It "IS" All in the Conditioning!

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Understanding Fitness by: Les Sellnow - A person who loves horses and spending a lot of time in the saddle can gain a great deal of satisfaction from competing in long distance riding. It is a special feeling when you know you have partnered well with your horse and that the two of you have completed a 50-mile or longer ride none the worse for wear. By the same token, failing to complete a ride and perhaps injuring a horse in the process brings with it profound despair if one is a dedicated horseperson. The difference between finishing and failing to finish generally can be summed up in one word--fitness.  Article #814 

Conditioning the Competitive Trail Horse by Les Sellnow - Those of us who have trail ridden and packed into the mountains are very apt to proffer this advice to the beginner or novice who wants to do likewise: Don't take the mountains lightly, because they can be unforgiving. Know what you are doing and be well prepared before you go. That same advice should be given to beginning and novice competitive trail riders: Don't take the competition lightly, because it can be unforgiving. Learn what to do and be well prepared before competing. That being said, competitive trail riding and endurance riding can be exciting and challenging equine endeavors. These events stimulate the successful human partner in the team to know and understand the equine partner in away that is rarely attained in other forms of equine sports. Article #5979 

 How to Rate Mileage – CTR - If the terrain allows, the following is an easy rule of thumb to go by. Trot for six minutes then walk for three minutes. Keep repeating that and you and your horse will finish within the time frame (not too fast and not too slow). It also allows for an even distribution of work and rest. Carry a cheat sheet too (with the times/mileage). Set your watch at 12:00 when you start and check it when you go by the mile markers. You should be within the parameters below. If necessary, adjust your speed up or down.

This is an example of the "cheat sheet" that some use.

Miles to go!            Your Watch Reads:

25                                 12:00

20                                 12:45 -12:50

15                                 1:30 - 1:40

10                                 2:15 - 2:30

5                                  3:00 - 3:20

4                                  3:09 - 3:33

3                                  3:18 - 3:46

2                                  3:27 - 3.59

1                                  3:46 - 4:25

0 

Four Month Endurance Conditioning Schedule

by Darolyn Butler, Cypress Trails-Horse Riding Fun 

1st & 2nd Week

Ride the horse at a walk/trot 3 to 4 days a week for 1 hour each day to begin initial legging up.

3rd Week

3 to 4 days riding - 1 to 1 1⁄2 hour each day. Walk up and down all hills and ravines, trot on all flat areas.

4th Week

3 to 4 days riding - 1 to 2 hours each day. Trot up ravines or small hills when possible and over rough or primitive terrain. Walk up some very long, steep hills, (if possible,), Always walk down all hills & ravines.

5th & 6th Week

3 to 4 days riding - Rotate the following regimen for the days you are able to ride. #1 Two hour slows trail ride. #2 Two hours primarily trot, some walking, a little cantering on primarily flat surfaces. #3 Two to three hours, primarily trot, (work on elongating trot), work on hills, and primitive rough terrain.

7th & 8th Week

3 to 4 days riding - two hours at extended trot primarily. 3rd or 4th day try 4 hour ride. Walking & trotting only.

9th & 10 Week

2 to 4 days of riding, depending on how long you are able to ride.... balance between longer, harder rides with more rest time in-between. Don't ever increase speed and distance during the same training ride. Primarily trot, salt in an occasional canter, and walk for recovery, when needed. A working heart rate between 110 & 140 is appropriate. Horse should recover to below 70 within 1 to 3 minutes anytime it is stopped.

11th & 12th Week

2 to 3 days of riding 2 to 3 hours each time. Use your judgment and horses attitude to adjust speed, length of work, and toughness of terrain to your workouts. Listen to your horse. If he seems tired or sluggish, back off for 3 or 4 days. He will not loose that much conditioning. Try to find as many different places to train that you can. Horses actually can become dull and bored with same ole trails. You and your partner should now be ready to tackle a moderately paced 25 or 30-mile race. If your horse handles that in good shape, you're ready for 50 miles within 3 to 4 weeks. Continue at least twice weekly rides totally approximately 20 to 30 miles to keep his base conditioning. If you compete at least once a month, the competition will act as all the other conditioning that you need.

SERA-Southeastern Endurance Riders Association - Conditioning/Training Pages 

Nutritional Concerns for Exercising Horses - While it is evident that different types of exercise impose distinctive demands on the horse’s body, exercise in general will increase energy use for muscular activity, increase protein use if actively increasing muscle mass, increase the loss of minerals through sweat, and increase the use of vitamins for catalyzing energetic pathways. ENERGY NEEDS 

Conditioning Race and Performance Horses- Conditioning of the performance horse is influenced by a variety of factors. Horses differ in ability, behavior, and strength, and performance events vary enough in duration and intensity to require specialized training programs. Regardless of the competition or the horse, there are several important concepts that should be employed to develop a well conditioned horse. CONDITIONING 

Principles of Conditioning - The success of a conditioning program relies on the body's adaptive response to the stress of exercise. If the horse performs the same amount of exercise every day, a certain level of fitness is attained as the horse adapts to the workload. However, without a further increase in training load (an increase in training duration, intensity, or both), there will be no further increase in fitness. To achieve a conditioning or training effect, the horse must be subjected to gradual increases in workload. Each new level of training is maintained until the body has adapted to the added stress, after which a further increase in training load can be applied. Alternating periods of increasing workload with a period of adaptation is known as progressive loading. PRINCIPLES 

