Horse fitness

Horses are amazingly diverse creatures and can have many different talents. They are beautiful, friendly, trainable, competitive and sometimes willful but are all very intelligent.

Horse fitness is not just about exercise; diet, worming, grooming correctly fitted equipment and attention to farriery are all just as important. Horses come in many different breeds, shapes and sizes thus making horse fitness a vast subject. It is therefore very important to scrutinise what is expected of a specific horse, on an individual basis, rather than to generalise where fitness and dietary needs are concerned.

The level of fitness required for different types of competition vary immensely, but are all of equal importance. A Thoroughbred racehorse may only appear to be taught to run fast and/or jump at speed, but the level of ridden training and fitness work that takes place before it actually reaches a racetrack is a whole different thing. Once a horse is accepted by a trainer as a potential racing prospect it will be observed and examined on a daily basis and monitored before, during and after exercise, using medical equipment, heart rate monitors for instance and veterinary procedures such as regular blood tests in order to maintain a peak level of fitness.

Horses involved in other equestrian disciplines, such as showing, show jumping or eventing, are slightly less under the limelight than racehorses, but the dietary and fitness regimes undertaken by their owners are just as important and can be incredibly complex. It can take up to 16 weeks to achieve full fitness using forms of exercise which reflect both the speeds and movements that will be required when competing. Dietary needs must also be adapted to take account of fixed factors such as age, breed, size, metabolism and even temperament as well as competitive requirements.

Show horses appear to carry more bodyweight when compared to those in other equestrian disciplines. The classes they compete in rarely require tremendous amounts of speed or agility and are largely based on conformation, condition and movement. A show horse will thus require 1-2 hours of steady exercise each day aimed at producing an animal which appears in top physical condition and shows ease of movement. Show jumpers usually exhibit a fairly highly strung type of temperament. Their training often consists of several hours each day, alternating between ridden exercise, which achieves physical fitness, athletic exercise such as hydrotherapy and of course practice at jumping.

Event horses are a completely different breed and there are three completely different talents they need to have. They must remain calm, cool and collected during the dressage phase of their competition, remain entirely brave and have enough stamina to complete the grueling cross country phase and also be astute and flexible enough to complete the show jumping phase. Their exercise regime has to reflect all of these requirements and demands not only a horse with a suitable temperament but a great deal of knowledge and time to achieve the necessary level of fitness and training to compete in this discipline.

In the wealthy and competitive world of horseracing, no expense is spared, in terms of time or money, where the care of a potential champion is concerned. Incredibly enough, racing tips are often based on inside knowledge of a particular horse, such as its last performance on the gallops before a race, thus emphasising the need for peak fitness. Horses in other equestrian disciplines are often equally well trained, fed and cared for and do exceptionally well in their own form of competition. At the very least, a healthy, happy horse can be enjoyed by any owner willing to put in the time and effort needed to make sure their animal is adequately fit for the work it is expected to do.

Horse fitness

News

Recently Viewed