HOW CAN A horse's fitness be measured and improved? It can certainly be a focus during hacks, perhaps with certain distances in mind in preparation for fun rides, endurance classes or maybe TREC. Plenty of equestrians hack out simply for the enjoyment factor, though, and don't pay much attention to the fittening aspect, provided their horse is happy covering the distances he needs to do.
Either way, however, fitness is a key part of keeping a horse healthy and comfortable under saddle, whether that involves covering a few miles a week or more, as eventer Nicole Mills and endurance rider Linda Cowperthwaite explain…
‘Fitness isn't all about fast work’
Nicole Mills events to four-star level and hopes to make the step up to five-star in 2024 with her top horse, Fearless W. She hasastring of horses, from youngsters to those at four-star level, and all of them need to be fit
