By Vera Brimacombe EBW
When we ride our horses, they become athletes. It is not just competition horses that can get tired, sore and suffer an athletic injury, the laid-back happy hackers enjoying a low workload can suffer strains and sprains just the same. It is, therefore, the responsibility of the horse owner or rider to make sure their horses are capable of performing the task required, be that an hour's quiet hack or three-day eventing.

The horse's general level of fitness and the amount of time spent warming up are factors often over-looked. It is a common misconception to confuse a bright and forward horse with a fit horse. When fittening a horse, we should take into consideration the horse's
1) cardiovascular fitness (i.e.the ability of the respiratory, cardiovascular and muscular system to produce energy over a period of time),
2)level of strength training (i.e. the development of power and endurance of the muscular system),
3) suppleness ( i.e. the range of motion of joints and the flexibility of the muscular system).

If the horse is rested during the week only to be ridden strenuously over the weekend, he is unlikely to develop a good level of cardiovascular fitness or suppleness. Exercising this way also increases the risk of injury; when the muscles start to tire due to lack of energy (as in poor cardiovascular fitness levels), they will start to cramp and spasm. As they do so, they put unnecessary strain on the supporting tendons and ligaments, therefore predisposing the horse not only towards sore and tight muscles, but stretched (and potentially torn) ligaments and tendons too. A similar scenario is created when a horse with cold muscles is asked to work strenuously without sufficient time to warm up: if the horse has been stabled all day, he should not be asked to go into the school and jump a course of showjumps without a thorough warm-up. Although he may be very bright and willing, it doesn't mean his muscles are ready for the effort. He should have time to warm up his cardiovascular system as well as do some form of suppling exercises.


Some basic ways of improving your horse's cardiovascular fitness include Long Slow Distance work. (LSD) This involves walking, trotting and slow cantering, both in the school and out hacking, while maintaining a steady heart-rate without excessive peaks or drops. LSD is particularly important to young horses being fittened for the first time and horses coming back into work after a prolonged rest. The period of LSD can take anything from a few months to a year.

Strength training includes working on inclines, through shallow water or on a deeper surface, as well as gymnastic jumping (gridwork). Interval training is also a form of strength training. The duration of a strength training session is usually shorter than that of a cardiovascular session. As horses normally maintain their level of strength quite well, it should not be necessary to perform a strength training session more than once or twice a week (in the case of an active horse)

An increase in suppleness is typically achieved by schooling. This includes working the horse both 'long and low' as well as in a degree of collection appropriate for the horse's level of training. Smooth transitions increase the suppleness of the long back muscles, whereas lateral movements help to activate the hindquarters and the related muscles. Working on the horse's suppleness doesn't have to mean taking the horse into a school; all these moves and exercises can be performed just as well out hacking. Suppleness is also increased and maintained by performing massage and passive suppling exercises (i.e. stretches), such as those that form an essential part of Equine Body Work.


The foundations of any fittening work lay in
-frequency,
-duration and
-intensity.
As a rule, when one aspect is increased, the other two should remain the same. For example, if you increase the frequency of strength training (let's say gridwork in this instance) from once a week to twice a week, you should not increase the duration or intensity of the session at the same time. Likewise, if you increase the time spent at trot and canter from 20 to 30 minutes, (i.e. duration ) you should not increase the frequency or the intensity of these sessions at the same time.


The cooling down period is just as vital as the warm-up in the horse's athletic regime. The purpose of 'a warm-down' is to prepare the horse for the transition from exercise to rest. This is achieved by gradually redistributing the blood flow from the skeletal muscles to the other organs of the body. Strenuous exercise also leads to lactate build-up in the muscles. A high level of lactate eventually prohibits the muscle fibers from contracting, which in turn leads to fatigue, cramping and strains on ligaments and tendons. According to Dr. Hilary Clayton ("Conditioning Sport Horses" ), the amount of lactate in the blood decreases up to three-fold if the horse is trotted for ten minutes after strenuous exercise instead of allowing the horse to standing still. After ten minutes of steady trotting, the horse should be walked on a long rein for at least five minutes, until the heart rate returns to the pre-exercise level. Suppling exercises, such as circles and the bending of the neck should also be performed during the cool down period. A gentle leg-yield while working the horse 'long and low' is a good way of stretching the back and the quarters.

Equine Body Work can be very beneficial when increasing or maintaining the fitness level. Passive stretches and massage after exercise can reduce the risk of post-exercise soreness and stiffness, whereas regular Body Work can help to improve suppleness, thus allowing the muscular system to work freely. Should the horse suffer an athletic injury, early intervention using hands-on techniques can shorten the recovery time and lead to a better recovery.

Bibliography
Hilary M. Clayton: "Conditioning Sport Horses"
(Sport Horse Publications)

Jean-Marie Denoix & Jean-Pierre Pailloux: "Physical Therapy and Massage for the Horse"
(Manson Publishing)

Sara Wyche: "The Horse's Muscles in Motion" (Crowood)