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Wednesday, 23 August, 2017
The vacations are over and it's back to school time. After weeks of sunbathing, it's time to get back in the saddle. But how do you get your horse back to work after the summer? Seaver tells you all about it.
Has your horse also had a well-deserved break? Here are a few tips to help you prepare for the new season.
Putting a horse back to work after several weeks of inactivity must be done in a very gradual way. It is out of the question to go back to the show grounds as soon as the first week or to do intensive sessions!
"If the horse was in good physical condition beforehand, and as long as the cessation of activity did not exceed 4 or 5 weeks, it can go quite quickly" - Michel Robert.
Before going back to work, it is important to give your horse a little general check-up. Plan a visit to the veterinarian, the farrier, and if necessary the osteopath...
In addition to assessing the general condition and drawing your attention to specific points to be treated or monitored, the veterinarian will be able to advise you on the schedule for returning to work, adjusting the diet... The farrier will assess the condition of the feet, prescribe appropriate care, and adapt the shoeing to a more intensive work.
The pace of work must be adapted according to your horse and its physical condition when it returns from "vacation". In all cases, it is advisable to start with short sessions of progressive difficulty and to alternate with rest sessions.
"The first rule to put, or put back, a horse in physical condition is to split the work. That is to say to alternate between times of effort and times of recovery", Michel Robert
Walking, lunging or free-roaming sessions without a rein, are a good way to first remuscle your horse in good conditions without putting your weight on him.
Start with a fairly large circle at the walk and trot. As soon as you feel he is available and listening, think of varying the size of the circles and ask for transitions. Don't forget to work with both hands.
On subsequent days, introduce the canter and focus on wide circles to help him maintain his balance. Ask for transitions frequently enough to keep his attention. Gradually introduce wider and narrower circles, but don't make it difficult for him. You can gradually increase the length of your sessions and add training as needed.
If you have a walker in your club, don't hesitate to use it. It's a great way to gently work out stiffness and soreness, and to gently get the muscle building process going again.
When your horse doesn't seem to be tired anymore from working in the longe or in the free range, it's time to switch to horseback riding.
The first few sessions of mounted work should still be light. Start with walk and trot as if it were a young horse. Go outside two to three times a week to keep his spirits up if you can. Look for elevation changes to work on his breath, ask for increasingly steady paces. Finish with neck extensions or other flexibility exercises to stretch the back and prevent soreness.
Then, the more "serious" work can begin. Ask him to do more complex exercises: leg cessions, shoulders in, presses... You can also introduce ground bars at the trot or canter to give your horse some bounce. When you feel ready, add some work on the obstacle. Start with 2 or 3 jumps and gradually increase the number and height. You can use your Seaver girth to track your jumping performance (height of jumps, number of jumps, course layout, etc.) over the course of your sessions. Always remember to go gradually and don't forget the rest sessions.
"The horse's body will harden as the jumping sessions progress. There's nothing to stop you jumping small obstacles almost every day. On the other hand, jumping too high too fast is just asking for trouble. Far too many horses hurt themselves on landings and don't want to jump any more because they haven't been sufficiently prepared physically" - Michel Robert.
Theoretically, after 3 to 4 weeks, your horse is ready to go back to the show grounds. Don't hesitate to start with tests of a lower level than what you did at the end of the previous season in order to gradually get back into the swing of things.
See you soon for a new article,
The Seaverteam
