Horse Fitness Program

[isobellacuan]

Hey everyone!

I’ll start by saying that I post here super sporadically, but every time I do, I hugely value the input and opinions of such knowledgeable horse people. Thanks in advance for being patient with all of my questions… haha.

I recently bought Duke, a 12 year old QH x Percheron for my husband. Duke is a super steady, been there done that kind of guy. Most recently, he was owned by an outfitting company where he packed supplies into the mountains multiple times a week. After the summer, he came back from the mountains and was turned out on grass until we bought him mid-October. Duke, although likely fairly fit this summer, is now a hippo of a horse. While our primary use for him is trail riding and leisurely arena riding (teaching my husband how to properly ride, ha), I really would like to see Duke improve his fitness over the winter and develop a top line and some muscle mass. I also fear that if he doesn’t shed some weight now, come summer he will explode when he has access to grass again.

What I’m wondering is what is the best way to bring a horse back into shape? I know it includes a lot of trot work and a slow, gradual increase in work load, but is there a set program I can follow? Any activities or exercises you’d recommend? Any hard and fast rules I should be following? Any advice and input is appreciated! I come from Thoroughbred ownership… I have never had to worry about obesity or lack of fitness and feel totally out of my wheelhouse! Ha.

Thanks again!

[piedmontfields]

Walking walking and more walking. Like for a month or two, depending on his current state. And eventually some trotting with all that walking! And then eventually some canter with that. But you can get a lot done by just putting in the miles at walk.

On the horse health forum, you might ask for ideas on diet strategies, too.

[Scribbler]

I feel like with a draft cross, you are going to have to experiment a bit and get to know him a bit in terms of what his stamina and windpower potential is. Drafts are slow and steady all day, but not fast off the mark. QH are good for short bursts of speed but don’t have the staying power of TB. And TB have both the lung capacity and the desire to run that they will run themselves into a lather even when they aren’t very fit. QH not so likely, probably draft not at all

So yes, lots of good marching walk, and then start trot sets. I did read earlier this year in regards to eventing, that they “legged up” their horses with walk trot and then walk trot canter intervals. I did try that with my Paint mare over the summer and it was useful. The eventers were talking about heart rates, saying that you wanted to do sets that the horse would return to a certain heart rate within two minutes I think? I wasn’t that precise, but I looked at how she was breathing. Basically do a big marching walk, then three trot sets within it, we moved up from about a two minute set to a ten minute set over a month or two. Then we started doing canter sets and then we started doing speed sprints and the trot sets kind of went on the back burner.

I have a nice little flat set of groomed trails to do this on, so we werent’ doing endless circles and were getting some variety of footing.

Hills are also really really good.

IME if a horse has been really fit for an extended period of time, it will be easier getting them fit again after time off compared to a horse that has never been fit in recent memory.

I would just get out, do a nice big marching walk, and then start adding in a minute of trot, assess how he is, then lengthen the trot segments until he is breathing a bit but coming back to normal after two minutes walking. Then you can can continue on slowly lengthening the trot periods.

People use Percheron/TB crosses around here for eventing but they vary a lot in phenotype and also in ability and personality, on the spectrum between Percheron and TB. Speed, jump, spook, bone, etc. I would think that a Percheron/QH is going to probably be quieter than most Perch/TB but of course you don’t know what the QH was (big old ranch horse or speedy Appendix or whatever).

[Palm_Beach]

Put a muzzle on him when the grass comes back.

[Pehsness]

I had a similar thread about a month ago Someone kindly posted the link to the Atlanta Equine return to work program, which I really like. Other good advice was walk, walk walk. Just walk. Which is working! My mid-teens QH gelding is doing well, I’m enjoying the time to work on my seat and we’re getting out there.

Bonus - walking isn’t weather dependent and since I am situationally an outdoor only rider right now, we get out there rain, shine or blizzard.

And I have a much better relationship with the horse.

[joiedevie99]

Forward marching walk 6 days/week for at least a month. Add 5 minutes of trot every week thereafter to most rides (keep 1-2 days a week just walk, but for longer duration). Pay attention to how he’s feeling, and stay level for a week if his fitness isn’t keeping pace. Once he’s comfortably trotting for 30 minutes, add in canter.

This assumes he has no injuries and maintained some fitness on turnout.