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Conditioning
Conditioning is an essential part of preparing a horse for cross-country. Although the lowest levels may not require any more riding than the usual 5 or 6 days each week used to train the horse, all upper level horses are placed into strict conditioning programs. Most riders plan their schedule around pre-determined events, taking into consideration the length of the particular course, the climate in which they will have to run their horse, the speed that will be required, and the terrain over which they will be travelling (such as hills). In extreme situations, such as when riders had to condition their mounts for the intense heat at the Athens Olympics, horses will be shipped in early to certain locations to help their body adjust.
The rider must also consider the starting condition of the horse, the breed which they will be competing (heavier breeds will require more conditioning than most Thoroughbreds), and most importantly, the individual horse. Horses which have been brought to peak fitness before will generally be easier to get back to top condition than a horse that has never had to work at that level. Some horses need more distance work and others more speed work. Determining these factors is generally done through experience.
Types of conditioning to prepare for cross-country
All horses are started with distance work, at a slow speed (usually a walk or trot), to improve endurance. This "base" of fitness is vital to ensure the horse is physcally sound enough to progress to more rigorous work, such as galloping. Horses who do not have a base are much more at risk for soft tissue injury. After a base has been placed on the horse, riders add in galloping sets to improve cardiovascular fitness. Most riders use interval training, in which the heart rate is raised to a certain level before the horse is allowed a rest, and then the horse is again asked to work before the heart has a chance to fully recover. This can improve the cardiovascular fitness of the horse with less overall galloping, helping to maintain the horse's soundness.
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Work up an incline (hillwork) is often favored over longer stretches of galloping for improving fitness, because it requires the horse to work harder while placing less wear-and-tear on their body. Through experience, a rider may gauge the difficulty of a hill and determine what its comparative worth is to galloping on a flat surface.
To condition the horse's bones, riders may walk on roads or other hard surfaces. However, this is generally only used when the ground conditions are quite soft. Although popular in Britain, most American riders do not do road work. If used too much, it can encourage arthritis.
Some riders also have access to equine treadmills or swimming pools. Treadmills can sometimes be adjusted to have a slight incline, allowing the horse to work without the added weight of the rider. Swimming is an excellent form of conditioning, and allows the rider to increase the horse's cardiovascular and muscular condition without adding undue stress to the bones or soft tissue.
Considerations when conditioning
Riders should always be weary of the ground conditions. Conditioning on hard ground can cause lameness problems, both short- and long-term. Conditioning on deep, heavy footing (such as right after a rain) increases the pull on the tendons, and may lead to soft tissue damage. Conditioning on slippery ground increases the risk that the horse will slip and have a soft-tissue injury. In general, older horses do better on softer footing, which is kinder to any joint problems they may have. Younger horses, which may not have the same strength of soft tissue, are best worked on slightly firmer ground.
The rider should also take care to slowly increase the amount of work. As a general rule, the distance may be increased or the speed may be increased, but not both at once. Pushing a horse too fast can lead to injury or lameness. The rider should also be aware of the horse's breathing, and feel how tired the animal is underneath. Horses conditioning for the upper levels are often conditioned with heart rate monitors, so the rider will have a great insight into the horse's condition over time.
The rider should always be willing to cut back conditioning work if the horse feels exhausted or if he has a very high respiration rate. Heat and humidity make work much harder, so should be considered while conditioning. Horses that are pushed too hard may injure themselves or may overheat, which can be deadly if not correctly cared for.
The rider must also understand that the muscling and improved cardiovascular fitness that is seen within a month or two of conditioning work does not indicate that the horse's entire body is at the same peak. Soft tissue can take several months to condition, and bone up to a year.
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