Get your horse back in shape

After a long trainings break caused by soreness or other conditions it can be very hard to get your horse back on track. There are a few very helpful tips and tricks you should read if you want to get your equine back in shape in a good way. 

At first we have to take a look at the currently condition or fitness level of your horse. Do we have an old horse which has problems with the muscle? Do you want to keep the horse in shape to relief joints and tenders?  Or do we begin with a young horse which we would like to push to the next level of training? 

There are a few excises which are work out for every age group and every stage of muscle structure. before you start to get on your horse to ride, you have to make sure that it is not in pain. After a long break on the paddock it is highly likely that the muscles in the back and along the neck changed. You have to take a good look and feel if your horse is able to carry a saddle (plus you) or if it is even in pain in this stage. If you can see that your horse winces or tries to get rid of the pressure which you give to the horse while touching, you should better call a equine veterinarian to check your horse before you do anything. 

If your equine just has poor back muscles you should start lunging or long reining it. At first without any wight on its back to rest the back and improve the endurance. Moreover, it is very important to give your horse enough time to relax between the work out. That means if your horse is out of shape, it is better to give it a lot of walk breaks in between. 

Lunging can be very useful to improve the fitness level of your equine if you do it right. the recommended time to lunge a horse is 20-30 minutes and 2-3 times in the week. This light training improves next to the endurance also the trust to the horse's rider. 

As soon as you can see that your horse improves his endurance you can add for example poles into the training. The poles are helping the horse to move the body right and lift its feet higher and faster from the ground. Furthermore, poles are a great excise to increase the reaction. The eyes, the brain and the real outcome as movement are important parts to create a good looking horse. Do not only train the body. You have also give your horse exercises which it can solve through thinking.