Fitness Matters So your horse is physically fit to do his job By Jason Schnelle, Head Trainer, Autumn Chase Farm Hunters, Jumpers, & Equitation “Animal Welfare” is one of the hottest topics on the horse show scene today. There is tremendous pressure on show managers to provide exemplary footing and to revamp their schedules to make things easier for the horses. Trainers and owners are encouraged to use less medication, rely less on lunging, and to be sensible in laying out their horses’ show calendars. Overall, there is a huge push for all of us to make our horses’ welfare priority number one as we make decisions regarding training and competition. Surely just about everyone involved would agree this is a great thing for the sport. One of the most important ways to keep our horses’ best interests in mind is to make a conditioning program an integral part of the training regimen. As a trainer it is natural to spend an enormous amount of time and energy fine tuning a horse’s responsiveness to our aids, improving his form over jumps, and teaching his owner how to better ride him. All of these things are important, but ensuring that your horse is physically fit to do his job is equally important. Proper conditioning will make your horse’s tendons and ligaments stronger, more supple, and less likely to suffer an injury under the strain of competition. Proper conditioning will give your horse’s heart, lungs, and muscles the strength and endurance to perform at a high level class after class. Before designing a conditioning program for your horse, consider the following: 1. What does your horse do for a living? Obviously the level of fitness required for a Grand Prix Jumper is considerably higher than the level of fitness required for a lead-line pony. 2. What is your horse’s temperament? Some high-strung Thoroughbred-type horses virtually keep themselves fit while playing in the paddock. Conversely, the classic Warmblood seems to get fat and out of shape after two days off and an extra flake of hay. For the hotter horse, the task is not to try to get him fit enough to run the Kentucky Derby, but, instead, to give him enough exercise to keep everything toned and supple and to keep him mentally fit, so he arrives at the horse show ready to concentrate. For those slower, quieter horses, I have found a tremendous benefit in planning their training as if preparing them for a race. I set aside the perimeter of a 7½-acre field to use as a “training track.” I start out slowly and gradually increase the duration and intensity of the horses’ workouts. Besides the obvious physical benefits of this type of training, it is wonderful for the horses’ mental state. My slower, sulkier type horses often return to the ring the next day with a new found zeal for their job. 3. How old is your horse? For the younger horse, pay special attention not to push too hard, too fast and risk burning your horse out physically or mentally. While the young horse’s body may bounce back quicker from injuries and from the strains of competition, over-doing things at a young age may cause a horse to resent his job for a long time to come. For the young horse, the job is to balance the periods of intense training that may be required for him to learn his job with frequent vacations to keep him interested in his work. For the older horse, a very slow and steady conditioning program is essential. Many of my favorite horses are “old campaigners” who know their jobs very well, but may not be as spry as they once were. By paying extra attention to the conditioning programs of my older horses, I can use less medication at the shows and I am seeing fewer injuries. 4. Does your horse have any existing soundness issues? If your horse suffers from arthritis, has chronic problems with his suspensory ligaments or any other soundness problems, proper conditioning is even more important. However, dealing with soundness problems means that you have to be extremely careful in determining the type, frequency, and intensity of your horse’s workouts. My advice is to keep your veterinarian involved, be patient, and be consistent. While there is no magic formula for developing your horse’s conditioning program, by continually monitoring and thinking about your horse’s fitness level, you will take a big step toward ensuring the soundness, happiness, and longevity of your mount.