Fittening your Horse
Whatever your chosen discipline, your horse needs to be fit enough to do the job which you require him to do. Whether it is a 3* Event or even local showjumping. The reason why we fitten horses is so that they can perform better, and fundamentally, a fit horse should be less likely to injure themselves.
Fittening your horse is a progressive method, preparing him to be ready for the work you are asking of him. An unfit horse can encounter many problems, such as strained tendons and ligaments, bad back, lameness and respiratory problems if he is pushed before he is physically ready to do the job you want him to do.
Regardless of the fitness level you require, each horse is individual and will respond to fittening in a different way. You should take into consideration the following factors which will affect your fittening programme:
* The age of your horse, and his condition prior to fittening.
* Breed of Horse – Take into account the workload which you expect of him. Look at his conformational build up. Will he be able to perform the job to the level you want?
* The overall health of the horse prior to fittening.
* Monitoring the progress and adapt the programme accordingly as and when required.
* Being aware of the capability of both yourself and your horse are the expectations realistic within the time frame.
A fittening programme can be divided into stages:
Preparation
You must ensure your horse is healthy; his vaccinations are up to date, teeth, shoes and worming.
You should also make sure that his tack is well fitted. The skin will be soft and susceptible to rubs and sores, so well fitted tack will prevent this.
It is also recommended that you check your horse insurance. You need to ensure that he is covered for the work that you will be doing. Many horses that have been rested, or roughed off during winter may have had their insurance reduced, so make sure his policy is correct. It is also advisable to include public liability, as you will be out on the roads at the start of the programme strengthening his legs and feet.
Conditioning: Weeks 1-3
It is recommended that you should walk your horse in week one, building from half an hour the first day, to up to one hour by the end of the week, and then up to two hours the following week. This is critical to the long-term health and soundness of the horse.
Fittening: Weeks 4 - 7
As the horse gets fitter, you can start to build up periods of trot, introduce canter and school work.
You should be aware that you are not pushing your horse although you need to get him sweating up a little. Keeping him occupied with variation with hacks and school work to add interest.
By week 5 you can ask a little bit more, so cantering is excellent to keep them supple and work through their backs.
By weeks 6 - 7 your horse will be ready to start more intensive flatwork schooling and some jumping. Introduce jumps into your flatwork sessions; simple cross poles will get the horses muscles in his back working. Height is not important, as it’s the muscles which you want to build up and strengthen.
Competing: Week 8 onwards
This is the progression onto the next level of fitness, although your horse may still require more time to peak fitness, going to local shows will be a gauge for you to see what his fitness level is.
You are then able to build on this as you will find out areas which need working on.
To successfully get your horse fit, you must be organised and flexible with time limits. Allowing enough time to thoroughly prepare your horse will not only achieve positive and successful results. But enable him to get back to peak fitness in the safest way possible without compromising his health and preventing injuries.
As mentioned in the preparation stage, you should remember to have horse insurance to protect you from any accidents or illness your horse may suffer from. Call us on 0845 55 70 300 and ask our friendly team of equine specialists how we can help you today.
