Is your trail horse getting a little out of shape, with your busy schedule? Or, are you ready for adventure with a new equine trail partner? Conditioning your horse for trail work is an art, as well as a science. Here, we'll give you seven canons of conditioning, designed to help you properly condition your trail horse: properly warm him up and cool him down; exercise him regularly; increase the work gradually; do hill work; slowly adjust to altitude; watch for trouble; and give him time off.
We'll help you focus on keeping your horse sound and happy in his work, without overworking or injuring him. To check for indications of fatigue, dehydration, and equine exertional rhabdomyolysis (tying up) -and what to do should you spot a problem - see "Trouble Signs" on page 84.
Important note: Before you begin a conditioning program, have your horse thoroughly evaluated by your veterinarian, and work with him or her to refine a program right for your particular horse.
Canon #1: Properly warm him up and cool him down.
Why it's important: Warming up your horse before you work him improves circulation and oxygen intake, helps limber muscles and tendons so they are more elastic (and less likely to suffer an injury), and helps him prepare mentally for the task ahead. A warm-up also works out any previous muscle soreness or stiffness. Plus, mild exercise increases natural lubrication of joints.
Proper cool-down helps prevent muscle stiffness and soreness after a ride, as the continuing mild exercise flushes wastes from the working muscles. A cool-down also allows your horse's heart to drop back toward a resting rate, keeps fluid from accumulating in legs and joints, and helps all his body systems return to normal.
Recommended routines: To warm up your horse, walk (or walk/trot) him briskly for five to 10 minutes. Then limber him by circling and cantering/loping for a few strides on each lead. Avoid speed. Warm him up only until you see him starting to break a light sweat; his coat will feel slightly moist to the touch. If he breaks into a real sweat, you've overdone it; warm him up more slowly in the future. On cold days, use a rump rug to keep his large hindquarter muscles warm.
Give your horse about 10 to 30 minutes to cool down. The exact time he needs depends on the length and intensity of your ride, as well as his fitness level. Do progressively slower work on your way home. If you were galloping, trot for several minutes to keep the blood circulating. (Circulation brings overheated blood to the body surface where it cools and helps flush muscle waste.) Then bring him down to a walk until he stops sweating, dries off, and his chest feels cool.
If he's still quite warm, dismount, loosen the cinch/girth, and lead him the rest of the way home. Or, return home, take off the tack, apply a halter, and lead him until he's cool. Don't put him away until he's completely cooled down and his heart rate has returned to what's normal for him. The average resting heart rate for a horse is about 26 to 33 beats per minute; a horse's after-exercise recovery heart rate is higher and individual for each horse.
Find out what's normal for your horse by checking his resting heart rate every morning for five days straight, then average those numbers. Note that a higher or lower rate than normal can indicate a health problem; if your horse's resting heart rate is abnormally high or low (for him) call your veterinarian.
The easiest way to monitor your horse's heart rate is via a heart-rate monitor, which automatically counts beats per minute and shows the results via a transmitter to a wrist display you wear like a watch. One recommended equine model is Polar Vet Check (available from Equine Performance Products, 866/378-4476; www.equineperformanceproducts.com).
Or, you can place a stethoscope behind your horse's left elbow, count the beats for 15 seconds (each "lub-dub" counts as one beat), and multiply by four to get beats per minute.
Note that on cold days, your horse might not sweat much immediately after exercise, but his core temperature might still be elevated; he'll break out in a sweat later. As the weather cools, keep a close watch on his heart rate (above) rather than his sweat level.
