |
| always more beneficial than nothing. This will keep the | | | | hills, and arena work. |
| foundation strong and help to prevent injury in the long | | | | Keeping an open mind as you go, you can change |
| run. | | | | things according to weather, illness, injury, or whatever |
| Muscular Strength is the maximum amount of force a | | | | else comes up. Be sure to record the exercises as |
| muscle can overcome during one single contraction. | | | | you normally would, and note when you made |
| This is achieved by a variety of modes. Up hill training | | | | substitutions. |
| is an excellent way to achieve strength in the limbs | | | | Avoiding boredom is one of the main challenges faced |
| and specifically the core muscles of the back and | | | | during a long term fitness program. Timing is another |
| abdominals. Muscular strength is required in just about | | | | important factor. Each body part requires specific |
| every sport. Sprints, rollbacks, and resistance training | | | | training strategies. The muscles, including the heart take |
| can be incorporated into an effective strength training | | | | up to 6 months to reach their peak, connective tissue |
| program. With increased strength adaptation on hills, | | | | (tendons and ligaments) take one to two years to |
| explosive exercises can be added gradually. | | | | develop their maximum strength, and bones take up to |
| Muscular Endurance is the number of repeated | | | | 3 years to fully develop. This is why it's recommended |
| contractions a muscle can perform against a | | | | that horses not begin intense physical exercise before |
| resistance without fatiguing. This is achieved by a | | | | the age of 4. |
| combination of cardiovascular and explosive sprint | | | | Be aware of the types of surfaces in which you are |
| work meant to take the levels of both strength and | | | | training, and choose grass or wood chips over dirt |
| cardio-fitness to the highest levels. Through aerobic | | | | when possible. Deeper footing adds to intensity, so pay |
| exercise and strength training, muscular endurance will | | | | attention to how your horse feels, and make wise |
| occur naturally. This type of work is added after the | | | | choices when possible. |
| foundation work has been done. The foundation work | | | | Establish Your Starting Baseline |
| depends on your horse's starting point, but a couple of | | | | In order to measure improvements, you need to |
| weeks of long walks, three times a week is a good | | | | establish your starting position. You can then set your |
| start before you start getting more aggressive. | | | | goals for the future. A veterinary consult is helpful at |
| Flexibility describes the range of motion of a joint. | | | | this point, and you should start recording everything. |
| Increased flexibility is achieved through various static | | | | Ask the vet about your horse's weight, conformation, |
| stretching (stretches held for 30 seconds) exercises | | | | and movement as it relates to your fitness plan. The |
| done by the rider. Stretching the legs is heavy work | | | | next step is to determine if there are any risk factors |
| for you to perform, but you'll find that your horse will | | | | that require special attention. Some risk factors would |
| not only enjoy it, but will learn how to stretch himself | | | | be pregnancy, recent injury or surgery within the past |
| out in the paddock. Research has recently shown that | | | | 6 months, diet (how much, special requirements, |
| static stretching not only aids in flexibility, but has | | | | required supplements), and special needs like shoes |
| shown to add overall strength to the body. | | | | and tack. |
| Dynamic Flexibility is like stretching because it helps the | | | | Voice all of your concerns to the vet during this |
| horse to be more flexible, but this type of flexibility | | | | pre-program vet check. Tell the vet what your goals |
| exercise is done through bending exercises under | | | | are. Ask him or her if your goals are realistic. Ask |
| saddle. Serpentines, circles, figure 8's, and various drills | | | | questions about your horse's resting heart rate as |
| up and down the arena are a perfect example of a | | | | opposed to what the vet might estimate the maximum |
| dynamic flexibility exercise. | | | | heart rate to be. |
| There are a lot of factors that may inhibit flexibility. | | | | If there are any questions about the horse's tack or |
| Sometimes the joint itself has lost mobility, sometimes | | | | hooves, be sure to consult with a reputable |
| the muscles have lost elasticity, and worst of all, | | | | professional before beginning the program. Having |
| sometimes fat gets in the way. I like to incorporate | | | | these items analyzed in advance can prevent some |
| dynamic flexibility exercises into the cool down, and | | | | painful and expensive issues later in the program. |
