Unless you had access to an indoor arena or migrated south for a few months with your four-legged friend, chances are your horse’s fitness level is not quite sufficient for competition or strenuous outings yet. | Photo: Photos.com

Maybe you kept fit throughout the winter on the ski slopes or at the gym, but what about your horse? Unless you had access to an indoor arena or migrated south for a few months with your four-legged friend, chances are your horse’s fitness level is not quite sufficient for competition or strenuous outings yet.

While there is no foolproof way to avoid injury altogether, there are precautions every horse owner can take to reduce the horse’s risk of getting hurt. As with any solid fitness program, the key to success is a logical progression and controlling variables such as footing, stable management, and horse health care.

Logical Progression

Many training programs have a pinnacle event in mind. If that’s true in your case, create a plan based on when you want your horse to reach peak fitness. The journey leading up to the main event can consist of weeks and months of conditioning, including a lead up with smaller events to ensure the horse is ready for the more strenuous task ahead. If you’re coming back from a winter of inactivity, it’s wise to start slow with 20 minutes of walking and to build from there. Increase the length of conditioning sessions before increasing intensity