That said, an active youth also means a horse's muscles, bones and joints have sustained more wear and tear. A horse who was lightly trail ridden for most of his life is likely going to have fewer physical problems as he ages than a horse who was roped off of during those same years,? People like to say a horse only has so many miles, and in some respect it is a finite thing, but what they spent those miles doing is also a major factor.?
A horse who spent his younger years in high-speed sports is more likely to develop musculoskeletal problems than one who was involved only in low-impact activities. Often the effects of a strenuous past don't emerge until years after the fact.
It's like an NBA player who retires healthy, but then develops arthritis in both knees and hips years later,? The damage was done, it just took some time to be evident. Take it slowly Conditioning programs for older horses generally differ from those for their younger peers only in time frame and pace.
You can use all the same tactics, including distance work, hill work and skill-specific drills; you just have to go much more slowly with an older horse,? At the outset,? If the horse is very out of shape, that might mean several weeks of walking before you start light jogging.? As with younger horses, increase either the distance or the speed of a workout as the horse progresses, never both at the same time.
Be patient: Plan on spending at least three months conditioning an older horse for pleasure trail riding, and longer for more demanding tasks such as jumping. Downtime is critical for older equine athletes. Conditioning occurs when tissues are stressed then given time to recover as stronger, fitter structures. If that period isn? Factor in more rest time for an older horse than you would for a younger one:? They may need two days off after a hard ride where a younger horse may need only one,?
Their tissues are older and you need to be more conservative.? Let your horse be your guide Arthritis is the most likely condition to limit a horse's activity later in life but, as Mero notes, it can usually be managed. You can exercise a horse with mild arthritis and probably should,? How much work a mildly arthritic horse can do varies depending how he feels on particular days. Watch him walk in the field and take time as you groom to really look at him,?
Mero says. How does he feel? Is he just a little stiff or really having trouble? The more you know your horse and pay attention to him, the more accurately you'll be able to answer those questions.?
Navicular syndrome is another musculoskeletal condition that can interfere with an older horse's fitness plan.
Characterized by inflammation of the structures around a horse's navicular bone deep in the hoof, this condition can often be managed with specialized trimming and shoeing. But excessive work, especially on unforgiving footing, can lead to painful flare-ups. It may be tempting to just give a navicular horse some bute and forge ahead, but the painkiller will only mask signs, which can lead to further damage.
I treat a number of mild to moderate Cushing? The excess corticosteroids these horses produce can put stress on soft tissues, and they may be prone to overheating with a thick coat, but they are on pergolide and seem to be doing well.? Of course, you'll also want to take into account any old injuries your horse had in his younger years. Serious, acute injuriessuch as a torn tendon or fracturecan significantly limit the amount of activity a horse can tolerate later in life.
Reinjury is a worry, or a horse may simply become unsound as his work increases. If you're aware of your horse's old injuries, discuss their potential effects on a fitness program with your veterinarian. Respond quickly to signs of trouble As your fitness plan progresses, watch for signs of stress in your older horse.
And most important of all — they know it really works. Perhaps more importantly, I have seen the results first-hand and I have been impressed.
First-Time Buyer? Choose your country for local information:. More and more equestrians are scrutinizing the non-structural carbohydrate NSC content of horse feed. The Importance of a Healthy Hindgut Extensive research and modern treatments have emphasized equine gastric ulcers in recent years. Deciding what to feed our horses is one of the most fundamental issues that horse owners must address daily.
Proper nutrition is vital for overall health, and critical nutrients play an essential role in your […]. Horses participating in American Endurance Ride Conference events must complete mile rides within 12 hours and mile rides within 24 hours. These horses undergo physiological changes at specific heart rates to develop condition. It takes years to develop an endurance horse to peak fitness.
Riders must follow a steady training program that includes at least two to three months of LSD, followed by strength and speed training. A safe approach involves asking a horse for incremental increases in distance or difficulty every five days. This gives his body time to adjust to the new intensity before advancing to the next level of effort. Owners should monitor their horses for signs of stress during this process, including limb swelling or soreness, a lapse in appetite, or a change in attitude.
Other drills for developing muscular strength include dressage work, cavalettis, jumping gymnastics, or work in deep footing such as sand.
After at least five or six months or a solid first season of LSD conditioning and strength training, many riders add IT to their repertoire.
This teaches the body to deal with the byproducts of anaerobic metabolism. The horse must work at a high enough intensity to drive his heart rate over bpm. You can accomplish this with flat gallops or trot and canter sets up hills. These stress periods only need to last two to three minutes for the tissues to gain some training effect in the anaerobic mode. Then bring the horse back to a working heart rate of less than bpm for tissue recovery. Heart rate recovery is an important measure of how well a horse is coping with exercise demands.
You want a horse to recover to a heart rate of bpm as quickly as possible when exercise stops. Fit horses ridden to their level of ability generally reach this level within two to three minutes, and at least within 10 minutes. Any time beyond that recovery period suggests that:. Record the heart rate count the heartbeats for 15 seconds, then multiply by four and then time the horse as he trots feet.
Exactly one minute after recording the heart rate, measure it again. Throughout the conditioning and competition process, assess all these parameters, as well as soundness, so you can detect and deal with any subtle problems immediately. And, of course, work with your veterinarian to keep these athletes in peak condition, health, and soundness. The event horse is unique in that it must possess the finesse to complete gymnastic moves in dressage tests, the endurance and skill to perform long-distance gallops over cross-country obstacles, and the dexterity to negotiate show jumps in an arena.
These horses are multitalented and must integrate both aerobic and anaerobic energy pathways to fuel their muscles. Erin K. Other riders seek out Warmblood and Warmblood crosses. These horses benefit from building a base level of fitness using LSD work. Eventers employ many of the same conditioning techniques as endurance riders, but they focus more on interval training to help these horses accelerate over jumps and gallop a timed cross-country course, which can be upward of 4 miles at the CCI four-star level the highest level of competition in the sport.
Once a horse develops a strong LSD foundation, then you can incorporate interval training a couple of times a week. Changes in muscle occur in two to four weeks, followed by cardiovascular and bone changes. Decrease in muscle size and strength occur in the shortest amount of time.
Oxygen uptake and ventilation capacity decreases within three weeks of detraining. Slow-speed long distance conditioning, or endurance training. High-speed conditioning is used to improve the anaerobic capacity of a horse and is generally interspersed with slow-speed, long distance days.
This conditioning method varies with the horse and the event. Some trainers increase the speed for very short distances until near maximum speed is reached, then increase the distance. Others establish a set distance and gradually increase the speed. The frequency of the high-speed days varies with the conditioning method used.
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