The biggest competition of the year is just around the corner, and you’ve been training … hard. Your horse is the most talented one you’ve ever owned and making it to this competition is on top of your bucket list. You can hardly wait, and when you get there your horse will be so fit and ready you know he’ll be unbeatable. That’s why you’ve scheduled some extra sessions with your trainer, and a couple of hard conditioning rides before you go.
Wait just a minute! It might be time to pump the brakes. In reality, overtraining at a time like this might do more harm than good. Not only are you setting your horse up for failure at the competition if you wear him down, you may be asking for an injury that could threaten his future—or even his life!
In this article, I’m going to explain how your horse’s bones and soft tissues get stronger over time, and why carefully scheduled periods of rest are essential for making him strong and protecting him from injury. You’ll learn how the important structures of his musculoskeletal system adapt to exercise over time, what conditions are most likely to
