Reconditioning

[hold_onhope]

Can anybody recommend a good article or website on reconditioning your horse? I've done some Googling and can only seem to find information about reconditioning a fit horse who has been on layup, or has had a muscle injury, or getting a horse in show shape after the winter. What I'm looking for is more general information about building muscle and

Comments

[bixa]

Hillwork, transitions, and alternating between cardio and strengthening days. Start out slowly and build from there. I've got to start doing this for my mare too soon, although she's coming off an injury and last year it was pregnancy. Good luck!

[foalstory]

look into 'interval training', especially on the endurance websites and cross country folks.

[thumpystowaway]

I just finished reading this book: http://www.bookdepository.com/book/9781603424639/Equine-Fitness

and it is terrific. I highly suggest the investment to buy it

[harnessphoto]

If you have access to a farm with an Equicizer, I'd ask if you can borrow it. You can put the horse on there starting with ten minutes of trot and working your way up to an hour of mixed work. Doesn't require riding, lunging, or training. It can be used in combination with regular training and is something a lot of racehorse people use.

I'm an endurance rider, so depending on how fit you want your horse, I can give you what I do and how I work up to it.

Has the horse been on regular turnout? Young horses keep themselves fitter than we give them credit for out in the field. She may be ready to do more work than you think she can.

Resp. and heart rate are good things to monitor, but I'd be more concerned with how quickly she gets back within normal parameters than how high the two actually get. Again... if you're really interested, we can talk.

[ilikerivers]

I am really interested in what you do. I want to get my boy fit as I haven't been riding him much lately. I'm planning on lots of hill work.

[harnessphoto]

You read my blog ;) Haha.

[ilikerivers]

Just ride him on MOAR crazy adventures! That's what I learnt is best for conditioning from your blog.

I might skip the faceplanting horse part. ;)