| also during the rest periods in endurance work. Once | | | | Keep Records |
| the muscles are warm and full of blood, they can | | | | Height/Weight When you have the vet do the initial |
| achieve great gains in flexibility. Instead of just walking | | | | consultation, you will have them do the initial height and |
| your horse during the little breathers in sprint training, | | | | weight reading for recording. A height and weight tape |
| you can ask him to walk in circles to keep his rib cage | | | | can be purchased at most feed stores or catalogs for |
| open and flexible. | | | | your follow up measurements. |
| Sport Specific Training | | | | Resting Heart Rate Take resting heart rate for 5 |
| Sport Specific Training is specifically performing the | | | | consecutive days the first thing in the morning to |
| sport that you'll be competing in. It is necessary for | | | | determine normal resting heart rate. Again, because of |
| developing motor skills as they relate to your specific | | | | the nature of the beast, size, breed, and fitness level, |
| sport, but doesn't include all of the components for a | | | | there isn't an exact average resting heart rate. Each |
| balanced fitness program. By performing the | | | | horse will have its own normal. Be sure that you |
| movements used in your sport, timing and balance are | | | | document this morning resting rate because later in the |
| developed. This type of training should be focused | | | | program, you will be monitoring the morning rate. An |
| during the horse's schooling sessions which will be | | | | elevated heart rate in the morning can indicate over |
| incorporated into the off days of the exercise | | | | training, and this is something to watch closely. |
| schedule. Schooling and workouts are two different | | | | Take Photos |
| forms of training and should be practiced separately. | | | | You will be really happy to have your success |
| Schooling is teaching the horse how to perform | | | | recorded. |
| specific movements, and workouts are performed for | | | | Put It Together |
| the purpose of gaining strength and fitness. By taking | | | | This is the fun part. Take the freedom to be creative |
| an un-schooled horse into the arena and pushing him | | | | with this. Start slowly, be sure to warm up properly, |
| or her through a specific sport routine at the maximum | | | | and then put it together according to what you and |
| levels will never teach him or her to be accurate in | | | | your horse choose. Once the foundation has been laid, |
| their specific sport. | | | | you're free to do as you choose. Here are some |
| A barrel horse needs to be strong and powerful, but if | | | | ideas; |
| he isn't schooled in how to turn a barrel properly and | | | | For the first couple of weeks, lay the foundation with |
| with precision, he's not a great barrel horse. He should | | | | walking three times a week |
| be taught how to do this separately from his workout. | | | | Add one day of schooling. By this, I mean to take one |
| He needs some added flexibility exercise in order to | | | | day to slowly take your horse through his specific |
| bend more effectively. If he's too muscular, he'll create | | | | sport movements in a calculated and organized way |
| excess heat within his body which may lead to early | | | | at about 60% of his maximum. |
| fatigue. A barrel horse needs a good cardio program | | | | You are now ready to add some strength work either |
| so that his body efficiently delivers oxygen to the | | | | by getting more aggressive and explosive in specific |
| muscles and organs. | | | | sports movements or by adding some hill work. Utilize |
| He needs a good strength program to accommodate | | | | the cool down time for dynamic flexibility like |
| the explosive forward movement and speed, and he | | | | serpentines and figure 8's. |
| needs the flexibility to be able to bend around the | | | | After the under saddle cool down, while the horse is |
| barrel tightly. Once that's all done, he needs to cool | | | | still somewhat warm, add some stretching to keep the |
| down and be stretched out so that his muscles aren't | | | | horse flexible and not too bulky and stiff. |
| stiff and shortened for the next bout of competition. | | | | As time goes on, you can perform the sport specific |
| This horse needs a program that's divided up into | | | | exercises more and more aggressively to improve the |
| segments over one week periods, then tied together | | | | horse's endurance until you're performing at 100% while |
| to make up several months. One trick is to keep the | | | | still maintaining the precision that was taught during the |
| horse from peaking too soon or losing too much | | | | schooling segments. |
| weight, while balancing the workouts to include | | | | |