Fitter horse, fitter you

With the summer tantalisingly close, using a programme to boost your and your horse’s fitness will help make achieving your riding goals, whatever they may be, a reality.

Once you know your baseline – you’ll find helpful and easy-to-follow horse and human fitness tests to help you gauge this in last month’s issue – you’ll be ready to kick-start a dual fitness programme. Here’s how to tailor one that’s ideal for you both.

When to start

When you start to work on your horse’s fitness depends on your end goal, so work backwards from what you’re aiming to achieve. If you want to make the most of post-work hacking in the daylight, for example, you’ll need to start sooner than if you’re aiming for an end-of-season BE90.

Your horse’s current level of fitness will also play a big part – bear in mind that if he’s had a few months off, it’ll take longer to build him up than a horse who’s been ticking over through the winter. As a rough guide, a horse who’s enjoyed an extended break of eight weeks or more will take around 12 to return to full fitness. However, your horse should be treated as an individual, so consider his specific needs and any underlying conditions he might have before you get started.

Fitter horse

Peaks and troughs are customary in athletic training schedules and a horse’s should be no different. Attempting to keep your horse at a high level of fitness endlessly may result in overtraining and a greater risk of injury.

It’s therefore important to map out your goals for the year and aim to peak your horse’s fitness level at these points, allowing for respite in between. That doesn’t mean a total holiday after every competition, more that you take your foot off the pedal for a time. Spend a week hacking at a lower intensity or improve specific aspects of his performance in short sessions before gearing up again.

Pick up a copy of April Horse&Rider, on sale 4 March 2021, for great ways on improving your and your horse’s fitness.