YOUR GUIDE TO EQUINE FITNESS
How we introduce our horses to work after a break can have a big impact on their soundness and long-term wellbeing. Stephanie Bateman finds out the best way to bring your horse back into work safely and effectively
★ The reason mini breaks are vital
★ Why varying the terrain is essential
★ How to assess a horse’s true fitness
THERE ARE MANY reasons why your horse might have had time off work. Perhaps you or he were injured, you chose not to ride during lockdown or he’s had a winter holiday. When it’s time to get going again, it’s vital to reintroduce ridden work safely and effectively. But where to begin?
“The first thing to do is consider how old your horse is, how fit they’ve been previously and if they’ve had any injuries,” says Dr Gillian Tabor, chartered physiotherapist and post graduate lecturer and researcher at Hartpury University. “Older horses and those recovering from injury will need a more tailored programmed. Knowing what your aims are, such as a competition or event, is a good idea too.”
The next thing to consider is how long your horse has had off.
“Horses maintain fitness much better than we do,” says Dr David Marlin. “If a horse was in full work and you drop back to just walking and trotting for two or three weeks, that can maintain a high level of fitness. Once you get to a month or more off, then you will need to bring your horse back into work.”
There’s a tendency to give a horse a few months off and then get straight on, but the horse’s back should be prepared for carrying a rider.
“You want to be doing exercises that strengthen the back before putting a saddle on,” advises David. “Research shows us that back pain and saddle issues are much more of a problem than we think, so it’s important to look after this area as best you can.”
How much weight your horse puts on will also affect his return to work.
“If your horse puts on 50 kilos, it increases loading on the tendons, ligaments and joints,” explains David. “For that reason, it’s even more important to start with non-ridden work that increases cardiovascular fitness and reduces the excess weight.”
“Horses maintain fitness much better than we do. If a horse was in full work and you drop back to just walking and trotting for two or three weeks, that can maintain a high level of fitness” Dr David Marlin