The Heart And The Cardiovascular System -Increased stroke volume caused by training means that the athletes heart beats less frequently at all times, including during periods of rest. Because of the greater volume ejected from the "fit" heart with each beat, cardiac output remains the same as in the untrained state, although the heart beats less often. So it should be possible to see a difference in your horse's heart rate at rest before and after training. CARDIO 

Monitoring Fitness of Horses by Heart Rate - Cardiovascular fitness is of prime importance for the horse to efficiently utilize the other body systems. Function of the cardiovascular system can most practically and reliably define the fitness status of horses. The cardiovascular system is easily monitored by measurement of heart rate before, during, and following exercise. This article identifies ways to monitor heart rate and how to interpret heart rate response at different times in the conditioning program. MONITORING FITNESS 

Resting and Recovery Heart Rate - With advancements in the latest technology, the horse heart rate monitor is now starting to replace the stethoscope in many stables, studs, farms and veterinary clinics. The latest heart rate monitors are accurate and reliable, provide a quick reading (within 10 seconds) and are simple to use. They eliminate ‘human error’ that can occur with ‘counting the heart beats for 15 seconds’. But why would you want to measure resting and recovery heart rate? What vital information can they give you about the condition and health of your horse?  R and R  

Book Excerpt: Exercise Exhaustion by Michael Ball, DVM - The ability to exercise and the metabolic responses to exercise differ in each individual horse and can vary greatly depending on many factors. Many exercise induced problems could be avoided by applying common sense limits to performance stresses. During the training for such events, monitoring of the health and well being of your horse becomes your responsibility. Exercise exhaustion can occur after relatively brief maximal exercise or after prolonged sub maximal exercise.  Article #6822  

Mental Conditioning –Excerpt from ECTRA Rider/Driver Handbook The preparation phase should include mental conditioning and schooling. This phase is the appropriate time to expose your horse to as many different stimuli as possible. Begin by getting him accustomed to being handled by several people at once. Get him used to having his pulse, respiration and temperature taken by different people. Note the horse's resting levels. Try to have friends simulate the vet exam while you hold him, i.e., handle his legs and feet, palpate the tack area and mucous membranes, etc. Practice trotting him in hand, in a figure eight, and circling in both directions. Get him used to accepting electrolytes. Learn techniques that relax your horse.  Under saddle the mental conditioning should continue. Acclimate your horse to as many different conditions as possible. Get him on roads and accustomed to traffic, cows, pigs, trucks, dogs, mailboxes, bicycles, motorcycles, roller blades, bridges, etc. Try to get him through various streams and other water sources and get him used to drinking from various sources away from home, including a scoop. Practice sponging him from the saddle. Get him used to rain slickers, straps and scoops. Use all of the equipment you intend to compete with so the horse is used to the sounds and feel of them.  If possible ride with several other people so the horse gets accustomed to being in a group. Ride him at the front, middle and back of the group and get him used to passing other horses and being passed. If your horse gets harder to handle when ridden in groups or out in the open, you may want to use a stronger bit, or add a martingale for more control. You may want to consider taking riding lessons with your horse to improve your communication and control. The tack should be kept as simple as possible because you will be sponging, etc. Whatever you choose, keep in mind that your horse needs to be able to eat and drink while bridled. Most importantly, don't assume that what seems to work at first is the permanent solution. As you and your horse accumulate mileage, you will probably have to make adjustments.

Mental Training for the Long Distance Equine by Jim Holland These articles are written to help you train a horse mentally for Endurance and provide guidance on what will be expected of your horse...and you...at an Endurance ride. Mental Conditioning 

Conditioning your Equine to Camping… Home Away From Home by Meg Cicciarella - Essentially, there are only a few options for containing and securing horses away from home--penning, tying, and hobbling. Some methods are more commonly used in specific sports or activities, such as competitive trail riding, which demands hard tying. High lines, ground picketing, and hobbling are often used on pack trips and ranch work. Some are more appropriate depending on the terrain where they will be used. The use of other methods might reflect regional preferences, such as in the western mountain areas where endurance riders typically choose overhead picket systems, or portable metal or electric corrals.  Article #4263 

Acclimating Competition Horses by Les Sellnow - Horses by the dozen move from one country to another to compete in endurance, dressage, jumping, racing, cutting, and reining. There is not that much concern about stallions acclimating because they aren't facing an immediate arduous physical challenge upon arrival. But what about the event horse or long distance horses, for example? They travel through time zones, from low elevations to high altitudes, and vice versa. How can they acclimate quickly and be ready for competition? Perhaps the more appropriate question is: Can they truly acclimate and perform at their highest level of ability? Article #6625 

ECTRA (Eastern Competitive Trail Ride Association, Inc.) Rider/Driver Handbook 2003 

Alberta Agriculture, Food and Rural Development, Edmonton, Alberta

TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY, DEPARTMENT OF ANIMAL SCIENCE, EQUINE SCIENCES PROGRAM 

Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources • Oklahoma State University Oklahoma Cooperative Extension www.osuextra.com  

Centre for Equine Studies, Animal Health Trust, Newmarket, UK.     

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