Jec Aristotle Ballou - Equine Fitness: A Program of Exercises and Routines for Your Horse

Equine Fitness

A CONDITIONING PROGRAM
of Exercises & Routines for Your Horse

JEC ARISTOTLE BALLOU

The mission of Storey Publishing is to serve our customers by
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Edited by Lisa Hiley and Deborah Burns

Cover design by Alethea Morrison

Art direction and text design by Cynthia N. McFarland

Text production by Cynthia N. McFarland and Jennifer Jepson Smith

Illustrations by Jo Anna Rissanen

Arena diagrams by Ilona Sherratt

Indexed by Nancy D. Wood

2009 by Jec Aristotle Ballou

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10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGING-IN-PUBLICATION DATA

Ballou, Jec Aristotle.

Equine fitness / Jec Aristotle Ballou.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978-1-60342-463-9 (pbk. : alk. paper)

1. HorsesHealth. 2. HorsesExercise. I. Title.

SF285.3.B35 2010

636.1'0893dc22

2009023864

My most heartfelt gratitude goes to the numerous horses along the way that have taught me new ways to see things or given a little extra in their effort. Its these kinds of horses that make a trainer always want to increase the scope of her abilities. Through them, I have been able to keep raising the bar on equine athletic performance and I am thankful for this. Specifically, thanks to Catamacs Cat, a mare to whom my debt will never be repaid!

My second nod of gratitude goes to my teachers both here and abroad. Their patience and perseverance in the selfless act of teaching have often fueled my enthusiasm to continue working with horses and riders. I especially thank Manolo Mendez for always advocating the horses best interests. Thanks also to Dr. Sherry Ackerman, W. Charles Ballou, and the community of exceptional horsemen and horsewomen I grew up with at the Green Mountain Horse Association in Woodstock, Vermont. Many have gone on to represent the United States in international competitions; I am in awe of their humble roots.

Lastly, I would like to acknowledge my colleagues and clients who work tirelessly on the horses behalf. Thanks to Mark Schuerman, Naomi Johnston, Rachel Anicetti, David Lichman, Home At Last Sanctuary, Katherine Curran, and Storey Publishing.

M Y INTEREST IN PROPERLY CONDITIONING horses for their respective disciplines has developed over the years not only from riding and loving these animals but also from being an athlete myself. When you commit yourself, your horse, or both to a training plan, you soon realize how many unexpected bumps there are in the road. Even the best-laid plans can unravel. You may find yourself hitting a plateau in training, wondering why you are not advancing or why your horse seems sore or sour. This book will help you assess your progress and find the answers to many training questions and problems.

Having won championships in basketball, rowing, and mountain biking, as well as several equestrian disciplines, I have come to appreciate the straightforward but painstaking effort that goes into preparing an athlete to perform at his or her highest level. It matters not whether the event in question is a local fund-raiser or an international competition. What matters is that the athlete can perform in peak condition, with a happy attitude, and recover well, which means no prolonged period of soreness.

In my lifetime with horses, I have observed that the equine industry has become compartmentalized, with trainers and horses focusing exclusively on single disciplines. Daily workouts primarily address exercises or maneuvers specific to that discipline, to the detriment of focused and sustained time spent on overall equine fitness requirements. This situation is similar to a human gymnast practicing handsprings and splits repetitiously, day after day, but losing sight of the larger picture that he needs to consider, which is his ongoing basic fitness, beyond the particular demands of his chosen sport.

When overly specific training techniques are used with horses, the rider or trainer may determine that the horse is not making progress and diagnose the problem as a schooling shortfall. Much of the time, however, the issue is not necessarily one of inadequate schooling; it is more a matter of insufficient basic fitness, whether the problem is strength, coordination, or suppleness.

Maintaining your horses physical structure and cardiovascular aptitude (including stamina, recovery, and adaptability to stress) to the best of your ability will keep him happily and comfortably performing his job at the highest level. This is just as (if not more) important as undertaking an adequate amount of specialized training to meet the requirements of your chosen discipline. In many cases, addressing your horses underlying fitness can resolve many of the frustrating stumbling blocks that crop up along the way during any well-laid training plan. Be aware that even with the best schooling and conditioning plans, other factors such as boarding conditions and nutrition also affect your horses health and fitness.

KEY POINT

Training horses should always follow this equation: 50 percent of time spent on schooling; 50 percent of time spent on conditioning. Schooling should never outweigh work on basic conditioning.

Most of us do not have the luxury of keeping our horses on our own property, which necessitates boarding them at commercial facilities. Any boarding situation comes with pluses and minuses. The main point to keep in mind when choosing a boarding facility is that your horses daily living conditions impact his overall well-being as much as the most well-intentioned training and conditioning plan.

Many owners make decisions about boarding based on budget or convenience. Within those constraints, I always emphasize to my students that it is crucial to put the horses needs above all else when choosing where to house him. In the end, this will make your life with him much easier. For instance, a horse who eats insufficient hay, lives in a cramped stall, and is surrounded by a stressful environment will go only so far in his career, even with the worlds best training. Daily handling, a regular feeding routine, access to turnout, and the opportunity to socialize are part of the equation that keeps a horse mentally and physically prepared for his job. They are