I’m interested in adding in some alternates to trot and canter sets. I have a warmblood cross so any time I can reduce the concussion I’m interested. This would just be to supplement trot and canter sets but I’m thinking when the ground gets hard it’d be nice. I’m lucky in that I have access two two facilities one with a traditional pool/eurociser and another with an aquatred. Is there any preference as to one or other, and if so, why? Thanks!
I’m not a big fan of swimming. While good aerobic exercise, it does not promote useful muscles for an event horse. When swimming, the horse’s back is down, head and neck up to breathe. I prefer aquatred, as the water is only chest deep and the horse can move naturally (walk or trot) with his head at a comfortable height. The water provides resistance to make an effective workout.
I still think traditional work on hills is best, IMO. This thought may be controversial, but… if your horse is carefully conditioned to hard ground, when he has to compete on it his body will be better adapted to prevent serious injury.
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Choose the Aquatread over swimming. The Aquatread encourages correct topline use whereas swimming causes an inverted topline. I used Aquatread for my 17.2 1700 lb draft cross when he was going prelim to save the pounding on his feet. I was delighted with the results- his topline changed drastically and his fitness level was super. I just took him 1x week for about 4 months.
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Swimming has its uses, but like another poster mentioned, it doesn’t really improve topline. However, FULL on swimming does really strengthen the loin and the obliques as well as wind, IME, and is a wonderful way to condition stifles – without the concussion of the roads. So while the topline won’t see tremendous improvement, the midline will – that is were you should see improvements in collection and jumping efforts… which would help an eventer IME. I did have a wonderful time swimming with one of my geldings as a teen, but it is very hard to do if you don’t have the proper set up for it (we did not)… but I did see a great improvement in HIM even with only going about once or twice a week.
Since you have the faculties available I would go with the aquatread for the reasons the other posters mentioned.
I also like hills, personally – walking and trotting up them will do wonders … but steep hill work is one of those things you have to do in moderation otherwise you risk some serious tissue injury.
Re: hard ground = limb loading. The ground here is always rock hard by the summer and almost all we do is trails when not doing dressage/ring work – so my horses seem wonderfully conditioned for hard going. When introducing road work (as in trotting on hard ground) I will usually start with 1m a week and go from there. IIRC Sally Swift has a wonderful exerpt in her book about limb loading that’s definitely worth a read if you can track down any of her books… alas, I left mine at a WS barn a few years back and I’m afraid it’s gone forever (though much loved in its new home!).
What are you doing for trot/canter sets, if you don’t mind me asking? How often?
+1 for Aquatred over swimming. I’m an equine vet and 95% of my practice is chiropractic and acupuncture- I see more sore backs and inverted muscling from swimming than you would believe. Water treadmill is a super way to add topline and muscle with low impact.
It depends. I have used traditional swimming usually when my horse has been in work and then develops an abscess. It does help keep them fit. I think it also makes them feel really good!
A number of years ago I was getting my older horse ready for a bridleless exhibition one winter at an expo when he developed and abscess. I ended up swimming him for the month before with no riding at all. He would come out of the pool full of himself looking for a cross-country course to jump around. The swimming made him feel great. He was plenty fit for his exhibition and did great with only one ride before the expo.
I don’t like what it does to their top line, but in a pinch, I would go to it.
Of course, getting them in the pool can be challenging. I had one horse almost pull the guy into the pool when he tried to turn around and go back, and another one who entered the water with a flying leap and a huge splash!!
Fun times.
No experience with Aquatread but I second/third the hill work and trails. The part of Maryland where I board Charlie has really weird/bad clay soil that is immediately slick when wet and immediately rock hard when dry, so we always have to trailer out to better footing for longer gallop days. So on the interim days I do tons of hacking up and down hills. We have a lot of really good hills on the property so I just hack out for 45 minutes or an hour and take all the hilly routes. Charlie also tends to get back sore when he’s unfit and the increased emphasis on hillwork and hacking has really helped with that as well.
It sounds like aquatred it is. I already try to get my horse out as much as I can for conditioning. It requires hauling out, but I have access to hills. It’s been an incredibly wet spring so we’ve been limited as to how much we can do. My horse was already pretty fit from winter in Aiken we’re doing 3 sets of 6-7 min. trot sets, 2 min canters, and about 2 minutes of walk-- the walking may get increased as needed if he or I are more winded (mostly me). I also just like doing trails where we go for a couple of hours at mostly walk and trot as the trails around me can be pretty hilly. We’re doing novice so he doesn’t have to be super fit.
Anecdotally, we have definitely noticed an increase in colic occurances in (thoroughbred) horses that are swum on a regular basis, not exactly sure why but it is a definite trend. Several other farm managers have said the same thing. Something to consider if your horse is prone to upsets etc
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