The last couple weeks have brought us some warmer temperatures and with the tease of spring thaw many of us are getting back in the saddle to prepare for show season. While it feels fantastic to get into the swing of serious riding again, we must remember to take the necessary time to recondition our horse. It is so tempting to want to pick right back up where we left off at the end of last fall but, if we fail to properly build our horse’s strength, suppleness, and endurance we can end up making little or no progress. Even worse we risk injury to our equine partner. A good rule of thumb is to take at least the same amount of time that your horse has been off from regular work to rebuild his fitness. For example, if you haven’t ridden consistently in four weeks then it should take four weeks or more to get back to the same level you were working at before the time off. Take into consideration your horse’s age. An older horse may take more time to come back from time off than a younger horse. Keep your workouts interesting. Do some cross training, climb hills to build strength and do gymnastic work to “get out of the box”. Remember, failure to plan is a plan to fail. Set yourself up for success by making a plan that gives you and your horse adequate time to recondition and you will increase your potential for advancement and improvement. Most important, keep it fun and enjoy your time with your horse!
Visit our clinic page for details on the March 26th Gymnastic Clinic!
