Series 3
Target
training
Top tip No short cuts – plan it – prepare for it – train for it! Training should take you out of your comfort zones.
W
e have previously covered a good deal of the Fitness and Training Plan and this issue will focus on our Target Training and where we are going: • • • • •
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The event The ride The distance The speed The terrain
training
Hills require muscle power, strength, dexterity, trust and the ability to pick up the speed and equally reduce the speed but maintaining the rhythm. The flat fast rides require balance, rhythm and an ability to stretch the muscles. Mistakenly, some riders think the horse will just canter on with ease but unless they are using themselves correctly and economically, they will be injured. Speed is dangerous unless ridden correctly and correctly prepared for. I also advise that no matter what the ride we are aimed at, a degree of both hill and flat training is critical. So, let’s first look at canter work. A good steady canter should take you places and not stress the horse. It is often considered the “resting” pace, however for the canter to remain economical, the body needs to be warm and every fibre properly prepared to flow forward. Canter leads should be effortlessly even, using the ability to slow down and speed up and negotiating tricky ground or situations should almost be
a thought rather than a “pull”. Working together as one should be your ultimate aim. In an ideal world we should be able to do our canter work out and about but in reality there are too many people, dogs, pushchairs, bikes etc. We can train around them on our schooling hacks but a track or field margins are best. The most important thing is the warm up. As always, a slow steady warm up ensures every part of the body is flowing with oxygenated blood. This is different for every horse, so unless you are doing it the “scientific way” a longer slower one will be far more beneficial. The warm up should consist of trot work, using changes of rising diagonal to influence balance and rythmn, some lateral work, shoulder in, leg yield, halts and half halts. This is all dependent on the horse and the aim then adding in specific amounts of canter until reaching the point of long canter intervals. The degree of warm up and interval will of course
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