Horses could be more “sustainable” athletes if we prepare them better for competitions and monitor their health and fitness regularly, one German equitation scientist said. And we can improve their sustainability even more we rode better, he said.

Average “operational life”—meaning the time horses are actively competing—hovers around three to six years for many sport horses, said Arno Lindner, PhD, of Arbeitsgruppe Pferd in Jülich, at the 2014 International Society for Equitation Science Conference. And considering that horses will live 25 to 30 years, that operational life represents a surprisingly small percentage of the total lifespan.

Horses’ operational life, according to discipline, is an average of:

• Four years for dressage horses;
• Three years for Thoroughbred racehorses;
• Three-and-a-half years for show jumpers; and
• Six years for eventing horses—but 30% of eventers don’t compete two years in a row.

To improve these rates, Lindner suggested improved conditioning programs based on reliable scientific studies. “We need to always be questioning ourselves, ‘Is this conditioning program I’m using actually doing anything positive for my horse?’ ” he said. Good conditioning programs should last six to eight weeks prior to competitions, and horses should go through conditioning programs two or three times per year