There’s a reason baseball players migrate to Florida and Arizona every spring. It’s to get back into shape!
They may have spent the off-season by hibernating from the game and the outdoors. Their joints might be a little rusty, and their gloves might be a little dusty.
Just like a house buttoned up all winter long, we’re all in need of a spring refresher, and the same goes for your horse. That cold layoff might have affected his fitness level and he could use a tune-up to get him ready for the activity that’s sure to keep him working harder during the warmer months of trail riding and competition.
Don’t expect too much from him right away. Doing so will only result in soreness – possibly injury – and probably a slower start to the riding season. Like any exercise program you might undertake, ease into it steadily. Inch by inch, it’s a cinch – yard by yard, it’s hard.
Ease into things
Not only will you want to take it slow physically, but mentally. Chances are, your horse has had a quiet winter without being ridden much. He’s spent a lot of time hanging with his barn mates, so you’ll need to shift his focus back onto you rather than other distractions on the farm. Every horse has a different temperament, so take some time to rediscover his disposition and re-focus on your relationship. All of it will go a long way toward working each other back into shape and into the riding routine.
Come up with a plan
Age and overall health will play a strong factor in the plan you’ll set for his training. Most owners prep for a 6-8 week time period of exercising and conditioning until he’s in top shape for riding and competition. During that time, you’ll probably want to ride him about five days a week so as to give him two off days to recover. Talk to your trainer and vet to create an exercise plan that’s right for him – then stick to it. You’ll also want to track progress and keep notes about how he’s responding to everything, taking into account the weather, reaction to new items around the barn and anything else that can affect his productivity. There are a lot of good exercise fitness trackers you can download to make monitoring your horse a lot easier.
Give him a check-up
This is where you’ll treat your horse a little like your car, because he’s going to need a tune-up before you hit the road. Set an appointment to have the vet give him a routine check-up which considers vaccinations, parasite control and general health. Special care should be given to your horse’s legs and gait. Have your farrier check his hooves and shoes, especially when you consider that most lameness originates with the foot. Check his saddle to make sure it’s still fit for riding and that it didn’t experience any wear over the winter. Give your safety equipment a look so that you won’t expect any surprises if you’re riding far from home. All of this will ensure that your horse is in tip-top shape and fit for the rigors of exercise.
Assess his diet
Before you discuss the food he eats with your veterinarian, give some consideration to his body score. The sweet spot is 4-5. If it’s significantly outside that range, you’ll need to think about the proper way to get him in ideal shape for activity. After that, consider the diet he enjoyed during the winter months. If he ate mostly hay, he might need supplemental nutrition to bulk up again. If he’s overweight, some extra movement will do him good. With a steady increase in extra exercise, you’ll probably need to adjust his amount of feed, most likely with grain. The actual amount will depend on the individual horse.
Walking, trotting, running
Start by focusing on his walk and allow him to loosen up – it’s a good way to build muscle tone without strain and let him adjust to carrying your weight again. Practice straight lines and wide circles, eventually working your way into smaller ones. This is a good time to work on the basics and fundamentals of riding – for both of you.
As you feel him getting stronger, you can start having him work on trotting. Only do 5-10 minutes a day and take it slow. As he gets more fit and regains muscle strength, you can introduce more, such as loping. Give plenty of breaks and stop before he’s too tired. As mentioned earlier, you’ll set him back if you stretch him too far.
Intensity
How you build that intensity is up to you, but nearly anyone will encourage you to do it slowly and gently with a gradual increase in speed and duration. Top-level horses train year round, including those in a warmer, year-round climate.
Just as spring yields new life, so too can your horse burst with newfound energy driven by your purposeful plan to build him stronger.