TOP FIVE CONDITIONING FLUBS
Trigger is tired, but you don’t know why. Sure, it’s been a busy week of showing, but you’ve been working like crazy to get him fit. He’s worked six days a week, and spends an hour every day on the hot walker. When it came time for the most important class of the show, Trigger just plain ran out of gas. He was grouchy, lazy, and didn’t want to work. “Is he sick?” you wonder. “Maybe I should call the vet!”
Maybe Trigger’s just plain tired! With all of your efforts to get him fit, did you remember to give him a break? If you’re an overachiever with a serious goal in mind, it’s easy to believe that the harder you work, the better your horse will be. But more’s not always better, and it sounds as if Trigger might’ve fallen victim to a classic conditioning faux pas—overtraining. Does that mean you should just let him sit around? Unfortunately, “not enough” can be a problem too. That’s what makes conditioning so complicated.
In this article, I’ll review core conditioning principles and how to apply them. Then I’ll explore five of the most common conditioning mistakes horse owners make and the problems they cause, plus offer better strategies to use instead.
CONDITIONING 101
What’s conditioning? In this case, it describes work you do with your horse to improve his physical ability to perform, whether it’s for trail riding, working cows, or running barrels. Different activities require different types of conditioning, but no matter what your
