PLANNING YOUR SPRING FITNESS REGIME

Patrick Delaney Lecturer in Equestrian Studies, Hadlow College

Coming into spring, it’s important to make sure your horse is fi t enough for the good weather and warm light evenings that are coming. Many horses are let down and roughed off over winter, or ridden less due to bad weather, fl ooded schools and poor condition bridle paths. Fittening the horse should occur gradually over a period of time to allow the horse’s

18 body to adjust. This is not only to ensure the horse is fi t enough for the extra workload, but a steady programme will also help to prevent injuries whilst the horse’s body is in soft condition. A pulled tendon or sore muscles at this time of year can take lengthy time to recover from, so it is better to start slowly early on than risk problems. Regardless of the state of fi tness, care should be taken of the horse’s general health anyway. Vaccinations should be up to date, the teeth should have regular checks, shoeing or trimming will have continued over the winter months and the horse should still have been wormed if appropriate.

From here on, your fi ttening plan will very much depend on your horse as an individual. It is worth noting that young horses or those who have not been fi t before will take longer to get fi t. Their muscles and the rest of their body and metabolism are not use to it. Conversely with a horse in their prime, even after time off, their body will ‘remember’ to a certain extent their previous levels of fi tness. It is also worth remembering that older horses and veteran horses will take longer to get fi t, as their bodies will not work as effi ciently as younger horse, and they may also be more prone to injuries or be more likely to have pre-existing injuries that can affect their training.

Most forms of injury will increase the length of time it will take to get the horse fi t, and weeks of slow, steady conditioning are often needed to prevent further potential injuries and to aid rehabilitation.

Getting the horse fi t will also depend on your starting point. If your horse has been turned out a lot, there is more opportunity for the horse to keep itself fi t than one that has been stabled most of winter. Breed can also make a difference; as Thoroughbred types tend to have a naturally higher resting level of fi tness than most cob breeds.

The actual fi tness programme needs to be tailored according to the horse, but can generally be broken down into 3 sections. The fi rst section is slow work, which conditions and prepares the horse’s joints, tendons, ligaments and muscles. The second section is working on the basic fi tness of the horse, whilst developing stamina and strength. The third section leads to the faster work, which will also prepare horses for sponsored rides, hunter trials and cross-country type events. Below is a sample plan for a horse that has been ridden lightly over the winter months, for a rider looking to compete at unaffi liated, riding club and entry level affi liated competitions over the summer period. This is based around your horse having regular turn out, and having one day off a week.

Week 1 Start with around 15-20mins roadwork in walk each day

Week 2 Gradually increase the roadwork to 30-40mins per day, watch out for signs of tiredness early on

Week 3 Begin to increase the roadwork to 60mins per day, preferably including some not too steep hills

Week 4 Extend the hacking time to up to 90mins per day. If necessary, this can be in two separate sessions. Start to introduce short periods of trot work on level, suitable ground

Week 5 Start to introduce some slow, gentle schooling in the arena for up to 20-30mins max. Exercise can now be increased to up to 1.5- 2hrs daily, and can include some trotting up gentle hills, but avoid trotting on the roads

Week 6 Schooling time can be increased, and canter can be introduced when out hacking. This should be kept to short sections with opportunities for the horse to fully recover in between, and should preferably be performed on straight lines, and on level suitable ground.

Week 7 The length of time in canter can now be developed, with the inclusion of cantering up gentle hills. The school work can continue, and now is the time to introduce pole work, leading up to small jumps and easy grid work. Again, sessions should be non-strenuous with built in recovery times.

Week 8-9 Continuation of everything you have been doing so far, but faster work can be introduced with stronger canters, and gallops for short periods in hand. For the more serious competitor this is the time to introduce interval training.

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